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Ask most parents what makes a good swimmer and they will say kicking and arm strokes. Those matter, of course. But the swimmers who move through the water with the most ease have something else dialed in first: their breathing.
Breathing is the foundation of safe, efficient swimming. It affects body position, endurance, stroke technique, and comfort in the water. And unlike kicking, breathing while swimming does not come naturally to most people. It is a skill that must be taught, practiced, and built over time.
At Big Blue Swim School, breathing is woven into our curriculum from the very first lesson. Here is how we approach it at every stage, plus a complete breakdown of the ten breathing techniques every swimmer should know.
Why Breathing Technique Matters in Swimming
Good breathing technique does more than keep a swimmer from swallowing water. It directly affects how the body sits in the water. A swimmer who lifts their head too high to breathe will feel their hips and legs drop, which creates drag and makes every stroke harder. A swimmer who holds their breath instead of exhaling steadily will feel tense and tired much faster than they need to.
When breathing is right, everything else becomes easier. The body stays horizontal, strokes feel smoother, and swimmers can stay in the water longer without fatigue. That is why at Big Blue, we do not wait until a child is swimming laps to teach breathing. We start from day one.
How Big Blue Teaches Breathing at Every Age
Building Water Comfort: Birth to 18 Months
In our Baby Blue program, which welcomes children starting at 3 months old, the first goal is simple: Help babies feel safe and comfortable when water touches their face.
We work with parents and caregivers to help infants learn to anticipate being briefly submerged underwater. This matters for two reasons. First, it taps into a natural reflex that babies are born with. All mammals, including humans, have a diving reflex that causes an automatic breath hold when the face enters the water. Babies who learn to anticipate submersion engage that reflex more reliably, which keeps water out of their lungs and stomach. Second, early exposure prevents the fear response that can develop when water on the face feels unexpected or threatening.
Introducing water comfort this early sets the stage for everything that comes next.
Developing Breath Awareness: 19 to 36 Months
As children move through the Baby Blue program into their second and third years, they begin practicing something more active: putting their own face in the water and blowing bubbles out while submerged.
This might seem like a small step, but it is a foundational one. Blowing bubbles teaches children to exhale intentionally while underwater, which is exactly what rhythmic breathing requires. It also prevents the habit of holding breath and then gasping, which many self-taught swimmers develop and must unlearn later.
Developing Breath Control: Ages 3 to 5
By the time children reach our Bright Blue program, they are ready to work on real breath control. The target at this stage is holding the face fully submerged for three seconds. While that sounds simple, it represents a major shift from relying on reflex to actively controlling the breath.
As children grow and can follow instruction, the goal is to move them beyond the automatic diving reflex and into deliberate, conscious breath management. That sense of control is also what builds true water confidence. Children who know they can manage their breath feel genuinely at ease in the water, not just tolerant of it.
Bright Blue swimmers practice a specific rhythm: three seconds of blowing bubbles out, followed by one second of air in. They also work on keeping the face and ears in the water while exhaling, which maintains the horizontal body position that makes swimming more efficient. This is the beginning of rhythmic breathing, which is the single most important breathing skill in swimming.
Advancing to Full Stroke Coordination: Ages 6 and Up
In our Bold Blue and Big Blue programs, breathing becomes coordinated with full stroke mechanics across all four competitive strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Each stroke has its own breathing pattern and timing, and learning to integrate breath with movement is where swimmers really start to feel the water working with them instead of against them.
10 Breathing Techniques for Swimming
There is no single right way to breathe while swimming. Different techniques serve different purposes, and the best swimmers have a toolkit of approaches they can draw on depending on the stroke, the distance, and the situation. Here are the 10 techniques our instructors work with, organized from foundational to advanced.
1. Rhythmic Breathing
Rhythmic breathing is the foundation of all swimming breath control. It is a consistent pattern of exhaling through the nose and mouth while the face is in the water, then inhaling quickly when the face rotates out. The rhythm is steady and repeating, like a metronome.
For young swimmers in Bright Blue, the rhythm is three seconds of bubbles out, one second of air in. As swimmers advance, the rhythm becomes coordinated with stroke cycles and adapted for each of the four strokes. Mastering rhythmic breathing is what separates swimmers who tire quickly from swimmers who can go and go.
2. Bilateral Breathing
Bilateral breathing means alternating which side you breathe on, typically by taking a breath every third stroke in freestyle. Instead of always turning to the right or always turning to the left, the swimmer rotates sides with each breathing cycle.
This technique is particularly valuable for freestyle swimmers because it promotes a balanced stroke. Many swimmers who only breathe to one side develop a subtle imbalance that pulls them off course. Bilateral breathing corrects that tendency. It is an intermediate to advanced skill, but one worth building early.
3. Breath-Timing Coordination
This technique focuses on taking advantage of the natural openings in a stroke cycle rather than lifting the head to breathe. In freestyle, for example, as one arm exits the water and begins its recovery forward, the swimmer rotates their head to the side of that arm and takes a breath in the space created by the arm movement. The head does not lift; it simply rotates.
Breath-timing coordination takes practice to feel natural, but once it clicks it makes swimming noticeably smoother. It is also faster, which is why competitive swimmers rely on it heavily.
4. Underwater Exhalation
Underwater exhalation is exactly what it sounds like: deliberately exhaling through the nose and mouth while the face is submerged, so that when the face surfaces, the swimmer can focus entirely on inhaling.
This technique prevents carbon dioxide buildup during longer swims and makes each breath feel less rushed. It is also the basis for the bubble-blowing practice that Big Blue starts teaching in the Baby Blue program. Getting comfortable with underwater exhalation early makes everything else easier.
5. Controlled Rhythmic Breathing
This is an extension of basic rhythmic breathing with an added layer of deliberate decision-making. The swimmer decides in advance how often they will breathe, whether that is every second stroke, every third stroke, or a bilateral pattern, and then commits to that plan consistently throughout the swim.
The word that matters here is controlled. Rather than breathing reactively when they feel the urge, the swimmer trains their body to follow a predetermined schedule. This builds endurance, consistency, and the kind of mental focus that separates good swimmers from great ones.
6. Snorkel Breathing Drills
A swimmer’s snorkel, which attaches to the front of a swim cap rather than the side of the face, allows a swimmer to breathe continuously without turning their head at all. This makes it a useful training tool, particularly for building endurance and working on stroke mechanics without the interruption of breathing rotations.
Snorkel breathing is not a technique used in competition, but as a practice aid it can be genuinely valuable. It lets swimmers focus entirely on their body position and arm and leg movement while maintaining steady, even breathing throughout a drill.
7. Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing means breathing from the belly rather than the chest. When done correctly, the diaphragm expands downward as air fills the lungs from the bottom up, which allows for a much larger volume of air with each breath.
This technique is best practiced out of the water first. Place a hand on your stomach, just below the ribcage, and breathe in slowly. If the belly expands before the chest rises, you are doing it right. Regular practice builds lung capacity and oxygen efficiency, both of which pay dividends in the pool. This is an advanced technique, but the out-of-water practice component makes it accessible even for younger swimmers when done with guidance.
8. Flip-Turn Breathing
Flip-turn breathing is a specific technique used during the tumble turns that competitive swimmers perform at the wall. As the swimmer executes the flip, they exhale forcefully through the nose to prevent water from rushing in. The exhalation creates a pressure barrier that keeps the nasal passage clear throughout the turn.
This technique solves one of the most common complaints among newer competitive swimmers: water going up the nose during turns. Once it becomes habit, it happens automatically and the swimmer barely thinks about it.
9. Breath Counting
Breath counting is an advanced stamina-building technique used primarily by competitive swimmers. The idea is to gradually reduce the number of breaths taken per lap as lung capacity and endurance improve over time.
A swimmer might start by breathing every other stroke, then progress to every third stroke, and eventually push to every fourth or fifth stroke over a lap. It is a systematic way to extend breath-holding capacity and build mental toughness in the water. Parents should supervise this technique closely and make sure swimmers are using common sense about their limits, especially in the early stages.
10. Slow and Controlled Warm-Up Breathing
Before getting in the water, taking a few slow, deep breaths is one of the simplest and most underrated things a swimmer can do. This technique calms the nervous system, establishes a steady breathing rhythm, and prepares the body for the physical demands of swimming.
It is appropriate for swimmers of any age and any skill level. Even very young children can learn the habit of pausing and taking a few slow breaths before entering the pool. It sets a tone of focus and calm that carries through the entire swim session.
Tips for Helping Your Child Practice Breathing at Home
Breathing skills can be reinforced outside the pool with a few simple habits.
Bubble practice in the bathtub is one of the most effective at-home exercises for younger children. Have them put their face in the water and blow bubbles out through their nose and mouth. Even a few minutes of this during bath time makes a real difference in their comfort and technique at swim lessons.
Deep breathing practice on land helps older children build lung capacity and diaphragmatic awareness. Five to ten slow, belly-expanding breaths before bed or before a lesson is a low-effort habit with meaningful results.
Consistency matters more than duration. Short, regular practice is more effective than occasional long sessions. A few minutes of breathing focus several times a week builds the muscle memory and comfort that carries over into the pool.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breathing Techniques for Swimming
What is the correct way to breathe while swimming?
The most important principles are to exhale steadily through the nose and mouth while the face is in the water, and to inhale quickly when the face surfaces or rotates out. Lifting the head to breathe is one of the most common mistakes, because it disrupts body position and makes swimming harder. Learning to rotate the head rather than lift it is the key to efficient, comfortable breathing in freestyle.
How do I teach a child to breathe while swimming?
Start with water comfort and bubble blowing before working on formal breathing patterns. Children who are comfortable putting their face in the water and blowing bubbles out are already doing the foundational work. From there, a structured curriculum like the one at Big Blue Swim School builds breath control progressively through each skill level.
What is bilateral breathing in swimming?
Bilateral breathing means alternating which side you breathe on in freestyle, typically by taking a breath every third stroke. It promotes a more balanced stroke and helps swimmers stay on course rather than drifting to one side.
Should you breathe through your nose or mouth when swimming?
Most swimmers exhale through both the nose and mouth simultaneously while the face is in the water, and inhale through the mouth when the face surfaces. Mouth inhalation allows a larger volume of air in a shorter time, which matters during the brief windows available for breathing in most strokes.
What causes water to go up the nose while swimming?
Water enters the nose when a swimmer inhales through the nose during submersion or fails to exhale through the nose during flip turns. Practicing steady underwater exhalation through the nose and using flip-turn breathing during tumble turns both address this issue effectively.
How can I help my child stop holding their breath while swimming?
Holding the breath while swimming is a common beginner habit. The best way to correct it is consistent bubble-blowing practice, both in the tub at home and in the pool during lessons. Children who practice exhaling underwater regularly develop the habit of continuous breathing much more naturally than those who only work on it during formal lessons.
At what age should children start learning breathing techniques for swimming?
Breathing awareness begins in the Baby Blue program at Big Blue Swim School, which starts at 3 months old. Formal breath control practice begins around age 3 in the Bright Blue program. Advanced techniques like bilateral breathing and breath counting are introduced at age 6 and above in the Bold Blue and Big Blue classes.
Ready to Build Real Breathing Skills? Big Blue Swim School Is Here.
Breathing is where swimming confidence is built or broken. At Big Blue Swim School, our curriculum introduces breathing fundamentals at 3 months old and builds all the way through advanced competitive technique. Every lesson is designed to make the water feel like a place your child belongs.
Find a Big Blue Swim School location near you and enroll today.