Swimming is a tough sport that requires a mix of technique, endurance, and strength. While it can be a fun activity, it can also be extremely challenging, especially when it comes to increasing swimming distance without dealing with getting fatigued. The tips below will help you ramp up your volume while limiting how tired you get so you can have fun in the water for hours on end!

Technique, Technique, Technique!

The secret to swimming farther without fatigue lies in mastering your swim technique. A solid technique not only makes your stroke more efficient but also conserves energy, enabling you to swim longer distances. The fastest way to master swim technique is by swimming multiple days per week and finding a swim coach who can teach you proper technique and stop any bad habits in their tracks!

Learn To Breathe Right

A basic component of swimming is efficient breathing. This is one of the hardest things to master when learning to swim but it is also very important because you can’t live without breathing! Learning to breathe properly can drastically improve your endurance. The best technique involves gradually exhaling underwater throughout your stroke cycle and then inhaling when your head turn to the side. This method prevents a sudden buildup of carbon dioxide, which can lead to premature fatigue. When the face is in the water breathe out and when you turn your head only breathe in. It is as simple as that but the timing of the breath is key!

Incorporate breathing drills into your swim workouts to improve endurance and prevent feeling out of breath which often plagues swimmers.

Body Position

Having an efficient body position in swimming is incredibly important when it comes to swimming for hours on end. Your goal is to have your body sitting high in the water and your head aligned with your spine and your hips and feet floating at the surface. This reduces unnecessary resistance, helping you to conserve your energy for those extra miles. Improving your breathing angle to a minimal head turn will also help ensure you don't disrupt your stroke rhythm and will help keep your body high in the water.

A streamlined body position minimizes resistance, helping you glide smoothly and efficiently through the water. Maintaining good flexibility is the key to mastering a streamlined body position that sits high in the water. Make sure you incorporate regular mobility work and strength conditioning into your swim training plan to improve flexibility, prevent injury and ultimately increase your swimming endurance.

Open Water Conditions

Swimming endurance can also be influenced by where you swim. Swimming in open water using a wetsuit, or in the sea, can provide additional buoyancy, making swimming less fatiguing. However, be aware of the water temperature. Extreme cold can increase your body's energy consumption to keep warm, and intense heat can be equally draining. Depending on where you swim and the conditions at the time, may dictate somewhat how long you will be able to swim for. If the water is warm, flat and salty get ready for loads of swimming but if it is freezing, choppy and fresh you will be using plenty of energy that could lead to fatigue if you aren’t trained properly.

Pacing

Pacing is crucial for endurance swimming. Going out too hard at the start can result in early fatigue, disrupting your swim rhythm. To swim longer distances, understand your ability, start at a comfortable pace, and gradually increase as your swim progresses. I like to tell my marathon swimmers to start all long swims nice and slow. Focus on technique and getting into a rhythm and once you are in the zone, you won’t be feeling tired anytime soon!

Kick…But Not Too Much!

Avoid excessive leg kicking while swimming. Kicking too much can lead to oxygen-demanding muscles, like your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, tiring quickly. Reducing the intensity of your kicks can help balance your leg work and conserve energy. When trying to swim long distances, the kick is mainly used for balance and to reduce drag rather than forward propulsion. A two beat kick is perfect for balance while preventing a swimmer to from tiring quickly.

Swim-Specific Fitness

The fitness required for swimming is very specific. You could be the best runner or biker in the world but will most likely be ready to pass out after swimming 100 yards when just starting out. Fitness from other sports doesn't carry over into swimming well. Having fitness from other sports will help you improve your endurance quicker once you are in a weekly swim routine but when you are a beginner it won’t help much. This is why it is important to start your swim training several months before your big race day. Incorporating dedicated pool time to build your swimming aerobic capacity is a huge part in not tiring quickly and improving swimming endurance.

Relax

Some of the best marathon swimmers in the world looked super relaxed and in a zen like state when they are swimming. Relaxation in the water can greatly contribute to swimming endurance. Anxiety, nervousness or tenseness can waste vital energy. Focus on building confidence in the water through floating exercises, swimming with friends, or using swim equipment to foster a relaxed and energy-efficient swim. The more you get out and practice, the faster you will be able to enter this state. It is also important to not always be focused on your swim pace or speed. You should have some workouts that are dedicated to finding this relaxed swim state.

Improving swimming endurance is a not an easy feat. It will be accomplished by combining many of the tips above. You will need to be consistently getting in the water a few times each week to practice and you will need to have patience. With these two things you will build your swimming endurance quickly allowing you to achieve all your long swim goals whether it be to swim 100 yards or 20 miles! Enjoy the journey and most importantly don’t forget that this is all about having fun!

Successful Swims Are Built With Endurance!