Swimming Breathing Drills for All Ages

Swimming breathing drills can help a swimmer to develop a technique of breathing that can improve there swimming indurance and let them better perform during competetion. When a swimmer learns to breathe properly, they can hold their breath longer and be able to swim further without having to come up for air. Breathing drills should be performed with training fins. Once the swimmer is comfortable with the drills,the swimmer can remove the training fins and focus on their technique without them.

One Arm Drill

The one arm drill teaches the swimmer to learn to breathe will still maintaining their balance while they swim. The swimmer must place one arm at their waste and maintain that position during the entire drill. Instruct the swimmer to freestyle stroke using only their left arm and imagine that their right arm has been tied at the waist. Practice the breathing drill by tucking the chin into the right (non-stroking) shoulder. While the left arm is recovering above water, the swimmer must look at the bottom of the pool over their right shoulder. As the swimmer’s left shoulder returns to the water, the swimmer must use their resistance to roll over onto their left side. The swimmer must continue looking over their right shoulder and their face will naturally rotate out of the water as they roll onto their left side. Once their swimming arm is back at their hip, they will need to roll their right side (and face) back under water and exhale as their arm recovers. Once the swimmer reaches the wall they can return swimming with their right arm.

Sidekick Drill

The sidekick drill teaches the swimmer to breathe from the side. The swimmer will lie on their left side with their left (bottom) arm extended above their head and their right (top) arm resting at their side. The swimmer will turn their head so that they are looking past their armpit at the bottom of the pool. The swimmer’s belly button must face the wall, not the ceiling or the bottom of the pool. The swimmer must begin to kick while pressing their left armpit toward the bottom of the pool to keep their hips from dropping. The swimmer’s right shoulder should stay just above the surface. The swimmer will exhale while their face is underwater. When the swimmer needs to take a breath, they must turn their head over their right shoulder and inhale then return their face back toward the bottom of the pool. Once the swimmer reaches the end of the pool, they should return to other side of the pool, performing the drill on their right side.

Bilateral Breathing

The bilateral breathing drill is one of the most helpful swimming breathing drills because it teaches the swimmer to breathe on both sides while swimming. The swimmer will breathe on an odd number of strokes to achieve this move. An example would be the three-stroke breathing drill. The swimmer will stroke left, right, left, breathe; right, left, right, breathe. This swimming breathing drill will help a swimmer’s breathing technique while swimming and correct any bad habits they may have developed.