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How to breathe in freestyle without getting out of breath

Most beginners do not stop swimming because their arms or legs give out. They stop because they run out of breath. After two lengths they are gasping and have to hold the wall. In most cases it is not fitness, it is how they breathe. Here is how to do it, step by step.

Breathe out underwater, in above it

The most common mistake is holding your breath while your face is in the water, and then trying to do everything, breathe out and in, while your mouth is above the surface. There is no time. The result is a short breath that leaves carbon dioxide in your lungs, and after a few metres you feel you are short of air.

Do the opposite: as soon as your face is back in the water, start blowing the air out, gently and continuously, through your mouth (or mouth and nose). When you turn to breathe, all that is left is to inhale, quickly, with your mouth wide open. The exhale lasts the whole time you are underwater.

Rotate, do not lift

You do not need to lift your head, or twist your neck, to breathe. The breath comes from body rotation: as your arm pulls, your shoulders and hips rotate, and the head turns with them, as if on an axis running from head to toe. Your mouth reaches the air without effort.

Lifting your head makes your legs sink, breaks your body line and wastes energy. Better to turn your head sideways and keep it resting on the water.

One goggle in the water. A useful picture: while you breathe, one goggle stays in the water and the other is out, so with the upper eye you see the ceiling or the sky. If you see too much, you have lifted your head.

Timing with the arm

The breath fits inside the stroke, it does not stop it. As a general rule, you turn your head while the arm on your breathing side finishes its pull and gets ready to re-enter; the other arm is extended in front and supports you. Then your face goes back in just before that arm enters. Details vary from swimmer to swimmer, and it is worth having a coach watch you: someone looking from the deck is worth more than any description.

Every 2, every 3, or bilateral

How often you breathe is a choice, not a rule.

  • Every 2 strokes. You always breathe to the same side. It is the simplest pattern and gives you the most air, which is why almost everyone starts here.
  • Every 3 strokes. You breathe to the right once, then to the left. This is bilateral breathing: with an odd number of strokes between breaths, the sides alternate on their own.
  • Every 4 or 5. For slow, long swims or drills, with less air.

Why bilateral. It makes your stroke more symmetrical, and in open water it lets you breathe away from waves or glare, and look around. It also trains you to turn well on both sides.

The downsides. You breathe less often, so in fast repeats you may run short of air. And if your rotation on one side is weak, that side feels awkward. Coaches do not all agree on how hard to push it: some teach it to everyone, others let swimmers keep a favourite side. The best choice depends on your experience and the distance you swim.

A common compromise: breathe every 2 for fast repeats and tired days, every 3 for long, relaxed swims.

Common mistakes

  • Holding your breath with your face in the water, then trying to do everything at once.
  • Lifting your head instead of rotating. The legs sink.
  • Turning too far, looking back or up. One goggle is enough.
  • Stopping your arms to breathe. The front arm stays extended.
  • Always breathing to one side and never trying the other.
  • Swimming too fast for your breath. If you are gasping, slow down: technique first.

Simple drills

  1. Bubbles at the wall. Hold the wall, put your face in the water and blow bubbles steadily, then lift your face, inhale and repeat. Do 10 breaths. It teaches continuous exhaling.
  2. Breathing at the wall. Still holding the wall with one arm, turn your head sideways as if to breathe, with one goggle in the water. Exhale in the water, rotate, inhale. Then switch sides.
  3. Side kick. Kick on one side with one arm extended in front and the other along your body, face turned sideways so you can breathe. After a few lengths, switch sides.
  4. Single arm. Swim freestyle with one arm only, the other at your side, and breathe to the side of the working arm. One length per arm. It helps you feel when to turn your head.
  5. Breathe every 3. Swim 25 m breathing every 3 strokes, then rest. After a few lengths you start to feel the sides alternating.

A progression for beginners

One suggestion, to adapt to how you feel:

  1. Week one: bubbles and breathing at the wall, 5 minutes a session.
  2. Week two: side kick and single arm, in 25 m lengths.
  3. Week three: full strokes, breathing every 2, with a rest after each length.
  4. Then: add lengths breathing every 3, little by little. If you run out of air, go back to every 2.

If you are not sure how to build whole sessions, read the beginner swim workout plan.

Safety

Do not play breath-hold games in the water. Do not hold your breath to swim further, and do not breathe fast and deep (hyperventilate) before you start: it can make you lose consciousness in the water without feeling the urge to breathe. If you feel dizzy, tingly or confused, stop and go to the wall. If you have heart or breathing problems, talk to your doctor first. And swim where a lifeguard is on duty.

A plan that adapts

SwimSensei builds a plan from your level, the days you train and your pool length (25, 33 or 50 m), and adapts it every week. See how it works on the swimmers page and ask for early access.

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