Are you getting out of breath long before you think you should be? Which breathing technique is the right one for you?

Hi, Mark here. Hope you're doing well.

Let’s talk about breathing.
Whether you're a beginner swimmer or a swimming teacher, one of the most common struggles in the pool is getting out of breath too quickly.

Sound familiar?

I’ve had loads of questions recently like:

• “How often should I breathe?”
• “Am I doing it wrong if I’m gasping for air?”
• “Is there a best breathing style for each stroke?”

Let’s dive in and clear things up...

Breathing Techniques for Every Stroke

Front Crawl​
The secret here is trickle breathing – breathe out slowly and continuously underwater.
Most swimmers do well with a 3-stroke rhythm, alternating sides. But breathing every 2 strokes to the same side is fine too.
👉 Learn more about breathing in front crawl​

Breaststroke​
Again, trickle breathing is key. Inhale as you pull your arms around and lift your head. Then exhale gently into the glide phase.
Think: “Pull your head up, blow your hands forward.”​
👉 More on breaststroke breathing​

Backstroke​
You’re on your back, so breathing is easier – but a steady rhythm helps. Try inhaling with one arm pull, exhaling with the other.
👉 Master backstroke breathing here​

Butterfly​
This one’s tough. You can use trickle breathing every second arm pull, but many beginners need to breathe every stroke – and that’s OK.
👉 Tips for breathing in butterfly​

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Do you know a new swimming teacher learning how to teach who might benefit from this? Please forward this email to them, or share the link. It could boost someone's teaching practice and help them out.

That's it for this week. Take care and stay safe.

Happy swimming!

Cheers

Mark

​Swim Teach​

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