Breathe Your Way to Your Best Swim!

The Versatility of Bilateral Breathing in Freestyle Swimming

Recently, a long-time follower of Swim Smooth and the Swim Smooth GURU wrote to me with an intriguing question. He asked me to "prove" why bilateral breathing is better than unilateral breathing. His local triathlon club and teammates had told him not to bother with bilateral breathing, advising him instead to stick to his preferred side.

This sparked an important discussion. Rather than focusing solely on whether you should breathe every three strokes or alternate sides consistently, the key point is about developing versatility in your breathing technique. Learning to breathe well to either side opens up your options in various conditions, which can significantly impact your performance in the pool and open water. In this article, let's explore why bilateral breathing matters and how to make your non-preferred side more comfortable.

Why Bilateral Breathing?

An often over-looked benefit of being able to breathe to your RIGHT - keeping an eye on the pesky ducks at Claremont Swimming Pool!

The benefits of bilateral breathing are multifaceted and go beyond the routine of simply switching sides every three strokes:

1. Symmetry for a Balanced Stroke:

Swimmers who can breathe to both sides tend to develop a more symmetrical and balanced freestyle stroke. This is particularly beneficial in open water, where maintaining a straight course is critical. Unilateral breathers often find themselves veering off course by up to 20%, leading to wasted energy and time. Being able to alternate sides provides better control and reduces the risk of drifting.

2. Handling Various Conditions:

The versatility to breathe comfortably on either side becomes crucial in diverse conditions. For example, in choppy waters or high swells, turning to the non-preferred side can help you avoid inhaling water, ensuring a more efficient swim. During my English Channel swim, I spent 80% of the 12-hour journey breathing to my left, which was my less favored side. This choice allowed me not only to avoid the swell coming from the right but also helped reduce pain in my left shoulder. Breathing more to the left encouraged better rotation to that side, removing the temptation to press down with my left hand and shoulder to breathe to the right. Without the ability to switch sides comfortably, completing that swim would have been nearly impossible.

3. Course Direction Advantage:

Most triathlon and open water swimming events are held on anti-clockwise looped courses. In these situations, being able to breathe to the left side offers a distinct advantage, as it makes sighting the buoys much easier. If you drift at all, it's typically inward toward the course, minimizing the risk of going off track. This is precisely why elite athletes like Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee primarily breathed to the left in their races, as most of their events followed this direction. However, both were versatile enough to breathe to the right when necessary.

For anyone attempting the Rottnest Channel Swim in February 2025, you'll realize that the southwesterly wind tends to kick in around 10 am, coming from the left side. In these conditions, being able to switch to right-side breathing becomes a key advantage to avoid inhaling water and to maintain a more efficient stroke. Practicing this switch in training can significantly improve your comfort and performance on race day.

To help with this, check out our Rottnest Channel Swim Program within the Swim Smooth GURU for guidance and structured training sessions tailored to this event - our 20 week program kicks off on Monday 7th October, but you can join up and get started with Week “Zero” from Monday 30th September to get your paces set and familiarise yourself with the plan:

4. Drafting Tactics:

When swimming alongside another competitor, breathing towards them rather than away helps you synchronize strokes and maintain proximity, maximizing the drafting effect. Being able to switch sides as needed in crowded fields or fast-moving packs gives you a tactical advantage in saving energy.

5. Injury Prevention:

Many swimmers experience shoulder pain due to an imbalanced stroke caused by habitual unilateral breathing. Typically, breathing to one side leads to crossover of the hand, which can result in shoulder impingement and soreness. By developing bilateral breathing skills, you encourage a more even rotation and reduce the strain on one side of your body.

How to Become Comfortable Breathing to Both Sides

If the idea of breathing to your non-preferred side seems daunting, you're not alone. Many swimmers face challenges when first trying bilateral breathing. However, with the right approach, you can improve your comfort and fluidity:

1. Test Your Symmetry:

Try this simple set to test the difference in your breathing:

• 5 x 100m at your threshold pace (CSS) with 20 seconds rest, breathing only to the right.

• 5 x 100m at threshold pace, breathing only to the left.

• 5 x 100m at threshold pace, breathing bilaterally (every 3 strokes).

Compare your times. If there’s a significant speed difference (4-5 seconds per 100m) between your preferred and non-preferred sides, it highlights the need to work on your non-dominant side.

2. Focus on Proper Exhalation:

One common issue swimmers encounter when switching to bilateral breathing is running out of air. This usually results from insufficient exhalation rather than a lack of air itself. Concentrate on exhaling smoothly and deeply underwater, just like a relaxed sigh. This technique not only helps regulate breathing but also reduces buoyancy in the chest, leading to a more streamlined body position.

3. Improve Rotation:

Unilateral swimmers often have lopsided strokes, rotating well towards their breathing side but not their non-breathing side. When attempting to breathe to the non-dominant side, they might crane their neck out of the water, which sinks the legs and feels awkward. Proper rotation helps you maintain balance and makes breathing to either side feel more natural. Practice drills that promote good body rotation to your non-preferred side.

4. Timing is Key:

Many swimmers breathe too late when turning to their non-preferred side. Start turning your head, shoulders, and hips away from the advancing arm as it recovers over the water. At full reach, your face should already be out of the water. Improving your timing will make the breathing process smoother and less rushed.

5. Keep It Fluid:

A common misconception is that a long stroke is always better. However, it’s essential to maintain a rhythm that suits your stroke rate. If you swim with a slow stroke rate and breathe every three strokes, you may not get enough oxygen. The goal is to find a rhythm that allows you to breathe comfortably and efficiently, regardless of which side you're breathing on.

Versatility Over Consistency

Having paddlers either side of me for my Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 2013 was a big bonus - I could breathe however I wanted!

Remember, bilateral breathing is not just about sticking to a strict pattern of breathing every three strokes. It's about developing the flexibility to adapt to different conditions, racing tactics, and training environments. Building confidence and skill on your non-preferred side will enhance your overall swimming performance, whether in the pool or open water.

Ultimately, the key is to learn to breathe comfortably to both sides, giving you more options when faced with challenging conditions or specific race strategies. It’s not about ‘proving’ one method superior to the other; it’s about being prepared for whatever comes your way. So, start practicing today and embrace the versatility that bilateral breathing offers to improve your swimming!