Cardiovascular Conditioning for Scuba Divers
Written by: LindaKennedy
Scuba diving is a sport that millions of people participate in each year. Although scuba diving may look like it requires little effort, it actually requires the same cardiovascular effort as jogging at a 12-minute mile pace. So, if planning on going for a 45-minute dive, the first question a diver should ask is: Can I jog for 45 straight minutes? If the answer is a maybe or a no, then there is a need for training in order to insure both one's health and safety.
All divers should be cleared by a physician to ensure that they are healthy enough to start an exercise program and embark on both enjoyable but sometimes dangerous sport of diving. The last thing any diver would want is to have an underwater medical emergency because of an unknown underlying condition. After being physically cleared, beginning and seasoned divers alike should focus on regular, medium-intensity exercise sessions that emphasize cardiovascular health. For many, this probably means walking for starters. Any cardiovascular conditioning program follows the same four general principles collectively referred to as FITT, which stands for:
Frequency
Intensity
Time
Type
First is exercise frequency. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends aerobic training 3 to 5 times a week. Any less is too little to achieve significant cardiovascular gains. Exercising 6 or 7 times a week increases the risk of injury and doesn't offer much benefit beyond the 4 to 5 days a week routine.
The next component of a cardiovascular training program is intensity. Again, divers should follow the recommendations of the ACSM in order to calculate the proper personal exercise intensity. There are two different ways to monitor intensity and one is more difficult. The difficult way is to first estimate the maximal heart rate by taking 220 minus one's age. When done computing with estimated maximal heart rate, subtract the resting heart rate. Then, multiply this number by 0.5 if one is sedentary, 0.65 if moderately active, and 0.8 if the person is fit. Finally, add the resting heart rate back to this number to find the target heart rate. An example follows for a 40-year old moderately active man with a resting heart rate of 75 beats per minute.
Maximum heart rate = 220 - 40 = 180
180 - 75 = 105
105 x 0.65 = 68
68 + 75 = 143 beats per minute
Now the easy way. Estimate one's exercise intensity on a scale of 1-10 1 being no effort at all and 10 being the hardest the person have ever exercised in his life. Sedentary people should exercise at a 5, moderately active people at a 6, and fit people at a 7.
Time is the third component of a fitness program. Since the typical dive is 30 to 45 minutes, one should build endurance to the point where he can exercise continuously for 45 minutes. Again, he may be walking at first, but the eventual goal will be to jog at a 12-minute mile pace for 45 minutes with little to no discomfort since this will be the aerobic effort required during a dive.
Finally, the type of exercise that is performed is a definite consideration. First, the heart doesn't know the difference between running, cycling, and swimming. If each exercise is performed at the same intensity, the cardiovascular benefit will be the same. However, a person should try to train specifically for the sport he will be participating in, since this will help develop muscle coordination that other exercises cannot provide. In the case of scuba diving, swimming should also be a regular component of the training program, ideally performed at least twice a week.
Therefore, if one can jog 12-minute miles for 45 minutes, he will have the aerobic fitness needed to scuba dive with little aerobic stress. However, if he doesn't have this degree of fitness, he will need specific training to participate in and enjoy the incredible sport of scuba diving.
This is not to mention that a proper diet should be followed by all diving enthusiasts. Consuming whole foods rich in natural vitamins is a must in order to help keep the body a lean and mean cardio building machine. Fruits and vegetables rich in plant-based nutrition called phytonutrients are an absolute must. Lean proteins and whole grains will go a long way in fueling the body for both the rigors of diver training and diving itself. While vitamin supplements may prove somewhat helpful here and there, it is best to get the much-needed nutrition needed for diving strength from fresh, whole, and natural foods.
Contributed by:
Dr. Linda Kennedy MS SLP ND
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