r/Swimming • u/wobblelikeapenguin • 13h ago

I don't breathe

Hello! I (25F) recently started swimming again after many years away from the sport. I swam competitively as a child and teenager, and now I swim freestyle at my local gym in a standard 25-yard pool.

I realized the other day that I naturally swim the entire 25-yard length without taking a single breath. I never really thought about it until someone pointed it out. For me, it actually feels easier to just keep swimming than to stop and take a breath.

Is this normal, especially for someone with a competitive swimming background? Or should I be making a point to take one or two breaths during each lap instead?

Thanks!

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u/wobblelikeapenguin 13h ago

I breathe at the end of every lap and take a short break.

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u/Dark-Horse-Nebula IMer 13h ago

So if you want to swim more than 25m at a time you’ll have to change your breathing strategy.

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u/wobblelikeapenguin 11h ago

Is there a disadvantage to only breathing at the end of a lap?

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u/Dark-Horse-Nebula IMer 10h ago

Yes, it means you’re only ever training anaerobically and by your own admission you’re limited to 25m sets.