In our training tips for underwater swimming, we saw how important it was to perform quick technical movements with a reduced oxygen supply or no oxygen at all, i.e. in an hypoxic state.
Now let’s focus on breathing and how proper breathing technique can affect and improve our swimming and even our everyday life.
Breathing techniques help improve concentration and health in general, since we can use our breathing to learn how to control our emotional states more effectively, including those that might cause stress or anxiety.
So, let’s take a closer look at the most important factor in breathing: the diaphragm or, in other words, the muscle separating the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity. Like all other muscles, it needs to be trained to improve its elasticity, thereby enabling us to draw more air into our lungs.
Diaphragmatic breathing turns out to be vital.
Let’s take a look at a simple exercise for this kind of breathing that you can perform whenever you like.
Sit on the edge of its chair with your back straight, your shoulders spread and your shoulder blades pulled downwards, your legs firmly on the floor and not crossed. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach, breathe in through your nose and extend your stomach…
