d.s. wrote:
After a life-long "discomfort" with water (I CAN swim, i.e. make the motions in the water and get across a pool, but almost drowned a couple of times, including during a swimming lesson when I was six), I've been taking swimming lessons. Where I take lessons now, the pool is two damned short to get more than one or two breaths before I hit the other side, so it's not the best place to work on my breathing technique or find out what problems I'll run into. Yesterday I went to another pool which had nice long lanes. I tried freestyle, but found myself struggling with the breathing. Tried breathing every third stroke, but didn't seem to be getting enough air for my body needs. I tried side-kicking for a while, and really seemed to need a lot of air. I do dancing, hiking, etc, but not much other aerobic workouts, so I'm not sure what is: Need for aerobic conditioning Poor breathing technique Anxiety or panic I was in the water maybe an hour. At first I couldn't even swim a quarter of the length and I'd have to stop. It was embarassing, but I kept at it. I got up to half the length, then finally got all the way. These attempts were punctuated by 10 minute breathing rests at the end of the pool. I've bought a snorkel to get me over the hump with the aerobic conditioning in the water, but I don't want to end up depending on that, as my whole point is to get comfortable in the water, and I won't always have a snorkel with me. One problem I see is that I haven't exhaled fully by the time I need to take another breath, so I have to exhale and then inhale, which doesn't always work. I haven't tried forceful exhalation underwater, but I guess that's next. Don't know yet, but I figure I can do at least 4 laps before tiring, maybe more, but that's just a guess, based on my general conditioning. I can do 10-14 mile hikes. For what it's worth, I can hold my breath underwater for 50 seconds, maybe more. Years ago I could do it for two minutes or maybe more. So, not sure if I need more air right now, or my technique is bad (it is) or what. What can I do to diagnose this? Sounds like anxiety--you seem fit enough. I had a drowning experience
as a toddler, later became a competitive swimmer, and STILL years later
had trouble getting back into the groove of breathing, being underwater,
etc. It took more than a year to really get over it.
While you are getting up to speed, you should be breathing kind of
normally (not your deepest breath) and breathe every stroke. This will
reduce the anxiety, since it is only a second until you breathe again.
Be sure to blow out the air underwater and make bubbles. Anxiety can
make you hold your breath, so you may be alternating between holding it
and pushing it out very hard, which in turn will make you even more
anxious, which could make you confused about whether you are breathing
out or in, etc. Calm breathing will keep you calm.
Something that helped me was getting good at breast stroke before
getting good at crawl--the up and down of breast stroke is like the
bobbing people do for breathing drills.
Keep at it, and it will come to you.
Madelaine
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