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That's the main advantage of learning to swim by practicing with an experienced swimmer. The feedback and technique correction. As with any sport, the best time to learn proper technique is when starting out. Very hard to unlearn and re-learn after a few years with not-so-efficient technique. The breath/stroke count is not a fixed thing, it differs. The important thing is to build a rhythm. But yeah, head in the water always during freestyle. Quick head turns on either/any side for taking a breath.

If the kids are swimming in "freestyle", then they probably breathe by turning their heads. But since you also said they swim width-wise, I'm guessing they're still not into freestyle, but are just learning to hold their breath under water and move.

Once you're done learning how to stay afloat by using the kickboard and flapping your legs, learn how to swim using your legs only. I'm attaching a video showing you how to do this. I haven't heard what the man is trying to say at the beginning of the video, so you can skip to 3:30 and see from there. Just keep in mind, this person is swimming using a snorkel, but you'll have to raise your head to inhale, then lower your head to exhale in the water, and repeat. One tip, never stop flapping your legs.

Cheers and all the best! Swimming is really fun. I swam for about 12 years before quitting about 5 years ago to concentrate on boards etc. I'll probably join a club again, let's see.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K4gXjneFXuI&t=212s

I have a question for some of the experienced swimmers here. I learnt to swim 5 years back (at the age of 45) & I swim everyday for about 27-30 mins (continuously). I manage to do 1 Km daily, doing 500m in freestyle & 500m in breaststroke.

Here's my question - For my daily swim to qualify as a HIIT (high intensity interval training?), what is the timing I should aim for doing 1 Km? (Considering I am 50yrs old now & need to ensure my ticker is in good shape :)).
Or should this be broken down into two intervals of 15mins (with a 5min break in between)? What kind of distance should I aim for in 15mins?
Thanks,
AJ

If you are doing 1000 metres ie 20 lengths of a full size pool in 30 minutes you are in excellent shape for a 50 year old. Unless you are a serious fitness enthusiast or practicing for an event this is a very good timing for normally fit folks. I believe in the adage - 'some exercise is a hell of a lot better than no exercise; a hell of a lot of exercise is only a little better than some exercise' :-) My family doctor told me this but he knows I am fundamentally a lazy chap.

Onto your question - when I was 18 to 20 years old my interval training would be 200 metres free style ie fast followed by 200 metres of breast stroke ie slow. In middle age for a fit person a 2-minute length (50 metres) is a very very decent speed - there are some friends of my age who can do it but not me any more - I passed that speed on my way down at the age of 45 or so :). I average 2.5 minutes for 50 metres over a 600 to 800 metre swim which is the typical distance I do. Age 59. Recently in a bid to demonstrate my (now lacking) prowess I tried a 500 metre swift swim and ended up spraining my right shoulder so badly it now needs physio-therapy for a few weeks!!

Because the water cools down the body continuously we do not get signs of body exhaustion (sweat, heat, etc) like we do in running or exercising etc. This can at times lead to a muscle cramp - a sudden very painful freezing of a tired muscle - if you are in the deep end a cramp can be very dangerous.

While accessing the pools, do also exercise caution. There have been a few cases in B'lore where unattended kids have lost their lives in the swimming pools.

Some of the cases have been due to suction entrapment too. Hope folks here are getting such things periodically checked and well maintained. Every summer we read news on something similar.

At our apartment complex, we also have the security guards sitting close to the pool to keep an eye out for any possible accidents. Hope there in better spread in safety awareness and precautionary measures.

You have a good pace for a 1km swim :thumbs up

Coming to your question of HIIT, a few points to consider:
1. In interval training, the focus is to do very short distances at the maximum pace possible and rest in between. So, the overall pace for 1000 meter does not matter.
2. You should not be aiming for a target pace for 15 minutes.
3. In interval training, pace is immaterial. What is important is your heart rate. The goal is to do very short intervals (1 minute to 2 minutes), at close maximum heart rate. The actual pace at maximum heart rate will vary from person to person. For example, an elite swimmer who does a kilometer in 10 minutes (1:00 minute / 100 meter pace) will do his HIIT intervals at may be 35 seconds / 100 minute pace. A recreational swimmer who does a kilometer in 25 minutes (2:30 minutes / 100 meters) would do his HIIT intervals at 1:45 minutes per 100 meters.

So, if you want to do HIIT, do 50 meter laps at the best possible pace you can. Considering your pace to be around 2:45/100m, you could target doing 50 meters in 1:00 to 1:05 minutes. After doing 50 meters, rest for a minute to bring down your heart rate and then repeat.

Also, you need to be very careful with HIIT that you have to monitor your heart rate and keep it in 70% to 90% of your maximum heart rate, especially when you reach your 50's. And make sure to recover in between sets.

Hope this helps.

PS: Usually HIIT is done to improve the overall swim pace and to increase cardiovascular fitness if you are planning to improve your performance levels. If your aim is to keep your heart in good health, then you actually do not need HIIT. Doing long distances at a steady pace keeping the heart beating around 130 is the best way to keep it healthy.

Thank you for your reply.
I merely took up swimming, since I was suffering from severe lower back issues & radiating pain down my backside. (So not really a serious fitness enthusiast!!). Warming the office chair for 8+ hours is a certain invitation to back issues & swimming was one way to relieve the back pain.

I have developed a passion for swimming (rather late in life?). Its a wonderful stress-buster as I forget all my troubles for those 30 mins, since one needs 100% focus on breathing as well as hand-leg movements. Now that my back-pain has receded, trying to push myself harder in the pool, hence was wondering about HIIT & how it can be applied to swimming. (Have developed a bit of a fitness bug! Typical when you hit 50 & find all your parameters - Sugar, Cholestrol, Insulin, etc heading in the wrong direction!!):)

I can empathize with your comment on the troubles of a slowing body with age. About 3 years back I used to regularly do 1 Km under 23 mins with all 20 laps in freestyle. Sadly not any longer - I do a 500m freestyle burst & my breathing turns ragged. Have to switch to breast-stroke at this point. Today I alternate between free-style & breast-stroke every 100m.

Try the Total Immersion swimming technique. I am an amateur triathlete, and used to struggle doing 500 meters freestyle. Then I came across some videos on Total Immersion swimming and downloaded some training videos. This method focuses more on keeping your body's position like a boat reducing drag. This results in longer distances per stroke with less effort.

In my experience, I used to get tired and exhausted mainly due to the kicks that take lot of effort. In Total Immersion, you need to kick only once per stroke. This greatly reduces the oxygen requirement and once you practice taking breath on every third stroke on alternating sides, you will never be short of breath.

After I started Total Immersion, my 1km time reduced from 32+ minutes to 26 minutes, and I am able to swim 2km without taking a break and no breathing issues.

Here is a video that shows this technique.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFmnJnmahLw

Thank you Graaja for the very wonderful feedback on my HIIT questions.
The Total Immersion technique looks so smooth & effortless in the video!! I will certainly try to see if I can manage to learn this. I guess google & youtube should be able to throw up some write-ups & videos with voice-overs on T.I?

I have immense respect for you triathletes, after trying to swim in the open ocean myself. It was an exhilarating as well as terrifying experience for me (A bit like bungee-jumping). Realized its a complete different ball-game from swimming in the pool. One feels really puny when faced with the forces of nature!! Even then, I am looking forward to the next time I can swim in the open sea.:)

You are most welcome. My pleasure to be of some help :)

Unfortunately, there aren't any complete videos on the web to learn total immersion. I had to purchase it from their web store. Looks like they now have a 2.0 version of their training videos.

http://www.totalimmersion.net/store/

I had paid $50 for the course and felt it to be totally worth. It costs about how much one would pay a coach for a summer camp.

Thank you for your kind words. Yes. Swimming in open water is totally a different ball game compared to the pool. But there are only two issues to address.

The first is the fear. In a pool, you always can see the bottom of the pool. But in open water, it is usually dark which needs some mental adjusting. But once you overcome this fear, open water swimming is as easy as pool swimming.

The second issue is the loss of sense of direction. In a pool, you have the line at the bottom of the pool to guide. But in open water, you have to do something called sighting and keep a reference to some non moving object like a building, rock or buoy to maintain right direction. Once you learn sighting and overcome the fear, open water is much more fun than swimming pool :)

I really want to improve my freestyle swimming. Which video would you suggest I buy, the 1.0 or 2.0? I need the beginner level course.

Just checked the course content for 1.0 and 2.0.

Go for 1.0. This course teaches all the basic techniques of TI. 2.0 is for swimmers who have already taken the basic course and teaches some advanced concepts.

You should see very good improvement in a few weeks. Please share your experience. All the best :thumbs up

PS: Thanks for re-opening this thread. After this discussion, I am now planning to get 2.0 :)

Thanks, I ordered the 1.0 and currently downloading the videos. Finally I have some inspiration to return to the pool. I had stopped because I was not seeing any improvement.

For new swimmers, I would recommend Total Immersion Swimming DVD. Perfect way to master swimming. I found that local swim teachers have some strange way of teaching. Do watch these videos to see how easy it is to swim.

Thanks a lot for this - I noticed one gentleman at the swimming pool I frequent using something like this technique while doing multiple laps; I had been wondering why he never used his legs as much as a normal swimmer would do, now I am aware.

I'm really interested - but I'm a bit doubtful about learning this via the course videos. Does the content really provide one with meaningful aspects vis-a-vis a normal training course? Or compared to generic info available online like this?