Learn Freestyle Breathing

Your child lies on their side in the water, parallel to the pool wall: one arm stretched forward, the other at the side, head resting on the stretched arm, mouth and nose above water. This trains the correct body position for freestyle breathing. Make sure the stretched hand stays at the water surface — many children unconsciously lower it.

The child holds a pull buoy or kickboard in their hands, body fully extended, propulsion from flutter kicks. They rotate from the prone position onto the back and, after a few meters, back onto the stomach — over 10-15 meters with at least four rotations. This trains the shoulder rotation crucial for proper side breathing. A kickboard demands even stronger rotation, making the exercise more effective.

The child lies on their side, body as parallel to the pool wall as possible: one arm extended forward, the other resting alongside the body, head on the extended arm, mouth and nose above water. This teaches the correct body position for freestyle breathing. Make sure the extended hand stays at the water's surface — letting the forward arm drop is a common mistake.

The child swims 25 meters using the freestyle kick with arms resting along their sides, breathing forward as an exception. This exercise focuses on building strength and endurance for the freestyle kick. The kick is crucial for longer distances as it provides stability and rhythm to the swimming technique.

In this exercise, the body rotates 90 degrees in both directions, both from the prone and supine position. The hands remain at the sides of the body. In a further step, a complete rotation is performed while maintaining the lateral hand position. This makes it easier to correct the water position on the back and return to the starting position after the 90-degree turn. The change of direction during the body rotation promotes body control in the water.

In this preparatory exercise, the turn is practiced with a swimming board. Alternatively, a pull buoy can also be used. The buoyancy of the swimming board enables the learner to return to a comfortable position in the water without any problems after a turn. The board prevents the face from remaining under water after the turn. However, turning onto the back requires a stronger body rotation to turn the board over. This exercise trains this more intensive rotation.

For significant difficulties with water feel, when the child struggles with the kick despite having straight legs and relaxed feet, I recommend practicing with fins. Fins help facilitate the correct foot position by providing a stronger response from the water. Start with a mat and a kickboard. Use short fins that are only slightly longer than the foot, as the movement with long fins is different and less suitable for this purpose.