This section's pages:

1. Find Your Air
2. How to Breathe
3. The Wet Test
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Find Your Air

Breathing comes fairly naturally to most of us.
Wherever you are right now, try this simple act:

Take a breath.

OK, ok, you're a bit self conscious, but that's alright.
You probably didn't draw in a big lungful or close your mouth after, right? Exactly.
You usually inhale only what you need, whether you're talking, walking around or eating lunch.
Your mouth is relaxed in order to do any of these things.

 

The first secret

Take a normal breath and hold it a moment.

Where is it NOT?

If you said to yourself, "My mouth?", you're right.

And that, gentle swimmer-to-be, is the secret.
Air goes right to your lungs, not stored in your mouth.

(You can exhale now!)

 

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The second secret

Take another breath and hold it in your lungs.
Don't exhale.
Take in a bit more air, and now a teeny bit more.
Not so comfy, eh? Right. Now exhale everything through your mouth and nose.

It's yet another secret, friends: There's only enough room for your average-sized breath after the previous breath is fully exhaled.
How much do you use each time, anyway, if you're getting all you need?

This is the same principle used while swimming:
Every movement in the water supports constant, regular breathing. After all, the fun– and safe– aspect of swimming is to move through the water efficiently and comfortably.
This is what your pool lessons will teach you.

 

The truth

Let's build on what you now know:

  • You breathe the same way always:
    into your lungs.
  • Your mouth, relaxed and therefore even OPEN while you swim, will get all the air you need as you turn your face out of the water to breathe.
  • Breathe as often as you need.
  • You can have water in your mouth;
    your breath is safely in your lungs.
  • Exhale each breath fully, out your mouth and nose, before inhaling.
  • A relaxed mouth means a relaxed body,
    and a relaxed body will swim.

That's all I'm here to tell you.

We won't practice this fundamental fact in a pool.
(A promise is a promise.)
We will, however, try this safely at home...

 

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your air goes right to your lungs,not in your

mouth...

there's

room for a

breath only

after

exhaling

the

previous

breath.