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Blowing bubbles through your nose instead of your mouth when swimming using the freestyle stroke (also known as the front crawl) is a technique used to improve your swimming efficiency and breathe control. Here’s why it’s recommended:
Continuous Breathing
Freestyle is a continuous stroke, meaning your face remains in the water most of the time. By exhaling through your nose, you can steadily release air while your face is submerged, allowing you to take a quick breath when you turn your head to the side without having to exhale and inhale simultaneously. This makes your breathing smoother and more efficient.
Avoiding Water Inhalation
Breathing through your mouth while your face is in the water can increase the risk of accidentally inhaling water, which can be uncomfortable and disrupt your stroke. Exhaling through your nose helps create a barrier, preventing water from entering your nasal passages.
Maintaining Buoyancy
When you exhale through your nose, it helps maintain better buoyancy. Exhaling through your mouth might cause you to exhale too forcefully, which can lead to sinking and disrupt your body’s position in the water.
Relaxation
Exhaling through your nose can help you stay relaxed while swimming. Tension in your mouth and jaw can negatively impact your overall stroke and efficiency, so exhaling through your nose can help reduce this tension.
Conserve Energy
Efficient breathing is crucial for conserving energy during your swim. By exhaling through your nose, you avoid expending unnecessary energy on forceful exhalations and can focus on maintaining a smooth, controlled breathing rhythm.
Improved Technique
Blowing bubbles through your nose is often part of learning proper freestyle technique. It encourages you to turn your head to the side for a breath, which is an essential skill in freestyle swimming.
Overall, while it may take some practice to get used to exhaling through your nose, it is a key technique for achieving a smooth and efficient freestyle stroke. It’s worth mastering this skill as it can make your swimming more enjoyable and effective.