Aquatic breathing, health and fitness
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can perform a regular aquatic breathing pattern whilst swimming and can identify changes to my breathing when I swim.
Key learning points
- Move: a regular breathing pattern of submerging and resurfacing is done by slowly tilting and lowering the head.
- Think exercise and rest causes our breathing to get faster and slower.
- Think: blowing bubbles while exhaling expels carbon dioxide and inhaling allows you to deliver oxygen to your muscles.
- Feel: determination enables us to increase exercise intensity as our breathing rate increases.
- Connect: giving and taking on feedback requires good communication skills.
Keywords
Exhale - the process of moving air out of the lungs to remove carbon dioxide
Oxygen - a gas in the air that we need to stay alive and to create energy
Aquatic breathing - when swimming, a breathing pattern is used to inhale adequate oxygen
Common misconception
You must hold your breath and hold your nose when your face is in the water.
Perfrom trickle breathing; gentle continuous bubbles when the face is in the water.
Teacher tip
Humming under the water stops the water from going up the nose.
Equipment
noodles, floats
Content guidance
Additional qualification required
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What body position is best to keep the nose and mouth clear of the water?
Q2.What do we call the act of turning or spinning in the water?
Q3.What does our body need to be to be able to turn effectively in the water?
Q4.How many degrees does your body turn when performing a turntable in the water?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What should you make when your face is in the water?
Q2.Which of these activities is most likely to make your breathing rate faster?
Q3.When we breathe in, what are we trying to get to our working muscles?
Q4.Instead of holding your breath and holding your nose when your face is in the water, what should you do?
To help you plan your all physical education lesson on: Aquatic breathing, health and fitness, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your all physical education lesson on: Aquatic breathing, health and fitness, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 2 physical education lessons from the Swimming: an introduction to core aquatic skills and survival swimming unit, dive into the full physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.