Breathing While You Swim

One of the most common mistakes in beginner and intermediate swimmers is holding the breath while swimming. A typical pattern looks like this: the swimmer takes a big breath, swims until they feel starved for air, then lifts their head for a rushed, strained inhale.

Why Breath-Holding Breaks Rhythm

When breath is held, carbon dioxide builds up in the body. This buildup reduces efficiency and increases the urgency to breathe. It is often accompanied by tension in the chest, neck, and shoulders, which disrupts body position and makes movement through the water feel rushed and awkward.

Breathing while swimming should feel similar to breathing during any other form of exercise. You would not hold your breath while running or biking. You maintain a steady cycle of inhaling and exhaling. In swimming, many people focus too much on getting air in and not enough on how they release it.

The Bubble Rule

Consistent exhalation underwater is a simple habit that improves comfort, rhythm, and efficiency.

Use this cue:

If your face is underwater, you should be blowing bubbles.

Steady exhalation keeps the breathing cycle controlled and makes the inhale at the surface quicker and more relaxed.

Practice Set: Continuous Exhalation During Glide

To practice, incorporate continuous exhalation, or "bubble blowing," into your warmups.

In our last post, we recommended starting each session with 5 to 10 streamline glides. During each glide, try exhaling the entire time, only stopping when you lose momentum or run out of air. This helps you stay more aware of your breathing throughout the rest of the session.

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