How can I exhale slower when I'm swimming?

Question

I recently discovered the TV show H2o Just Add Water and wanted to try swimming in the same way that the girls on the show do- butterfly stroke but with my arms pointed in front of me. At first I used a nose peg and just breathed with my mouth, but then I wanted to see if I could do without so i took it off. I've never been keen on putting my head underwater, because water tends to go up my nose but I was told that if I constantly exhaled through my nose while I was under the water it wouldn't happen. This worked, but the thing is, all the air seemed to come out at once. I was wondering if anyone knew any techniques i could practice to help me control my exhalation over a longer period of time. Thanks.

Also, on a side note- how do the girls in the show keep their eyes open when they're swimming if they're filming in the sea?

Answer 1

You can practice nasal exhalation when standing or treading water. Take a few minutes every session and work on the technique to force yourself to exhale at a specific rate. Eventually you will figure out what works best for you. Personally I find that just not breathing IN the water helps. You have to figure out what works best for you physically. Try breathing out your mouth as well, any time air is going OUT it can't come IN so that works as well.

Good luck!

Answer 2

on your side note...swimmers usually wear goggles to see.  I know Germans don't.  With the question, I breathe in intervals.  I usually breathe out of my mouth too.  I just close of my nose of everything except when I'm doing flip turns.  It could take time, I'm not sure.  I was sort of a natural at swimming.  I'm not the best but good enough.  Like what my mom says to her students, (She teaches swim lessons to little kids.) "Do fish have noses?  No!  So you shouldn't have one either! (not literally) Just throw that nose away and forget about it!"  That's what she says...I know it's kinda silly but it gets her little swimmers swimming.  And swimmers really don't use their nose anyway...when you watch that show of yours again, see if they breathe from the mouth, I bet they do.  Well, good luck with the swimming!  It's a great sport!