譯者：fairq
Very few novice swimmers exhale properly into the water.(初學游泳者很少能正確地水中呼氣）
Nearly all intermediate swimmers think they are exhaling correctly – at least, that’s what they say when we ask them. Do they? Very few do.
（幾乎所有的中級水平泳者都認為他們作的是正確的呼氣-當我們問他們的時候，至少他們是這樣說的。他們果真作到了嗎？答案是:非常少！)
Even amongst advanced swimmers, quite a few like to hold onto their breath under the water.
（甚至在一些高級游泳選手中，也有不少喜歡在水下憋氣游。）
Why is this an important swimming technique? Getting your exhalation right will make freestyle feel much easier, get you balanced in the water and as a bonus, make you more relaxed whilst swimming. This will benefit any swimmer, from beginner to elite.
In this article we’re going to give you some very simple exercises to perform to improve your breathing technique and this will help you become a much better swimmer.
（呼吸為什麼是一個重要的游泳技巧呢？讓你的呼氣正確將會使自由泳感覺更容易，使你在水中有很好的平衡，作為獎賞，它將使你游泳時更放鬆。它將使任何水平的泳者受益，從初級到頂級選手）
How You Should Breathe（你應該怎樣進行呼吸）
we know the secret of freestyle breathing. The secret is good exhalation.
（我們知道自由泳呼吸的秘訣，這個秘訣就是良好的呼氣）
When you are swimming you should always be exhaling except when you turn your head to inhale.
（當你游泳時，除了轉頭吸氣以外，你應該一直是在呼氣）
You can exhale through your mouth or through your nose or through both, it doesn’t matter. But when your face is in the water you should be exhaling all the time in one constant stream of bubbles.
（你可以通過嘴或鼻孔或兩者同時進行呼氣，這並不要緊。但當你的面部進入水中，你的所有時間都應該是在一個呼出的氣泡流中進行呼氣）
Do you do this? You’re probably thinking ‘yes I do’. We ask hundreds of swimmers this question every year, nearly all of them answer ‘yes’ but when they jump in the pool and we watch their breathing technique, very few actually do!
（你是這樣作的嗎？你可能認為，「是的，我就是這樣作的」。這個問題我們每年都會問數百位泳者，幾乎所有人都回答「是」，但一旦他們跳入池中，我們觀察他們的呼吸技巧發現，其實很少有作到正確的！）
How Do Most Swimmers Exhale?（多數泳者如何吸氣？）
After inhaling and returning their face to the water, most people hold that breath for at least one stroke, if not two. Shortly before their next inhalation they exhale very late into the water, often finishing that exhalation into the air when they’ve turned to breathe in.
（吸完氣並將面部轉回到水中後，大多數人如果不是持續兩次劃臂的話，至少有一次划水是保持這樣呼吸的，他們只是在下一個吸氣動作即將到來之前才遲遲地把氣吐入水中，經常是在他們已經轉換成吸氣時才在空氣中完成吐氣動作）
They feel they are exhaling into the water because they do a little before inhalation, but that is too little too late.
（他們感覺他們正在向水中呼氣是因為他們在吸氣前作了一點點呼氣動作，但太少太遲了。
Coaches: From the pool deck, watch for a little outward spray of water from the mouth area as the swimmer turns to take their breath – this is a classic sign of late exhalation. Such a swimmer will immediately feel more relaxed from an improved exhalation technique.
（教練：當一個游泳者轉身進行呼吸時從泳池面向外看一點兒從嘴中吐出水花–這是一個典型的呼氣過晚的標誌。象這樣的游泳者將會很快從提高呼氣技巧中獲得更放鬆的感覺。）
Why is it Important to Exhale Constantly?（不間斷的呼氣為什麼這樣重要？）
1) The most important reason is that when you hold your breath you tense up. When you breathe out you release that tension. Imagine you’re having a stressful day and someone tells you to take a deep breath – it’s not when you take the breath in that you feel better, it’s when you let it go. Holding your breath tenses you up and that is bad for your swimming technique.
（1.最重要的原因是當你屏氣時，你會感覺緊張，而當你呼吸開來後你會釋放這種緊張感。想像你正經歷一個緊張日子，這時有人告訴你作一下深呼吸–你感覺好點的時候並不是你吸氣的時候，而是當你吐氣的時候。屏住呼吸讓自己緊張，這對你的游泳技術是一件壞事。）
2) When you are holding your breath you can feel that you need to breathe. The sensation you are feeling is not the lack of oxygen, it’s the build up of CO2. By holding your breath you are keeping the CO2 in your blood stream and lungs – this makes you feel desperate for air. （2.當你屏住呼吸時你可能覺得你需要呼呼，你正感受到的感覺並不是缺氧，而是因為積聚的二氧化碳，通過屏住呼吸，你正持續把二氧化碳積累在你的血管和肺裡面–這使你感覺絕望的氣體。）
Breathing out constantly while you swim feels much nicer – you get rid of the CO2 and no longer feel so desperate for air.
（2.游泳時不斷地往外吐氣，你會感覺更棒-你除掉了二氧化碳，同時不再對空氣感覺如此絕望）
3) Having lungs full of air is bad for your body position – your chest is too buoyant. Since your body acts like a see saw around your centre, this causes your legs to sink in the water, creating extra drag.（3.擁有一個充滿氣體的肺對你身體位置來說是不利的–你的胸部浮力太大。既然你的身體就象看圍繞你的中心看到的行為一樣，那麼它會使你的你腿在水中下沉，產生額外的拖曳阻力。）
4) Most swimmers try to exhale just before they turn their head to breathe – or even worse, try and exhale and inhale in the short window when their mouth is above the waterline! This is a really hard thing to do, each breath feels snatched and panicky. If you breathe late like this, the tendency is to lift your head to breathe to give yourself a bit more time. Lifting your head is bad swimming technique, it causes your legs to sink – adding lots of drag.
（4.大多數游泳者都試圖僅僅在他們轉頭進行呼吸的時候呼氣-或者更糟，即在他們的嘴已經露出水面的時候，這樣一個很短的時間窗口裡，努力進行呼氣和吸氣）
Conclusion: exhaling constantly and continuously is a fundamental of a good freestyle stroke technique.
（結論：不間斷地、連續地呼氣是良好自由泳技術的基礎）
How Will This Make Me Swim Faster?（這將如何讓我游泳更快？）
Tension is bad for your swimming. We want to develop a smooth, relaxed, rhythmical stroke and tension stops us doing that. Tension makes us want to lift our head and that ruins our body position. Tension makes it hard to trust and feel the water. Perhaps worst of all, tension stops us enjoying our swimming.
（緊張對於游泳來說是不利的，我們希望開發一種平滑的，放鬆的，有節奏感的爬泳，但緊張感會阻止我們那樣作。緊張讓我們想抬高我們的頭部，但這樣會破壞我們的身體位置。緊張會使你很難對水有信任和感覺，可能最糟的是，緊張會阻止我們享受游泳。）
Holding your breath keeps excess CO2 in your lungs and blood stream. This hurts you aerobically as CO2 builds up in your system (like a sprint activity). For the same swimming speed and effort, holding your breath will make things much harder. Next time you’re running or doing something aerobic in the gym try holding your breath for 3 seconds and then suddenly inhale and exhale before holding it again – how much harder does this make it? Much harder!
（屏住呼吸使過量的二氧化碳進入你的肺和血管里，當二氧化碳積聚在你的系統里（如短跑運動）這會傷害你的有氧要求。同樣速度和工夫的游泳，屏住呼吸游會變得更困難。下次當你進行跑步或者在體育館做其他有氧運動時，屏住呼吸3秒鐘，然後在再作下一次憋氣前，突然吸氣和呼氣–這樣作會讓你變得多麼難受？非常難受！
Without exhaling properly you’re going to find bilateral breathing (breathing to both sides) very hard. The build up of CO2 in your system from holding your breath makes the gap between 3 strokes feel very long. In this situation most swimmers revert to breathing to one side – their favoured side. As you can read here, the problem with single sided breathing is that your stroke tends to become lopsided and uneven. Your body roll tends to become poor on your non-breathing side and that leads to problems with the recovering arm swinging low over the water. Other problems with your technique start to appear such as scissor kicks and hands crossing the centre line. All of this because you’re not exhaling!
(沒有正確的呼氣技巧你將會發現雙側換氣非常困難，因憋氣而積聚在體內的二氧化碳讓你感覺三劃一換變得非常漫長。這種情況下大多數游泳者會回到單側換氣–他們比較舒服的一側。正如你在這兒讀到的，單側換氣的問題是你劃程中將趨於變得不平衡和不均衡。在你不呼吸的一側，你的身體滾動變弱，同時會造成讓你的回臂擺動在較低的水面位置這樣的問題。另外你那些剛開始出現問題如剪刀腿和手過中線，所有這些都是因為你沒有呼氣。）
The key to a creating a balanced symmetrical swimming technique is breathing to both sides – and the key to that is constant exhalation whenever your face is in the water.（建立一個平衡而對稱的游泳技術的關鍵是雙側呼吸-而雙側換氣的核心是每當你的面部進入水中就不斷地呼氣）
OK, So How Do I Make The change?（好，那麼我要怎樣作才使之改變？）
The trick is to get used to exhaling into the water and feel relaxed doing it. This sounds easy but you need to break the existing habit, which can take some persistence. We recommend the series of sinking exercises below to develop a new breathing technique and get you feeling more relaxed in the water.
(這一招就是習慣於把氣吐入水中，並感覺很放鬆進行。這聽起來容易，但你需要打破你既有的習慣，這種習慣可能比較持久。我們建議進行下面一系列的下沉練習，以發展一種新的呼吸技術，使你在水中感覺更放鬆。）
Learn to Sink!（學會下沉）– At the deep end of the pool tread water. When you are ready take a breath in and let yourself sink. As soon as your head is in the water start exhaling strongly through either your nose or mouth, whichever you prefer. Make sure you are exhaling straight away. If you are not exhaling immediately, or you are not exhaling strongly enough, you won’t sink – or you will sink a bit but then surface again.
（在游泳池的深水區踩水.當你準備好了吸一口氣然後下沉，一旦你的頭進入水中就開始通過鼻孔或者嘴用勁呼氣。不管你喜歡哪種，請確保你呼氣馬上呼出。如果你不立即呼氣，或者你呼氣用勁不夠，你將不會下沉-或者你將下沉一點兒，但接著又浮上了水面。）
– Practise sinking like this many times through. Make sure you are exhaling smoothly and constantly. The idea is to be able to sink straight down to the bottom of the pool and stay there exhaling until you are ready to push off the bottom and come back up.
（通過多次這樣的下沉實踐，確保您的呼氣順利和不間斷。我們的主意是爭取能垂直下沉到池底並停留在那兒呼氣，直到你準備蹬離池底並返回到水面。）
– If you sink at first but then surface again, stay there and keep exhaling until you sink. Find your ‘sinking threshold’ and keep practising exhaling strongly until you can get down easily and quickly.
(如果你一開始下沉但接著又浮上來，那麼停在那裡並保持呼氣直到你下沉。找到你的「沉沒門檻」並持續實踐強力呼氣，直到你很容易和快速地沉下去）
– To help you to relax whilst sinking, imagine you are falling into bed or into a comfy chair at the end of a long hard day. Every muscle in your body relaxes and goes loose. You relax and sink.
（為了幫助你在下沉練習時放鬆，想像你是在勞累了一天後正在倒向家裡的床上或者一張舒服的沙發中。你身體的每一塊肌肉都放鬆並得到變得松馳。整個人放鬆並下沉。
– Are you surprised how strongly you have to exhale to sink? This shows you are not exhaling strongly enough in your normal stroke technique.（你非常驚訝為了下沉不得不呼氣？這說明你在你的平常的爬泳技術中沒有非常充分的呼氣）
– Are you surprised how relaxed you become doing this? Perhaps you didn’t realise you were tense before? The sensation of sinking is something we naturally fear – it’s something that’s keeping you tense whilst you swim. Getting accustomed to the water and feeling happy sinking in this alien environment will help your swimming technique a great deal.
（你很驚訝你作這個時變得如此放鬆？或許你沒有意識到是你以前太緊張？下沉的感覺某種程度讓我們自然地覺得害怕–一定程度上在你游泳時保持緊張。這種不同的環境中下沉，習慣於水並對之感覺愉悅，將會有極大地幫助你的游泳技術。）
If you’re doing really well, try sitting on the bottom of the pool and watch your bubbles rising to the surface. Or even harder, lie on your back on the bottom and watch the bubbles.
(如果你真的做得很好，試著坐在池底並觀察你吐出的氣泡泡慢慢升到水面。或者更難的，仰躺在池底觀察氣泡）
Novice swimmers: The sink-down exercise is very important for you too. If you are a little nervous in the water, start in the shallow end and simply crouch to get your head under the water. Get used to this before you gradually get into deeper water.
（初學游泳的人：下沉練習對你同樣重要。如果在水中有點兒慌張，那就從淺水區開始，只是簡單地蹲著以使你的頭部進入水面以下。習慣了這些後再到深一點的水中。）
Introducing Constant Exhalation To Your Swim Stroke（介紹一些不間斷的呼氣）
We recommend that you do a few of these ‘sink downs’ at the start of every swimming session to tune in to the watery environment and release any tension. It really is enjoyable and beneficial to any level of swimmer, even those macho males who might think it’s mumbo jumbo! Try it, we’re sure you’ll enjoy it.
（我們建議你在每次游泳開始時作一小部分「下沉」練習，以調整到水環境並釋放所有的緊張感。對於任何水平的選手來說，它真的是非常享受和有益的，甚至那些大男子主義的男性，都將視它為珍寶。嘗試一下，我們確信你會很享受它。）
Once you have performed your sink-downs, try some easy laps of swimming. Swim at a slow pace and imagine you have all day to get to the other end. Your sole focus should be to make sure you are exhaling strongly whenever your head is in the water.
（一旦你做完下沉練習，再嘗試一些容易的游泳技巧，慢速游並想像你有一整天才能游到另一端。你唯一關注的焦點是，一旦你的頭沒入水中，你就要進行強力的呼氣。）
If you don’t normally breathe bilaterally we recommend you make the switch straight away and breathe every 3 strokes. How do you feel? Are you more relaxed and less tense than normal? Can you now manage bilateral breathing?
（如果你平常不是兩側換氣，我們建議你採用3劃一吸的換氣周期。你感覺如何？比平時更放鬆、緊張感更輕？你能作好雙側換氣？
Drills and Exhalation Technique（練習和呼氣技巧）
You guessed it, whenever you are doing drills you should be exhaling constantly into the water too! It’s good practise and helps you relax so you can perform the drill better.
（猜想一下，一旦你進行練習，你也應當進行不間斷地強力把氣吐入水中！這是一個很好的實踐，它有助於你放鬆，以便你能把練習做得更好。）
Do you have a drill you struggle with? Exhaling strongly into the water might just be the key to cracking it!
（你在作一個水搏鬥的練習？水中強力呼氣將是擊敗它的關鍵。）
Summary（總結）
Most swimmers realise that breathing technique is a fundamental of the freestyle stroke. But most think about their inhalation only and forget about their exhalation. Don’t make that mistake yourself! Practise your sink downs and get focused on your exhalation. You’ll enjoy your swimming more and your stroke will benefit greatly.
（大多數游泳者認識到呼吸技術是自由泳的基本功。但許多人只關注他們的吸氣而忘記他們的呼氣。不要再自己誤解自己了！進行你的下沉練習並把重點放在你的呼氣上，你將更享受你的游泳，你的划水也將大大受益。
自由泳中的換氣技術
爬泳中你應該怎樣進行換氣？這兒是我們的一些小帖子和應該避免的陷阱。
對初學者和中級水平選手來說，開發一種良好的換氣技術可能是一個非常大的挑戰。換氣的問題容易影響到划水的其他方面。比如，換氣可能造成剪刀腿，不好的身體位置，過度交叉以及畸形的划水。
許多泳者都有一個與換氣相關的划水問題，他們沒有認識到換氣是產生問題的原因。
下面，我們快速地看掃視一下良好的換氣技術和共同的問題。我們還將給你7個小帖子，以提高你的換氣技巧，不斷地嘗試這些，以致你不認為你有換氣方面的問題–你將非常驚訝！
Tip 1. Focus on Your Exhalation Not Your Inhalation
（提示1.重點在你的呼氣，而不是你的吸氣）
游泳的人最常見的問題是不在水下進行呼氣.如果你呼吸之間進行水下呼氣,那麼當你快要換氣時就只是不得不進行的吸氣動作.這會讓事情變得更容易.而且這也會讓你放鬆並對你的雙側換氣大有幫助.
它是如此重要並且能讓你的游泳大不同.
我們熱衷於此,找出我們在呼氣上的關鍵文章:你知道你的問題,把他們全部列進去.
Tip 2. When you’re not breathing, keep your head still（不換氣時保持頭部穩定）
在呼吸之間,保持你的頭部不動.不要讓它象你的身體一樣滾動-滾動將會讓你頭暈並且真正地破壞你的身體協調性.
如果你曾想過轉動頭部,那麼就集中注意力看池底某一點.只有在進行換氣時才轉動你的頭.這會讓你一開始感覺有點陌生,但很快就會開始感覺良好.你將會發現在接下來的劃程也感覺更協調了.
如果你正與保持協調頭部穩定作鬥爭–嘗試一下這個小視頻(注:SWF格式無法上傳)想像一下一個裝有半滿香檳的玻璃杯正放在你的頭頂,而你一定要保持頭部非常穩定,否則它將會灑出來.有時象這樣想想就能作到這一招.
你也可以在淺水區或岸上向前彎腰進行模擬劃臂練習,同時保持頭部不動.
Tip 3. Breathe Into The pocket – Your Bow Wave Is Your friend（呼吸進口袋-你的渦流是你的朋友）
當你隨著你的頭部和身體在水中移動的時候,你會隨著產生一股”渦流”,類似小船產生的一樣.渦流的形狀表示水位沿著游泳者的面部兩側下降.
這將在你的身體和頭部兩側製造一個凹槽,它位於游池水面的下方-因此在你比你期望更低的位置有空氣存在.
在這個凹槽里呼吸,而你卻無需抬頭進行吸氣.
有時游泳的人把它稱為”呼吸進口袋”,因為它看起來就象在你頭邊有一個空氣袋.
為了產生渦流,你無需快游,甚至慢慢游泳也能製造一個適合你作呼吸進去的口袋.
許多游泳的人並沒有意識到這個渦流的存在.他們或者掙扎或者抬頭或者過度轉動他們的頭部去進行換氣.那是一個很大的誤會,正如我們在帖子4中解釋的一樣.
Tip 4. don’t lift Your head（不要抬頭）
抬頭呼吸的問題是正如所見一樣的身體行為和你的腿在下沉.這會增加額外的拖曳阻力.
藉助凹槽和頭邊的空氣袋,你無需抬頭進行換氣.為了呼吸進水槽你僅僅需要轉一點兒你的頭而無需把它抬起來.如果你試著抬頭,你將會擾動形成的渦流.減少這個水槽.而且,當你抬頭時你將偏向換氣太遠–試著在渦流前上方換氣.
因此,抬頭會擾動渦流-這是一個惡性循.代替它的是,相信口袋的存在並保持較低的頭部位置.
如果你正掙扎著去發現空氣袋,一個很好的練習是,帶上腳蹼以超人的位置練習游泳–一個手臂在你前端伸出,同時另外一個手臂停留在你的臀部位置.你的引導臂側輕輕打水,同時往下看池底.當你要換氣時,簡單地微微轉動你的頭,去找到氣袋並換氣.不要急,用腳蹼打水將使你向前,這樣你的嘴就能感覺到口袋的存在.
Tip 5. Don’t Over Rotate Your Head（不要過度轉頭）
一個跟抬頭相似的問題是轉頭過多-這會讓你在換氣時是向上看,而不是向側面看.
這是很不好的技術，因為它會過度轉向你的呼吸側，同時失去平衡。為了支撐你自己你傾向於讓你的引導臂交叉過頭(過中線），使你的身體形成一個香蕉形狀。這會造成你的象蛇一樣從一側扭向另一側。剪刀腿也非常類似。
為了糾正這個，你需要習慣在凹槽中呼吸。採用我們在小貼士4中的建議進行側身打水練習，同時當你嘗試換氣時，保持你位置較低的那塊泳鏡在水裡，這樣你就會一隻眼睛在水面以下，一個眼睛在水面之上。
如果你正努力去做這個，即在一側池壁邊游游泳，有人在你旁邊的泳池邊行走，要求他們保持的腳部位置與你肩部行進位置相當，當你在游泳並轉頭換氣時，看到的位置應該他們腳部區域。
如果你游泳時致使脖子僵硬，這很可能是你要麼換氣時抬頭或者是過度轉頭，這會給了你的頸部肌肉巨大的壓力。提高你的呼吸技術，僵硬感將很快消失。
Tip 6. A lack of Body Rotation Could be hurting your breathing（身體轉動的不足將破壞你的呼吸）
良好的身體轉動對你換氣是一個巨大的幫助。那是因為你轉體後，你換氣時就無需過多轉動你的頭。如果你正掙扎著進行換氣，也許到一邊，不好的身體轉動可能是你的問題。
關於開發良好的身體滾動全部故事，找出我們在身體轉動上文章。
Tip 7. Learn to Breathe Bilaterally (學會雙側換氣）
在這兒，我們相信學會雙側換氣是一種投資，它將會在你餘下的游泳生涯里回報你。那是因為它有助於開發一種對稱的划水技術，而對稱的劃臂會讓你在水中游成直線。
如果你僅作單側換氣，這很可能是你的身體向你非換氣側轉動不足，那樣你將不會游成直線。
我們已經一次又一次地看到這些問題的游泳者，他們只進行單側換氣。
