Learning to swim

[Becky]

His explanation runs counter to what I was taught. I learned to exhale continuously, which lowers your chest and raises your legs, making you more streamlined and efficient.

But I don't know enough to say who's right.

[lph]

Well then! I think I'll just happily ignore that part for the time being He hasn't really been stressing it, just said that that would be ideal.

[Pax]

Well then! I think I'll just happily ignore that part for the time being He hasn't really been stressing it, just said that that would be ideal.

I think if you try to keep your breathing as natural as possible, you'll find your swimming epiphany. Best of luck!!

[Melalvai]

Yeah, it seems counter to what I've learned too. The idea of keeping oxygen in your lungs doesn't hold water (ha ha) because your body doesn't sense oxygen levels. It senses CO2 levels. If you are in a room with no oxygen you wouldn't notice so long as you can get rid of the CO2. That's why people get carbon monoxide poisoning, or suffocate without knowing it in a room full of gas nitrogen. Breathing out continuously lets your body keep getting rid of CO2.

[sgtiger]

Hi lph! I'm taking a swimming class this term too. My swim instructor, like others on this board, recommends exhaling naturally and smoothly while our heads are underwater during the stroke.

For me, I can't hold my breath underwater very long before feeling panicky anyway. Panicky feeling => hyperventilating or gasping underwater => choking on icky chlorinated water

[Pax]

Hey lph, how's the swimming going??

[lph]

Hey lph, how's the swimming going??

Didja have to ask today?

Today I feel like a lead weight. A flailing one, but lead nonetheless. Busy week, just swam once, and that's way too little. Today he had us right out into swimming freestyle with no gadgets, he just wanted us to swim across the pool () trying out different hand and arm positions to feel the difference. So I've flailed my way across the pool but I have no idea what my arms were doing
I think actually I'm doing the right things, but just have to practice a whole lot because I'm doing them too fast, too energetically and too uncoordinately, and I don't breathe out or in enough. So I end up moving quite fast but stopping halfway to breathe. Besides I'm old and stubborn and need lots and lots of practice to learn new things. Yes, I know a lot of you are older than me, but I swear I can FEEL my brain going "ow, stop it, stop pestering me, I'm confuuuuuused"...

But at least I've given up on holding my breath.