Should You Exhale While Swimming?
Yes! Here’s why
One of the most common questions many swimmers ask is whether they should be exhaling while they’re swimming.
Quite simply, yes. You should always exhale while you swim, no matter which stroke you’re swimming.
In butterfly, breaststroke, and freestyle, you should always inhale as your head first leaves the water, then begin your exhale as soon as your face is back in the water.
In backstroke, theoretically you can breathe anytime, but for many faster backstrokers, you’ll need to time your breath for when your head is a little higher on the water, when your mouth is clear of the surface.
When exhaling, it’s also important to note that you should be exhaling in a steady, constant manner. Holding your breath and then forcefully exhaling all at once doesn’t work as well as letting the breath start releasing as soon as your face is back in the water.
Just before you go to take another breath, push the last of the air out of your lungs with a more forceful exhale to remove any lingering carbon dioxide and to create more space to bring in as much fresh air as possible with the next breath.
