Swim Better Weekly - One small change to make swimming easier.

Hi there, Mark here. Hope all is well with you.

Welcome to this week’s Swim Better Weekly - one small change to make swimming easier.

The problem

Water enters your nose when you submerge, or you feel uncomfortable as soon as your face goes into the water.

You may hold your breath, tense your face or lift your head suddenly because you’re worried about breathing incorrectly.

Why it happens

Holding your breath often creates tension and makes the next breath feel hurried.

Learning to exhale slowly through your mouth gives you a steady, controlled breathing rhythm. Purse your lips and imagine you’re blowing bubbles into a drink through a straw.

A lady contacted me about her 'water up my nose' problems. Here is her question and my reply. ​

Try this in the pool

Practise a slow, controlled mouth exhalation while holding the side of the pool in comfortable shallow water.

1. Take a normal breath and keep a secure hold on the wall.
2. Purse your lips, lower your mouth beneath the surface and begin blowing gently.
3. Make a small, steady stream of bubbles, then lift your mouth from the water before you need another breath.

Practise this for around 3 minutes using plenty of pauses before trying the same controlled exhalation with more of your face in the water.

A quick safety reminder: never swim or practise alone. Use a supervised pool and stay within a depth that feels safe for your current ability. Keep a secure hold on the wall and stop if you become uncomfortable. If you’re nervous or unable to swim independently, practise with a qualified swimming teacher or another responsible person close by.

Watch out for…

Don’t force all your air out in one large burst.

This empties your lungs too quickly and can leave you rushing to lift your head. Keep your lips pursed and let the air escape slowly and evenly.

Remember

Purse your lips and blow slowly - as if you're blowing through a straw.

Want more help?

Comfortable breathing is an important step towards feeling calm and in control in the water.

​The Complete Beginners Guide to Swimming contains gradual breathing progressions and confidence-building exercises to help you become more comfortable putting your face in the water.

See you next week,

Mark
Swim Teach

P.S. Aim for a small, steady trail of bubbles. Slow and controlled is always better than forceful and rushed.