By Sanuj Srivastava on SwimSwam
As a swimming coach, I have come across this question countless times from beginners: “Coach, I am doing side breathing, so why do I still feel out of breath after just a few strokes?”
It is one of the most common problems I see in beginner swimmers. Many swimmers assume that if they are turning their head to the side and taking a breath, they are automatically breathing correctly. But breathing in freestyle is not simply about taking a breath. It is about when you breathe, how you exhale, how you position your head, and how well your breathing matches your stroke rhythm.
You can be doing side breathing and still feel like you are running out of air within a few strokes.
In most cases, the problem isn’t that you cannot breathe. The problem is what you are doing between breaths.
For many beginner swimmers, breathing seems simple: turn your head, take a breath, and continue swimming.
But there is one part of breathing that is often overlooked “exhaling underwater.”
A swimmer may be able to take a strong breath, but if they are not properly releasing that air underwater, their breathing rhythm can quickly become uncomfortable or feeling exhausted after very short distance.
So why is exhaling underwater so important?
Breathing Is a Two-Part Process
Swimming breathing is not just about inhaling. It is a continuous cycle:
Inhale → Exhale → Inhale → Exhale
When freestyle swimming, the swimmer usually has only a short window to inhale while the face is turned to the side. That means there is not enough time to both empty the lungs and take a new breath.
This is why the majority of the exhalation should happen while the face is underwater.
Instead of holding your breath underwater and trying to breathe out and in during the same quick head turn, the goal is to gradually release air underwater.
What Happens When You Hold Your Breath?
A common beginner mistake is:
Face underwater → hold breath → turn to the side → exhale + inhale quickly.
This creates several problems.
First, the swimmer has to rush their breathing. Second, they may feel that they are running out of air. And third, the body can become tense.
As breathing becomes uncomfortable, swimmers often start making technical mistakes, lifting the head higher, over-rotating the body, dropping the legs, or disrupting their stroke rhythm.
The problem may appear to be a technique issue, but sometimes it starts with something as simple as not exhaling underwater.
Exhaling Helps You Stay Relaxed
Swimming efficiently requires relaxation.
When a swimmer holds their breath, especially when they are anxious or swimming continuously, the body can become tense. The shoulders, neck and chest may tighten, making the stroke feel harder.
A slow and controlled exhalation underwater can help create a more natural breathing rhythm.
This is particularly important for beginners who are still developing confidence in the water.
The goal is not to forcefully blow all the air out immediately.
Instead, think:
Slow, controlled exhalation underwater.
It Can Also Make Breathing More Efficient
Imagine trying to fill a bottle that is already full.
You cannot add much more until some of the existing contents are removed.
The same basic principle applies to breathing.
If you hold most of the air in your lungs until you turn to breathe, you have less time to take a comfortable new breath. By exhaling underwater, you prepare the lungs for the next inhalation.
This allows the swimmer to use the short breathing window more effectively.
Exhaling Does Not Mean Emptying Your Lungs Immediately
Another mistake is thinking that all the air must be expelled as soon as the face enters the water.
That is not necessary.
For most swimmers, a steady and controlled release of air works better than aggressively blowing out all the air at once.
For example, during freestyle:
Face enters water → begin exhaling → continue exhaling → rotate to breathe → inhale → face returns underwater.
The exact timing can vary depending on the swimmer’s stroke rate and breathing pattern.
What About Nose vs. Mouth?
Swimmers can exhale through the nose, mouth, or both.
Many swimmers naturally release some air through the nose while underwater and then inhale through the mouth when they turn to breathe. For beginners, the most important thing is not whether the air comes exclusively from the nose or mouth.
The priority is:
Don’t hold your breath unnecessarily.
Find an exhalation pattern that feels comfortable and allows you to maintain your stroke rhythm.
A Simple Drill to Practice
One of the easiest ways to learn this skill is to remove the complexity of swimming.
Stand in shallow water and place your face underwater. Take a normal breath above the water. Then put your face underwater and slowly release the air. Come back up, inhale, and repeat.Once this becomes comfortable, progress to:
Push and glide → face underwater → slow exhalation → stand up → repeat.
Then introduce kicking. Finally, add the breathing pattern to freestyle.
This progression allows swimmers to focus on breathing without worrying about the entire stroke at the same time.
The Biggest Lesson for Beginners
If you constantly feel like you are running out of breath while swimming, the solution is not always to take more breaths.
Sometimes, the problem is that you are not using your underwater time to exhale. Good swimming breathing is not about taking huge breaths. It is about creating a rhythm where the swimmer can:
Exhale underwater → turn → inhale → return the face underwater → exhale again.
Once this becomes automatic, breathing becomes much less stressful.
And when breathing becomes easier, the swimmer can focus more on what really matters, body position, technique, rhythm and efficiency.
Learning to swim is not just about learning how to inhale. It is about learning when to inhale and when to exhale. If your face is underwater, that is generally your opportunity to release air. When you turn to the side, your priority should be to take the next breath, not to suddenly empty your lungs.
Exhale underwater. Stay relaxed. Breathe with your stroke.
Sometimes, one small change in breathing can make the entire swim feel easier.
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