Whistle While You Work!

From The Sport Factory Swim Instructor, Lisa Marshall

The Seven Dwarfs taught us to "whistle while you work.” The Seven Dwarfs weren’t triathletes, but if they were, they’d still be whistling . . . or humming!

The best tip I can give is to hum while you swim. I get a lot of inexperienced swimmers say that they can run and bike for hours, but can't catch their breath after swimming more than one lap. This is a result of not establishing a consistent breathing pattern. Everyone has a breathing pattern when they exercise, but that breathing pattern can be interrupted once an athlete’s face is submerged in water! You must inhale and exhale while exercising, or you will quickly go in to oxygen debt. Going into oxygen debt on the swim can make for a very uncomfortable bike and run.

So how does one start humming in the pool? Before swimming a single lap, do 8 to 10 relaxed bobs (go under the water and exhale by humming, stay down 2 to 3 seconds and then come up for a quick breath and back down, humming, and repeat 8 to 10 times.) This will help you establish a breathing pattern that is comfortable. This is not meant to be a forceful exhalation; you’ll still have some air in your lungs to let the body continue to function. You should always be exhaling (humming) when your face is in the water, in order to maintain the consistent breathing pattern and prevent water from entering your nose or mouth. Once you turn your head/body to breath, take a breath and inhale.

So, the next time you hit the pool, pick a tune and hum along!