How to Teach Yourself to Swim: Breathing (Part 2)

How to Teach Yourself to Swim: Breathing (Part 2)

What this guide covers:

This is Part 2 of our self-teaching series. In Part 1, we covered the essential gear and why your first two weeks should focus almost entirely on kicking. Once your kick feels steady, the next skill to build is breathing — and this is the one that surprises people the most.

Why Breathing Feels So Strange in Water

Here's something worth saying plainly: you already know how to breathe. You've done it every second of your life. So why does it suddenly feel so awkward and unnatural the moment your face goes in the water?

On land, breathing is passive and automatic — you don't think about it, and both inhaling and exhaling happen through your nose or mouth without any real control needed. In water, breathing becomes an active, deliberate skill with a completely different rhythm: you exhale slowly and steadily while your face is submerged, then take a quick, sharp inhale the moment your mouth clears the surface. That's a genuinely different pattern from anything your body has practised before.

This is exactly why it isn't really about learning something new — it's about unlearning decades of automatic land-breathing habits and replacing them with a new pattern. That's a slower process than most people expect, and it's also why old habits (like unconsciously holding your breath, or trying to inhale through your nose underwater) tend to sneak back in during the first few sessions.

Why It Takes 1–2 Lessons — And Why That's Completely Normal

If you've been practising for a session or two and still find yourself gasping, swallowing water, or holding your breath without meaning to, that's not a sign you're doing something wrong. It's simply how long it genuinely takes most people — kids and adults alike — to build a new automatic pattern for something as fundamental as breathing.

Think about how long it took to build any other automatic habit in your life. Breathing patterns are deeply wired, and rewiring something that basic takes repetition, not willpower. Most self-taught beginners see real, comfortable progress somewhere around their second dedicated breathing session — not their first. Expect that, and it won't feel discouraging when it takes a little longer than you hoped.

Step 1: Blowing Bubbles Through the Mouth

Start here, and don't rush past it even if it feels too simple.

The goal here isn't speed — it's building comfort with the sensation of exhaling underwater without panic. Do this until it feels boring rather than stressful. That boredom is actually the sign you're ready to move on.

Step 2: Adding the Nose

Once mouth-bubbles feel easy, add nose breathing into the mix — this matters because in real swimming, air escapes through both your nose and mouth simultaneously, not just one or the other.

The "Long M" Technique

Here's a simple trick that helps enormously with keeping your exhale steady and controlled, rather than one big dump of air all at once: hum a long "mmmmm" sound as you exhale underwater.

The humming forces a slow, continuous, controlled release of air — instead of an inconsistent burst followed by nothing. This steady exhale is exactly what you want once you start combining breathing with actual strokes later on, since running out of air too early (or holding it too long) both throw off your rhythm.

Practise the "long M" the same way as the bubble drills — face in the water, hum a steady "mmmmm" the whole time your face is submerged, then lift your head for a quick inhale and repeat.

Common Mistakes (For Both Kids and Adults)

What's Next in This Series

Once your kick is steady (Part 1) and your breathing pattern feels comfortable and automatic (this article), Part 3 goes deeper into kicking technique and common form mistakes, and Part 4 covers pulling and putting the full freestyle stroke together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does swimming breathing feel so much harder than regular breathing?

Because it requires an active, controlled exhale underwater followed by a quick inhale above — a completely different pattern from the passive, automatic breathing used on land, which needs genuine practice to rewire.

How many lessons does it typically take to get comfortable with swim breathing?

Usually 1–2 dedicated sessions for most people, kids and adults alike — real comfort tends to show up around the second session rather than the first, and that timeline is completely normal.

What is the "long M" technique?

Humming a steady "mmmmm" sound while exhaling underwater, which forces a slow, continuous release of air instead of one big burst — helpful for building the controlled exhale needed later for full strokes.

Why do I keep accidentally holding my breath underwater?

It's an instinctive reflex that feels safer in the moment, but it actually causes more panic — you surface out of air and gasping. Consciously exhaling the whole time your face is submerged prevents this.

Should I combine breathing practice with kicking right away?

Not yet — get comfortable with breathing on its own, standing in shallow water, before adding it to kicking or arm movement. Combining too early usually just recreates the panic response.

Prefer to Skip the Trial and Error?

Book a lesson at Swim Class Singapore — our coaches can help you build a comfortable breathing pattern much faster than practising alone, with real-time feedback on exactly what's going wrong.

👉 Book a lesson at swimclass.sg

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