Due to the way it is presented on holiday adverts and other forms of advertisements, you may think that scuba diving is a walk in the park. Though it may appear this way, scuba diving is actually an extremely challenging sport. There are a lot of physical demands when it comes to scuba diving, and along with this, you also have to learn a lot of information, such as how to calculate your compressed air and the depths you have reached.
Though all of the additional information that you have to learn when scuba diving can make the sport especially intellectually challenging, there is nothing more difficult than the physical toll that scuba diving will have on your body. Though it is a sport that is advertised to pretty much anyone, and really anyone can take part, it does require a certain level of physical fitness.
For those of you that don’t have the best level of physical fitness, this may be discouraging. However, just because you don’t currently have the level of fitness required for scuba diving, It does not mean that you never will. In fact, improving your fitness can be exceptionally straightforward and will even gradually happen the more scuba diving that you do.
Why is staying fit needed for scuba diving
Now, nobody says that you have to be as fit as an athlete to be able to scuba, but staying fit will make the scuba experience much easier. Scuba diving isn’t like a game of rounders, where you can sit out if you are starting to feel tired. You are using almost every muscle in your body throughout your entire scuba diving experience, which can put a lot of pressure on your body. Especially if you aren’t used to working out your muscles regularly.
When you are scuba diving, you are also carrying a lot of equipment. Of course, when you are underwater, this isn’t going to feel as heavy as if you were to carry the exact equipment on land, but you will still feel a difference in weight. This can make scuba diving really challenging, especially if you are someone who doesn’t have a lot of physical strength.
Scuba diving is also very different from your standard swimming trip. Once you get under the surface of the water, it is more than likely that you will be covering a lot of space. Now, if you are someone that regularly swims at a pool, you may think that this isn’t much. But you have to remember that a swimming pool is a lot different than the actual ocean, and you will most likely be covering up to four times the distances of an average pool.
Now that you know why staying fit while scuba diving is so important, you may be wondering how exactly you can stay fit.
Practice swimming
Though we have previously stated that swimming in a pool is much different from swimming in the ocean, the best way that you can strengthen the muscles that you’ll use when scuba diving is by actually swimming if you have a listen to any podcasts for divers that are available for scuba divers. The first recommendation that they will give for improving your fitness will be hitting your local pool. Swimming as much as you possibly can before you venture into scuba diving will mean that you will reach a level of physical fitness that is perfect for scuba diving. If it has been a while since you have been swimming, then going to the pool a few times will make sure that your skills are good enough when you venture into the world of scuba. There have been many cases of people starting scuba thinking that they are excellent swimmers, when in fact, they haven’t been in the water in many years. This only leads to them having problems in the water, so it is in your own interest to make sure that your skills are as good as they can be.
Running
This suggestion may seem odd, as it’s not as though you will be running when you are under the surface of the water. However, running can be extremely beneficial when it comes to getting fit for scuba diving. Jogging just twenty minutes every day can drastically improve your stamina and make swimming for a prolonged period of time much easier. Running and jogging can be done whenever you really feel like it, making it extremely flexible and easy to fit into whatever lifestyle you may have. Many scuba classes will often run additional fitness classes. Running falls under one of the extra activities that these classes may run, so be sure to look into your local clubs to see if this is an option you could pursue.
Eat well
If you put harmful foods into your body, then it doesn’t matter how much exercise you are doing as you are not allowing your body to develop the muscle that you need for scuba diving. Eating poorly can also mean that you aren’t providing your body with the much-needed energy that will make scuba diving easier. If you fill your body with junk instead of carbohydrates and protein, you are only hindering your fitness process.
Be sure to eat plenty of lean meats, natural fats, and food packed with proteins. This will ensure that you have the energy to take part in scuba diving and any training you plan to do before you take to the water.
Stay consistent with your fitness
There is no use in spending the week before you plan on heading diving to focus on your fitness and prepare you. This won’t be enough time to really build muscle and stamina, plus it is more than likely that you will just feel sore, which could actually be detrimental to your scuba trip. Be sure to make sure that you stay on top of your fitness way before you go diving, as this will ensure that you’re truly ready.
