Is Bilateral Breathing Necessary

Bilateral breathing is a skill all triathletes should learn and train with even if they do not prefer using it during racing simply to have the versatility of options.

Is bilateral breathing necessary. Bilateral breathing requires that you breathe every 3rd 5th or 7th stroke rather than every stroke. It can help your freestyle in a multitude of ways. It should be used during periods of easier swimming such as warm up recovery swimming and warm down to allow for enough practice to master the technique and to give your stroke some much needed balance. Actually elite swimmers do frequently breathe bilaterally especially during training to develop a symmetrical stroke.

If you re not already breathing this way the majority of the time you ll notice how out of breath and tired you become. If you re wondering how to better balance your stroke and prevent injuries while swimming freestyle this guide is filled with great tips for you. Elite swimmers never bilaterally breathe so neither should you. Not only can it help smooth out your stroke but it can also help prevent shoulder injuries.

The great ian thorpe used bilateral breathing to great effect to win the race of the century the 200m freestyle at the athens olympics. Try breathing every 3rd or 5th stroke for at least a 200 or more next time you go to the pool. Bilateral breathing is an important skill for all swimmers. Biomechanics common stroke errors like cross over and scissor kick can be alleviated by adopting a bilateral stroke pattern to create more symmetry.

Bilateral breathing is extremely important though. If you ever had a basic introduction to swimming or taken swimming 101 some colleges actually offer this you know the reasons why bilateral breathing is important.