Breathing exercises are a really good place to start with a new swimmer, or even one who has been swimming for a while.
Being able to control your breathing is even more vital in the water than on land, for safety and because you have to be able to control its timing. It is often more challenging for people with disabilities than those without. They may find it harder to move their chest, may not have fitness built up from other exercises, or may have a health condition that makes it more difficult.
Swimming increases the body’s demand for oxygen, training teaches you to breathe deeper and more efficiently, which enables you to breathe in a calm way.
Aside from enabling you to increase propulsion, breathing has a big influence on:
Many people with disabilities or new swimmers are likely to benefit from practicing breathing exercises, to both improve skill and benefit from the mindful act of focussing on their breathing.
Tips:
Due to this emphasis on the exhale, most exercises focus on this element. Here are some breathing drills that work really well for beginners:
These drills should be taught from the outset so that people feel confident exhaling in the water. Once swimmers are comfortable with these they can progress onto practice more specific breathing exercises as demonstrated in the videos below:
Helping new swimmers practice these drills can help to reduce stress and build confidence in the water and should be considered an essential part of the teaching toolkit.