Scuba Diving Fitness
Scuba diving fitness is a topic which is sometimes overlooked by many scuba divers the world over. Many who dive take up diving as a fun recreational activity to do on the weekends off in shallow waters of their local beach, looking past scuba diving fitness- assuming it is only something for the more passionate, involved divers. Though this is simply not true, staying fit for diving is something that should be on everyone's mind regardless of their scuba diving intentions or their certification level.
Whether you are required to take long dives in deep waters which can be physically demanding, such as in the role of a commercial diver or whether you just need to be fit enough for your average weekend beginners dive, fitness is an important part of it.
For the more advanced divers it will often be required that they have optimum leg strength combined with correct technique to ensure they can move at the desired pace. For all divers, you will however need to be fit enough to carry your tank on your back and progress though a dive without exhaustion taking place. Whether it's just by a short amount of regular cardio or a complete fitness plan, remaining or getting fit for scuba diving is highly recommended as it, in many cases can save your life. As a scuba diver you don't want to enter the water unprepared and you make sure your gear is all functioning correctly and in good condition, the same should go with your body- Which is why we are providing you with various scuba diving fitness articles which may help you in deciding if you need to work on your fitness, or simply offer you some advice and ideas to add to your current fitness plan.

A few months ago, I received a call from a diver with a complete tear of his Achilles tendon. He had just had it surgically repaired and was concerned about sustaining his fitness level during the rehabilitation period. One of the options we discussed to help him maintain his cardiovascular fitness was the use of an Upper Body Ergometer (UBE).
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If you suffer from asthma, then there are likely many activities that you have had to refrain from in your lifetime. This can be discouraging especially if you are an adventurous type of person.
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Being fit allows you to have better and safer diving experiences and let’s you truly relax and enjoy each and every dive. But thousands of older divers neglect to properly exercise and so may put themselves and their dive buddies at risk.
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Good hydration is important to a successful exercise program and especially important to scuba divers to reduce the risks associated with diving. It is commonly thought that most people are dehydrated most of the time. This general introduction reviews how much of the human body is made up of water, what water provides for the body, how fluid loss occurs, and general recommendations for daily fluid intake.
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The backwall of Molokini crater was more picturesque than usual. With visibility of 150-200 feet we drifted with gray reef, white tip and Galapagos sharks cruising below. A blue dragon nudibranch was a treat to find, and the pyramid butterfly fish were especially bright. But the real joy of this dive was the orchestra of humpback whales that accompanied us. The sound of their underwater melodies were music to our ears and the "good vibrations" within our bodies struck a transforming chord, making this one of our most memorable diving experiences.
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While diving on the wreck of the Oro Verde in Grand Cayman, several of us were bit by Caribbean Chub. Sneak attacks occurred on our hands and arms. Someone had probably been feeding the sizeable charcoal-gray fish. We were still nursing our wounds when we boarded the plane for home late the next day. As we settled into our seats my dive buddy commented on the vacation pounds he’d gained from abundant meals. It was quite obvious, we had been "bit by the Chubb" in more ways than one. A bruised knuckle heals in a day or two with little lasting affect. But, the extra padding around your waist can be difficult to lose and if allowed to accumulate over time compromises your health.
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Over a million people go scuba diving each year. And not surprising a good number of them are older adults or “baby boomers”. Dive instructors are also noticing that the average “new” student is in his 50’s; is overweight and chain smokes. Not the picture of suntanned muscled hunk, most of us imagines when we think of scuba diving.
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One may not see the relevance in eating healthy and scuba diving. But the fitter one is, the easier diving becomes and one is able to expand ones own personal boundaries and achieve acts you never originally thought you could.
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Planning to compete in an endurance event? What and when you eat the week before your event is just as important as all of your training when it comes to race day.
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Get in shape with the following United States Marine Corps 3-Mile PFT Track Workout. Scuba diving is always made easier when you are fit, and this exercise regime will help with overall fitness.
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For this workout, you will need to place a chair on each side of your bike. When pedaling with one leg, unclip with the other and rest it on the chair.
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This workout will give a combination strength and cardiovascular workout in one 45 minute session. The key is to move from exercise to exercise as quickly as possible.
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The exercise matrix is a great tool which helps you determine what exercises and what exercise tools will be needed for the areas of your body you desire to work on.
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Fitness is much, much more than body composition. Having low body fat is great, but
there are plenty of skinny smokers out there. Physical fitness is about capabilities: it’s
about strength and stamina, it’s about vitality and energy level, it’s about an improved
immune system and increased lifespan. It’s about increasing the realm of possibilities in
your life.
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When we think about exercise and fitness, images of Jack LaLane or Jane Fonda may
come to mind, but fitness isn’t about physique or an obsession with training. Physical
fitness is about capabilities: it’s about strength and stamina, it’s about vitality and energy
level, it’s about an improved immune system and increased lifespan.
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Let’s start with a definition of what we’re trying to do when we want to increase our
fitness, whether it’s cardiovascular fitness, strength, speed, whatever. It’s called
“Progressive Overload Training,” and it helps to break the phrase down in reverse.
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After about 30 years of age, life gives each of us an important choice: use it or lose it.
Those of us who choose to “use it” can maintain or even increase our fitness levels for
decades.
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Over 70% of the population will experience lower back strain in his or her lifetime. In the best cases, the strain can be treated with over the counter anti-inflammatories and rest. The worst result in bulging discs, which rarely can be fully repaired.
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Whether you consider yourself a fitness freak or a couch potato, you’ve probably experienced the painful spasms known as exercise associated muscle cramping, or EAMC. These cramps usually happen while performing exercise to fatigue, such as the calf cramp that hits so many divers getting back in the water after some time off.
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Increased flexibility can make certain aspects of your diving a lot easier, such as getting in and
out of your gear, getting back on the boat, and maintaining proper trim while swimming. Hip
and leg flexibility can also help you with more advanced finning techniques, such as backwards
kicking and helicopter turns.
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Foot and calf cramps happen in even the fittest of divers after finning around for a dive. Most
commonly a painful nuisance, these cramps can become a serious problem if currents change
and you are working to get back to a mooring line or surface swimming to the boat.
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Jumping off a boat only to find that your tank is off should not be a life-threatening event.
Likewise, diving double tanks with an isolation manifold adds a great margin of safety to deep or
overhead diving, but only if you can reach your valves without assistance
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As with all waterborne activities, the exercises to follow involve
risk to your life. You are in direct control of this risk. Always swim under the
supervision of a lifeguard or instructor, and stay within the bounds of your fitness.
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For some divers, being the first to hit turn pressure means nothing more than a good-natured jibe from dive buddies once back on the boat. For others, a high rate of gas consumption stands as an obstacle to their full enjoyment of diving.
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