From the pages of Her Sports + Fitness magazine

What’s the most effective way to breathe when swimming freestyle? Is there any benefit to breathing on both sides?

Relaxation is key to proper breathing technique in freestyle. Tensing up and holding your breath while your face is in the water makes breathing more difficult. This forces you to both inhale and exhale when turned to get air, an inefficient and exhausting way to breathe. Instead, remember that freestyle is a “long-axis” stroke—it involves rolling the body along the spine as the hips are rotated from side to side. Breathing should be a part of this body rotation, not an independent twisting movement of your head. As your body rolls sideways bringing your face out of the water, turn your head just enough that one goggle lens remains submerged and inhale through your mouth. When you turn back into the water, slowly exhale through the nose and/or mouth, blowing bubbles.

Being able to breathe on both sides makes shoulder injuries less likely since you won’t repeatedly “torque” the same shoulder each time you take a breath. Breathing on both sides also develops your back and shoulder muscles more equally, and in open-water

races, gives you a better view of where you are and where your competition is. Practice breathing on both sides by taking a breath every three strokes. Breathing on your weaker side will feel odd at first, but become more comfortable with practice.

I’ve been swimming regularly as cross-training for my running. But I know only freestyle. Should I learn other strokes?

Swimming is an excellent non-impact sport that provides a full-body workout, but there are more options than freestyle. Incorporating other strokes in your training will not only improve your conditioning, but it will also better strengthen your muscles. Switching strokes during workouts will balance the strength of opposing major muscle groups because different strokes use different muscles. Not to mention, swimming the same way session after session can get boring. Mixing it up adds variety to your workout, which may help keep you motivated.

As a triathlete. I’ve mainly worked on building speed in cycling and running. Now I’d like to focus on becoming a faster swimmer. What’s the best way to do this?

You have to swim correctly before you can swim fast. The first thing you need to do is master proper technique. Just as hunching over your bike’s handlebars to get in good aerodynamic position reduces wind resistance, swimming with proper form allows you to cut through the water, minimizing resistance, or “drag.” Using proper technique also makes you a more efficient swimmer; you expend less energy fighting the water and save more for the bike and run. Since you race freestyle as a triathlete, practice freestyle and kicking drills that focus on perfecting body position and stroke technique.

Swim speed is primarily the result of stroke frequency and length. However, taking numerous strokes doesn’t necessarily equate to speed. It just wastes energy. The fastest swimmer is the one who travels the most distance with each stroke, also known as “distance per stroke” (DPS). Count the number of strokes it takes you to go the length of the pool, and then work on reducing that number. Try to “catch” the water as you take a stroke and imagine pulling your body past your hand. While kicking fast can also increase speed, as a triathlete you’ll do better saving your legs for the bike and run. Instead, use a two beat kick (one kick per stroke).

There are also many great resources for increasing your swim speed. I like the Swimming Faster Series with David Marsh, Auburn University’s head coach. Here drills are taught in progression, one building on the other, and shown in detail. Visit myswimworld.com to find training DVDs. Some great books are Swimming Made Easy and Triathlon Swimming Made Easy by Terry Laughlin, of Total Immersion Swimming.

A former competitive swimmer, Susan Mellish of Lisbon, Ohio, has a master’s degree in education and is an American Swim Coaches Association, Level 2 coach.

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