YMCA Swim Instructor Practice Test 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Rotary breathing is a technique primarily used in freestyle swimming and involves turning the head to the side to take a breath while maintaining a smooth, rhythmic stroke. This method allows swimmers to keep their body aligned and balanced as they breathe, which is vital for effective swimming. When a swimmer turns their head to the side rather than lifting it straight up, it helps minimize disruption to the stroke and keeps the body streamlined.

The other options, while they may somewhat describe aspects of breathing in swimming, do not encapsulate the specific technique that rotary breathing represents. For instance, rhythmic breathing can happen in various stroke styles, but it isn't specific to the side-oriented aspect that rotary breathing highlights. Breathing during freestyle strokes lacks the emphasis on the sideways movement unique to rotary breathing. Lastly, inhaling through both the nose and mouth is unrelated to the side-turning nature of rotary breathing itself.