Relax and Swim! How to Breathe

How To Breathe

The 10-second review

Since you can't do this enough, here's a quick review:

Take a normal breath, send it to your lungs and say out loud, "How's this?"

Wiggle your jaw, your shoulders and your toes.
Notice where there's tension, and relax that area.

Go ahead and exhale through your mouth and nose.

Repeat as needed.

The paradox of water

Water offers a lot of resistance;
that's why swimming is a superior workout.
To fight water is to misunderstand it.
Water immediately lets you know when you're forcing it. Relax when swimming and you will find both a natural watery resistance and an ease of movement.
Ah, such a paradox, like life itself...

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Try this one at home

Hm – still not sure you can relax and yet move your best?
I promised you we'd stay away from a pool,
but you can try this at home:

If we were near a pool I'd get in and show you the difference between kicking the water with pointed toes and the opposite:
kicking with relaxed toes, ankles, knees and hips.

My pointed toes create so much tension along my whole leg that I'd hardly be able to move my hip joints, from where the kicking motion originates.

Now, with a relaxed ankle, Ahhhh...

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..my knees and hip joints move freely, and I can really move through the water.

You'll discover this for yourself in your future pool lessons,
streamlining the basic movements shown in these (very!) simple illustrations.

Ready to add a little water?

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Home___How to Breathe___Phobia Help___Safety

Physics___ Schools & Gear ___Extra Goodies___Contact Me

Home_How to Breathe_Phobia Help___Safety

Physics_ Schools & Gear _Extra Goodies___Contact Me