Preparation For Water

Preparation For Water
Before entering into the water, we must learn how to relax and breathe correctly in order to avoid black-outs, drowning and premature surfacing. This article will examine a breathing technique and several behavioral techniques which are crucial for freediving.

Relaxation
The factor that affects the duration and quality of a freedive the most is relaxation. One must be completely relaxed in order to use oxygen efficiently and actually enjoy the freedive. Relaxation, however, comes only with experience - a good tip for beginner freedivers is not to think about the duration of the dive, or the depth you want to reach but about the beauty of the surrounding underwater environment and the wonderful feeling of weightlessness in the water - keep your mind focused on these two things and your aquatic skill will improve miraculously. An exercise that may help improve confidence underwater is to ascend as slowly as possible from each freedive - focusing on controlling the movement completely - most people find out they have a lot of spare air this way.

Breathing
Correct breathing is the base for a healthier life and better freediving. Breathing affects the whole body - it affects the nervous system, the heart, the digestive system, muscles, sleep, energy levels, concentration, memory and much more. The majority of people uses chest breathing - using only the top part of the chest on inhale and exhale. This type of breathing moves only a small amount of the air in the lungs - this is a very uneconomical way of breathing as it uses more muscle power than the deeper and more relaxed abdominal breathing. People that use chest breathing take more breaths per minute and as a consequence receive less oxygen and get rid of less waste products. Deep and effective breathing reaches all the way down to the abdomen, The abdomen expands forward to the sides and also towards the spine. The breathing movement can be felt all the way down towards the pelvic area and up towards the top of the lungs. Abdominal breathing has a calming and relaxing effect as we take fewer but more effective breaths - we absorb more oxygen and release more waste products with each breath.

How To Breathe From The Abdomen

1) Stand with your feet fairly close together.

2) Relax and free your mind from all thoughts (easier said then done!)

3) Be happy!

4) Open your mouth slightly.

5) Press gently and smoothly inward on your abdomen with your palms. Breath out during a count to six.

6) Hold your breath for a count of two.

7) Release smoothly and breath in under a count to six with focus on "popping" your belly.

8) Hold your breath for a count of two.

The whole process of pressing, holding, releasing and holding is called a breathing unit.

9) Repeat this whole process until you have done ten whole breathing units.

In the beginning try and forget about the breathing, it usually takes care of itself - concentrate on the pressing and releasing. Practice once in the morning and once in the evening for a couple of weeks. As you go along you can add more units to your exercise.

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