Improve Your Freestyle Breathing

Do you ever get to the end of a set and find yourself gasping for breath, even when you know you weren’t swimming as hard as you possibly could? It’s a common problem among many swimmers that often has a super simple fix.

Don’t hold your breath.

Yes, that’s it. Don’t hold your breath while you’re swimming. You can’t get any air in if you're holding your breath, and the build-up of spent air can tire you out faster.

I’m often surprised how many swimmers do hold their breath while swimming. It might seem like the right thing to do because you don’t want to aspirate water while swimming. But the problem is. holding your breath isn’t helpful and can actually slow you down and tire you out way too soon.

Instead, use the time between each breath to slowly exhale into the water. This will allow you to finish each breath cycle with a forceful, final exhale before you turn your head to take in more air.

Fully emptying the lungs creates more space for fresh air and it helps rid your body of carbon dioxide—a waste product that builds up when you hold your breath while swimming. As CO2 levels increase in your body, that can set off the alarm bells in your brain that makes you feel desperate to breathe, which can lead to panting and gasping.

But by slowly exhaling you’ll be removing some of that CO2 from your body as you go, which can help you feel less starved for air.

Simply letting it all go at a steady rate can help you breathe easier for the long run in freestyle.