Not Able To Inhale

I am not able to inhale as I swim. I am able to exhale in the water, but as soon as I tilt my head to inhale, water flows into my mouth, and I feel like choking! Also, I forget about moving my legs when I try to inhale!

It is quite probable that you are not turning your head enough for your mouth to clear the water surface, and your attempts to inhale result in water flowing into your mouth.

Go right back to basics and practice breathing while standing in the water. Stand in the water of about chest or shoulder depth, take in a breath and exhale into the water. Then turn your head to the side and inhale again. Practice this for a few minutes or until your get used to the feeling of water around your face and mouth but can inhale without water entering your mouth.

This all sounds very basic and easy, but believe me, if inhaling and exhaling throughout this exercise becomes second nature, then performing it whilst swimming will be a whole lot easier.

Your body position is very different in the water when swimming compared to when it is standing, which means that your head position will also be different. If you have practised the previous exercise, then you are halfway there.

Swim slowly concentrating on your breathing, ensuring that your mouth clears the water when you inhale. If you are still finding water entering your mouth, then try over-exaggerating your head movement. In other words, turn your head far more than you need to. Firstly this will ensure that your mouth clears the water surface and will, over time, help you to find a comfortable amount to move your head and, therefore, a comfortable position to inhale.

As for your legs stopping when you breath, this is also a very common mistake to be made. It is all down to your coordination or maybe lack of it!

Try kicking whilst holding either a kickboard or the poolside. This will isolate your leg and allow you to focus on kicking as you inhale and exhale.

My ebook The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming contains all the help and support you need, from relaxing, floating and breathing to all the technique tips for learning to swim the four basic strokes. Click the link below for more information.

The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming

The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming

$14.99

Buy a PRINTED copy from:

You can also download from: