Swimming

[J H 500]

I have just started to try and get re fit, not allowed to run so have started swimming. If I just do 20 lengths no problem, it's when I do 40/50 lengths the next day I can't breath properly and feel like I have a cold. Need to swim but don't want to feel crap, can anybody help.

[Richieboy3008]

Its best on concentrate on your technique first before going for the big distances. Long slow, but powerful strokes are better than short and fast. What stoke are you doing? For crawl, breath on the most comfortable side every 4 strokes. Each week add 10 lengths to your total, within a few months you'll be able do 100 lengths of a 25m pool no problem.

Edited by Richieboy3008 on Friday 16th March 16:30

[Smitters]

Have a look here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/

Really useful site for swimming info, technique, advice and so on.

[toxicated]

This site 0 to 1650 in 6 weeks (that's 0 to a mile) gets great reviews

[Otispunkmeyer]

Like others have said don't try to up the distances too quick. Also make sure you are breathing well.

Your problem however could be the pool. If the pool is warm, pH levels out or poorly ventilated then gases known as chloramines can be produced by proteins reacting with the pool water. This sits on the surface where you breath it in. It can irritate the lungs and make it feel like you have asthma.

Try changing pools if your pool has a
Pungent chlorine aroma.

[Halb]

When I do front crawl I prefer to keep my fave out of the water. Can't really do that breath every four strokes thing.

[Mrs Muttleysnoop]

For front crawl use bilateral breathing.

[Tiggsy]

Only two people can do crawl, head out if water. Lifeguards plough through the surf...... And non swimmers who look like they're drowning!

[Halb]

I's hard, but preferable to having my face in water.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Tiggsy said:

Only two people can do crawl, head out if water. Lifeguards plough through the surf...... And non swimmers who look like they're drowning!

Even then the lifeguards only pop their heads up every couple strokes. It's just too tiring to swim like that, especially in surf, because your hips are just too low. We do head up as a drill sometimes though to work on pure arm/shoulder power.

Bilateral breathing is ideal to keep the stroke balanced but you can breathe 2's if you like. A lot of top swimmers breathe 2's (in races mind).

Head position is key. You want your head down so you are looking just slightly forwards. This will bring the hips up. Keep the head still and rotate the shoulders. This should stop you wriggling. And remember to kick! This will help keep your hips up as well.

If you have an iPhone get the goswim.tv app. Its free and there's lots of videos and technique tips on there. Really very useful. They also have it
All on their website too

[theshrew]

I started swimming 3 times a week in November in my lunch hour. Normally a min of 0.5 mile each time I can do this breaststroke but just recently I've tried doing crawl. I just can't seem to do more than a couple of lengths at a time.

I thought it was I was going to fast so slowed it down
I've tried different breathing from every 4th and every 2nd stroke.

Nothing seems to make a difference. I'm not exactly mr fit but can run 4 miles pretty easy (never tried going any further)

Really want to sort my swimming out as i fancy doing a short triathlon maybe at the end of the year

Any tips to stop me swimming like a spaz ?

[Tiggsy]

Lessons? My mother has coached adult beginners for years. Huge number that never learnt right as kids and now struggle.

[The Char]

I have also found I can do backstroke/breaststoke til the cows come home but for front crawl I can just do 1 in 8 lengths or small sprints of a couple of lengths.

[Halb]

theshrew said:

I started swimming 3 times a week in November in my lunch hour. Normally a min of 0.5 mile each time I can do this breaststroke but just recently I've tried doing crawl. I just can't seem to do more than a couple of lengths at a time.

I thought it was I was going to fast so slowed it down
I've tried different breathing from every 4th and every 2nd stroke.

Same here. From reading above seems my upper body is doing too much. Which is what happens, my shoulders/arms suck all the oxygen up.
Is front crawl with a snorkel wrong?

[br d]

Mrs Muttleysnoop said:

For front crawl use bilateral breathing.

I did a lot of swimming last year and couldn't get this, ny lungs are a bit dodgy and I find 3 strokes a bit too much. I've seen people who do 2 or 4 breath to a different side on alternate lengths so they are always looking at one side of the pool, if you see what I mean.

When I started I could do about a 1 and a half lengths but got that up to a mile in a couple of months. Make sure you take some rest days if you're pushing yourself.

[br d]

Halb said:

Same here. From reading above seems my upper body is doing too much. Which is what happens, my shoulders/arms suck all the oxygen up.
Is front crawl with a snorkel wrong?

I tuaght my g/f to front crawl using a snorkel, she couldn't get the breathing right at first. If you do wear a sborkel just make sure you turn your head when you breath, even though you don't have to, so you get used to the correct movement.
She did this for a couple of days then took off the snorkle and was fine.

[Steffan]

Otispunkmeyer said:

Like others have said don't try to up the distances too quick. Also make sure you are breathing well.

Your problem however could be the pool. If the pool is warm, pH levels out or poorly ventilated then gases known as chloramines can be produced by proteins reacting with the pool water. This sits on the surface where you breath it in. It can irritate the lungs and make it feel like you have asthma.

Try changing pools if your pool has a
Pungent chlorine aroma.

Good advice.

One of the reasons I swim mainly in salt sea water and mainly in the summer!!

I cannot stand the chloramines in badly ventilated pools.

[theshrew]

Tiggsy said:

Lessons? My mother has coached adult beginners for years. Huge number that never learnt right as kids and now struggle.

I did think about lessons of some sort - its not like I can't swim Its more polishing off my technique I think.

[dangerousB]

theshrew said:

I started swimming 3 times a week in November in my lunch hour. Normally a min of 0.5 mile each time I can do this breaststroke but just recently I've tried doing crawl. I just can't seem to do more than a couple of lengths at a time.

I thought it was I was going to fast so slowed it down
I've tried different breathing from every 4th and every 2nd stroke.

Nothing seems to make a difference. I'm not exactly mr fit but can run 4 miles pretty easy (never tried going any further)

Really want to sort my swimming out as i fancy doing a short triathlon maybe at the end of the year

Any tips to stop me swimming like a spaz ?

The Char said:

I have also found I can do backstroke/breaststoke til the cows come home but for front crawl I can just do 1 in 8 lengths or small sprints of a couple of lengths.

Next time you guys are in the pool, concentrate more on fully breathing out underwater, rather than just breathing in (as most people do).

Emptying your lungs on every exhale will help prevent CO2 building up in your bloodstream, which I'm guessing is why 2 lengths is your limit.

What happens with most people new to front crawl is that they are so focussed on breathing in (understandably!) that they forget to breathe out properly. CO2 builds up to a point (which doesn't take long) that triggers the gasp reflex . . . this is an autonomic response and you can't control it. Result? You gasp for air and naturally think it's because you're "knackered". You're not though (well not in the same sense as if it happened whilst running).

I guarantee that this one simple exercise will give you a huge boost in your confidence and ability to swim further.

Oh, and if you want to make life easier don't swim heads-up!!

[br d]

dangerousB said:

Next time you guys are in the pool, concentrate more on fully breathing out underwater, rather than just breathing in (as most people do).

Emptying your lungs on every exhale will help prevent CO2 building up in your bloodstream, which I'm guessing is why 2 lengths is your limit.

What happens with most people new to front crawl is that they are so focussed on breathing in (understandably!) that they forget to breathe out properly. CO2 builds up to a point (which doesn't take long) that triggers the gasp reflex . . . this is an autonomic response and you can't control it. Result? You gasp for air and naturally think it's because you're "knackered". You're not though (well not in the same sense as if it happened whilst running).

I guarantee that this one simple exercise will give you a huge boost in your confidence and ability to swim further.

Oh, and if you want to make life easier don't swim heads-up!!

That's really good advice dangerous. I forget about that even if I've just had a short break from swimming, I'm always shocked at how few lengths I can manage until I remember to breath out properly.