Discussion: both....

The breathing issue will get better just by doing it more, but if you can find someone who really knows what they're doing to give you a few technique lessons, you'll find that it gets better much quicker. For starters, on your own, you'll probably just want to find a rhythm that works well for you so that you're not hyperventilating. ;-) How often were you breathing? Every other stroke?

Exhale before you turn your head up to breathe. Then all you have to do in inhale and you get a lot more air in with less effort. But you probably should ask a real swimmer....

I suck so hard at swimming it's funny. I'm better at XC skiing, but technique is lacking there too. It is amazing how doing things you're bad at (at a pace slower than someone less fit than you) can be such a hardcore workout. For me, swimming is one of the best (but I don't like it.)

Every person starts off swimming by having difficulty getting across the pool and having to stop often to breathe. This does indeed improve with time and with experience. But it would definitely be worthwhile to get someone to help you with your technique. Even a few pointers can do wonders sometimes.

This is a bit hard to describe without using pictures, but in general, try breathing every other stroke, then try breathing every third stroke, and then decide which one is most comfortable for you. Most swimmers breathe every three strokes, since this means they alternate sides and this keeps them better balanced, but unless you have plans of seriously taking up swimming as a sport, you can use whatever breathing pattern works for you.

Basically, if you are breathing every other stroke (let's say you breathe on your right side) then it works something like this: You take a stroke with your left arm, then start taking a stroke with your right arm. As you pull your right arm through the water, turn your head to the right and breathe. As Peter said, you should exhale when your head is in the water and inhale *only* when you turn your head to breathe. Then, as you bring your right arm around and back into the water, you turn your head face-down and take a stroke with the left arm again. This takes practice and coordination, but it can certainly be done without too much trouble if you set your mind to it.

If you want to try breathing every third stroke, then the pattern is: stroke, stroke, breathe (as you take the third stroke), stroke, stroke, breathe (as you take the third stroke). You take a breathe exactly the same way you would if you were breathing only on one side but you take two strokes in between the breaths instead of one, meaning that you take a breathe on one side, then the other. Besides helping you keep your body better balanced on the water, this also helps prevent you from working one side of your body more than the other. It is also just plain faster, since each time you turn your head to the side, you break your rhythm, however slightly. Thus, the less breaths you take, the faster you go. Of course, there is a limit to this. Just because elite swimmers can do several lengths of the pool without breathing does not mean that they do this during competition or even practice - you need oxygen for your muscles! But, just to give you some idea of how many breaths swimmers take, I can tell you that I breathe in every 3 and occasionally every 5 strokes in practice (unless we do some sort of drills where we are only allowed to breathe 1 or 2 times per 25 meters). During a competition, if I am doing a 50 meter freestyle race, then I breathe once on the way out (right about where the flags are) and once on the way back, in the middle of the pool. And if I do 100 meters or more, I might breathe 3-4 times per each 25 meters.

I don't know if I said anything useful but after years of swimming and teaching swimming, I'm enthusiastic about trying to help =)

A few years back I bought these guy's book:

http://www.totalimmersion.net/

Over time I was able to progress from a sinker to a very slow swimmer. Now I actually enjoy going to the outdoor pool in the summer. No interest in going during the winter though.

Just a note about Total Immersion. From talking to coaches and triathletes, I gather that TI is a great system for the average person who are is just looking to be able to swim comfortably - but not necessarily with a lot of speed. If you plan on actually racing (which seems unlikely, but just throwing it out there), you probably won't find the success you're looking for. It's certainly not a gimmick, and it might be just what you're looking for.

Thanks for all the great tips. I naturally come up for air every 4th stroke (every other time on my right side). I can't seem to get the air out any faster than that even when I blow as hard as I can. I noticed that the people who looked good were breathing every third stroke. I tried that, but every time I tried breathing on the left I just took in a mouthful of water. Maybe with some practice I can learn to adapt. I tried practicing breathing while watching other people swim and I did feel that I was most comfortable breathing at their 3rd stroke like they were doing, but this was with my head out of the water.

I just can't seem to get the air out in an efficient way while my head is submerged. Fortunately my roommate is on the swim team so I am going to be quizzing him next time he stops by.

Perhaps you're just taking in too much air? If you're going easy then you really just need to take in a normal sized breath, which leaves you with a normal sized exhale.

Yeah, I think that is probably my problem. I get in the pool and my body goes into survival mode. I imagine just spending more time swimming and dealing with breathing will help.

I was in a relay at my university where a team of 4 people completes a course consisting of Swimming, sprinting, biking and running and then they all have to scale a 12 foot wall. I ended up on the swimming leg simply because I was the least mediocre swimmer on a team of excellent runners and bikers. I have to admit that I very nearly drowned but I did complete the seven lengths required. After that I decided to work on my swimming. There was a triathlon club that had an off-season swimming training that I joined. I went once a week for 10 weeks and progressed from the slowest lane to the second fastest. The pointers they gave me vastly improved my swimming. If you want to incorporate swimming into your workout I suggest you find a group or take a lesson. It will certainly help you enjoy the experience more.

Honestly, I've never heard of a swimmer complaining of getting too much air before! That's something new! =)

In general, you have a split second to breathe if you are swimming quickly and you suck in as much air as possible as quickly as possible. Then, when you exhale, you should be breathing out through your nose, either quickly or steadily depending on how often you take breaths and how fast you are swimming. Thus, when you turn your head to breathe, you should inhale only, not exhale first.

If you still find you are getting too much air, try breathing every fifth stroke!

Probably John is so fit now that he only needs to breath once or twice when he wakes up, and he's set for the rest of the day. It's quite an unfair advantage, and we may have to institute a Krispy Kreme control at all US Team fundraisers, for John only.

A Krispy Kreme control sounds nice. I don't think I'd be able to pass that one up.

I was only swimming at a very easy pace to see if I could keep it up for some time. I think that my body just goes into survival mode when I get in the pool since I am not that used to it, and I start taking huge breaths. Then I can't get rid of all the air, so I am usually exhaling when I come up to breathe before I am able to take another huge breath. It's kind of like somebody drowning who keeps coming up for air and sucking in the whole sky.

Can we dispatch Spike to Worcester to get a video of this?

Try a breathing exercise like bobbing in a deeper part of the pool. Relax, take a breath, sink letting the air out as you go down and back up. When you surface, breathe in only and start immediately back down. It will help you get comfortable with the water and breathing without having to worry about the stroke mechanics.

Very interesting George. I'll definitely have to give that a shot.

If you are nervous in the deeper water at first, try this in shoulder deep water (or less) and just squat, letting out the air and then coming back up.

Another good practice is to stand in waist deep water, bend over with your upper body at swimming depth. Practice breathing - rotate head led out the air through your nose under water, rotate for a quick breath etc. When you're comfortable with this, add the arms.

Happy practicing.