Breathing is vital to the art of swimming. A balanced and rhythmical breathing pattern is fundamental to discovering the joy of swimming and to reaping the full health benefits of being in the water. Problems with breathing, varying in nature and degree, are experienced by swimmers of all levels and abilities. However well you may have mastered the mechanics of a stroke, unless you have learned to co-ordinate the breathing you will miss out on most of the pleasures and benefits of swimming. The first step, then, is to become aware of some of the factors which affect your breathing, both in and out of the water.
What happens to your breathing when you swim? Do you hesitate to immerse your face for fear of breathing in water? Is there never enough time to snatch a breath between strokes? Do you dislike the sensation of water getting up your nose so much that you hold your breath as long as possible? Does swimming make you unexpectedly breathless?
While many swimmers readily confess to concerns about breathing, others who are not consciously aware of it nonetheless exhibit symptoms of anxiety in the way they swim. The anxiety itself is a stumbling-block to exploring ways of breathing effectively while swimming. Failure to appreciate this means that the need to address fears about breathing is often underestimated. This issue is surprisingly rarely addressed by teachers, swimming manuals and instruction methods. Straightforward, apparently uncomplicated, instructions such as 'Turn your head sideways to breathe' or 'breathe between strokes' can be virtually useless, offering little enlightenment or comfort to the worried swimmer. It is wrongly assumed that we will know how to follow such instructions accurately and discover exactly how and when to take a breath.
Such scant regard for breathing is a weak foundation for learning to swim. Even after many years, poor habits and faulty co-ordination of breath acquired in the early stages can persist and mar the experience of being in the water. Learning to co-ordinate breathing with motion is not straightforward; on the contrary, it raises complex and important challenges for the art of swimming. It would be convenient if the only thing breathing required was for one's face to be out of the water. Unfortunately, this is not the case. First, even with our faces held above the water surface, there is no guarantee that we will not hold our breath, whether deliberately or unintentionally. In particular, we tend to constrict the free inflow of air, out of anxiety or for other reasons, by involuntarily tightening our diaphragm, the muscle which initiates breathing. If it were just a matter of nose and mouth being clear of the water, breathing would presumably be no problem in the backstroke - but it is! In fact, many people find swimming on their back just as problematic (if not more) for breathing as swimming on their front.
The rhythms available for breathing in and out are different for the various strokes. Each stroke raises specific problems requiring different solutions. Whatever the stroke, breathing efficiently in the water is actually a complex activity which requires thought and attention. Inhalation and exhalation need to be well coordinated with the rhythm of the stroke and the movement of body and limbs. It takes practice and familiarity to develop one's natural rhythm, which will vary depending on individuals' tastes and tendencies and should be flexible enough to adapt to different aquatic situations.
Breathing involves motion of the diaphragm, ribs and lungs. The diaphragm is a large dome-shaped muscle which separates the lungs from the stomach and other internal organs. When the diaphragm is pulled down and the dome is flattened, the lungs expand, drawing air in through the nose or mouth. As air enters the lungs, the surrounding ribcage simultaneously opens out to allow the upper part of the lungs to expand.
A full breath is achieved by allowing the diaphragm to pull down to its maximum extent so that the lower part of the lungs is filled as well as the upper. The optimum action of the breathing mechanism can be impeded by such things as a hunched posture, an overfull stomach, or generally poor use.
When we swim on our front, as in the crawl and breaststroke, our orientation is potentially affected by the need to breathe. In order to take a breath we cannot avoid altering the axis of our head to some degree so that our nose and mouth are clear of the water. This creates an obvious risk of misuse. If we arch the spine or bend our neck backwards at an extreme angle, we not only risk straining them but may find breathing more difficult, because the body-position can constrict the lungs and obstruct the flow of air through the windpipe.
The art of swimming challenges us to discover the least amount of effort needed for us to rise out of the water sufficiently to make an effective inhalation. Good breathing enables the swimmer to integrate all the elements of the art of swimming: a relaxed awareness and confidence, a comfortable orientation, effective use of arms and legs, and a fluent stroke rhythm.
The need to pay attention to how we breathe is one instance of how being in water can bring about a beneficial awareness of our habits outside the water. If our normal breathing habits are unsatisfactory, as is often the case, this is bound to affect the way we breathe when swimming. Learning to swim can contribute to an increased awareness of breathing difficulties and how to overcome them. Discovering the advantage of breathing with a regular and flowing rhythm in the water has far-reaching consequences for the way we breathe generally. The regular practice of comfortable rhythmic breathing as part of a good swimming style is one way we can improve and strengthen our respiratory mechanism.
Doctors often recommend asthma-sufferers to follow a swimming routine for remedial purposes, and Yoga teachers regard swimming as an excellent guide to developing a healthy breathing pattern. Furthermore, meditation and stress-reduction techniques employ steady breathing as a way of bringing about a calming effect on mind and body. Viewed in this light, the coordinated breathing which is part of a fluent swimming style becomes a relaxing and even meditative process for helping us recharge our physical and psychological energies, so that we can approach daily tasks with renewed zest and vitality.
The Art Of Breathing In The Swimming Pool
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