Interrupted Breathing Position

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Interrupted Breathing Position

Once you have learned Skate Position, we may next introduce you to Interrupted Breathing (a.k.a. Sweet Spot Breathing). Interrupted Breathing is a way of turning to breathe from Skate Position, while keeping a low-effort position in the water.

The intention behind this breathing position is to ‘interrupt’ the stroke but maintain long, balanced, streamline body that is immediately ready to resume swimming when you are. It is the position to rest that requires the least amount of effort to hold – lower heart rate, calmer breathing.

For this reason we teach it as a self-rescue or self-calming position for children, open-water swimmers and triathletes. Counter-intuitively, it works very well in rough water because you are staying down in the water, moving with the water, rather than trying to lift your head above it, fighting its motion.

Interrupted Breathing is suitable:

• when using during drills that have you pause in Skate Position
• when doing drills over a full length of the pool and stopping in the middle is disruptive to other swimmers
• when swimming whole stroke in the pool
• when in the middle of a race or rough water and you need to recover your breath and composure

You are encouraged to practice this breathing position and use it frequently. It is helping you work on critical skills that will help later when we work on Rhythmic Breathing.

Drills

• Interrupted Breathing – Start on the Back
• Interrupted Breathing to Skate – Start on the Back
• Skate To Interrupted Breathing
• Skate To Interrupted Breathing To Skate

Focal Points

• Turn head first – the turn of the head encourages the torso to turn
• Keep head underwater as you turn
• Turn on the ‘shishkabob’ spine – keep head perfectly aligned with spine
• Bubble out from the nose until nose and mouth breach the surface
• Keep lead arm anchored deep as is comfortable (in Backstroke Skate position)
• Keep the smallest face out of the water while breathing
• Water should brush the top of your goggles

You can view some videos of me doing this breathing position on the Video Tutorial page.

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