New
New
All years

Aquatic breathing, health and fitness

I can perform a regular aquatic breathing pattern whilst swimming and can identify changes to my breathing when I swim.

New
New
All years

Aquatic breathing, health and fitness

I can perform a regular aquatic breathing pattern whilst swimming and can identify changes to my breathing when I swim.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: a regular breathing pattern of submerging and resurfacing is done by slowly tilting and lowering the head.
  2. Think exercise and rest causes our breathing to get faster and slower.
  3. Think: blowing bubbles while exhaling expels carbon dioxide and inhaling allows you to deliver oxygen to your muscles.
  4. Feel: determination enables us to increase exercise intensity as our breathing rate increases.
  5. 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.


To help you plan your all years physical education lesson on: Aquatic breathing, health and fitness, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Humming under the water stops the water from going up the nose.
Teacher tip

Equipment

noodles, floats

Content guidance

  • Additional qualification required
  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What body position is best to keep the nose and mouth clear of the water?
Correct answer: back
front
side
Q2.
What do we call the act of turning or spinning in the water?
resting
revolting
Correct answer: rotation
Q3.
What does our body need to be to be able to turn effectively in the water?
fast
Correct answer: relaxed
tense
Q4.
How many degrees does your body turn when performing a turntable in the water?
200
180
Correct answer: 360

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What should you make when your face is in the water?
Correct answer: bubbles
stars
waves
Q2.
Which of these activities is most likely to make your breathing rate faster?
reading a book
writing a story
Correct answer: swimming
Q3.
When we breathe in, what are we trying to get to our working muscles?
Correct answer: oxygen
carbon dioxide
air
Q4.
Instead of holding your breath and holding your nose when your face is in the water, what should you do?
Correct Answer: blow bubbles, hum