Cardio & Weight-lifting Fitness vs. Diving

[milkathecow]

hi everyone,

I was wondering about something, i have looked around and am not quite sure about all i'm reading relating to my issue:

i am a Fitness instructor for Cardiovascular group classes (aquaGym, BTS, Biking...), which i give for the moment for 8-10 hours a week (basically 3 classes on tuesday and the rest spread out mon-fri) which sums up to around 12-14 hrs of workout per week classes and personal workout added up.

I wanted to find a moment to dive, but it seems totally incompatible with training, doing my personal workout and giving my classes.

The problem is that i'm also a dive instructor, and that i am recruiting some new clients here and about for this summer. I also want to get in the water as much as possible (and less on week-ends... it's crowded and if i'm out there every week-end it'll soon be divorce knocking on my tank..).i don't desperatly want to go deep, max 40m and if nitrox can help on some of my shallow dives, i'm quite willing to take that tank instead of my ordinary air one, so what do you recommend ?

I have searched the board and found some info like :

- no workout 6hrs after to dive
- no workout 4 hrs prior to dive

but on other posts it's ... don't workout and dive... on others it's ... nothing has been proved, it can help... or I run and train every day and nothings wrong..

thanks for any related answer

 

[lragsac]

...

i am a Fitness instructor for Cardiovascular group classes (aquaGym, BTS, Biking...), which i give for the moment for 8-10 hours a week (basically 3 classes on tuesday and the rest spread out mon-fri) which sums up to around 12-14 hrs of workout per week classes and personal workout added up.

I wanted to find a moment to dive, but it seems totally incompatible with training, doing my personal workout and giving my classes.

The problem is that i'm also a dive instructor, and that i am recruiting some new clients here and about for this summer. I also want to get in the water as much as possible (and less on week-ends... it's crowded and if i'm out there every week-end it'll soon be divorce knocking on my tank..).i don't desperatly want to go deep, max 40m and if nitrox can help on some of my shallow dives, i'm quite willing to take that tank instead of my ordinary air one, so what do you recommend ?

I have searched the board and found some info like :

- no workout 6hrs after to dive
- no workout 4 hrs prior to dive

but on other posts it's ... don't workout and dive... on others it's ... nothing has been proved, it can help... or I run and train every day and nothings wrong..

thanks for any related answer

I would check with DAN. I believe the latest research suggests no strenuous physical activity at least 4 hours post diving. I'm not sure about what the time interval should be prior to diving though. Also, you might try doing a search on Diving Medicine Online (any good search engine should pull the link up for you).

 

[milkathecow]

I would check with DAN. I believe the latest research suggests no strenuous physical activity at least 4 hours post diving. I'm not sure about what the time interval should be prior to diving though. Also, you might try doing a search on Diving Medicine Online (any good search engine should pull the link up for you).

thanks for the ideas, i'll start by having a surf around and calling DAN. IF anyone has anymore info i'm still taking it

 

[DocVikingo]

You might find this informative---->

http://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/articles/Exercise200403.shtml

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[milkathecow]

that's a very interesting link Doc thanks, i think i'll stick to the 4&6 before&after ... that won't allow much diving... i think i'll have to resort my classes schedule and try to do more personal training or just scuba teaching some days i think a good 2.5 days of each would be good...

if there's anything more that anyone finds, i'll still love to have it... the more we know about it, the more we can inform our buddies or clients too.

thanks again,
Olivier

 

[dadams]

something a lot of people forget about when contemplating this stuff is the fitness/strenous activity that you might do at the end of the dive. If you are shore diving - ever have a long walk back to the car which is uphill (all the while carrying all of your gear).
What about a looong surface swim back.
Both of those could take a consiedreable time (greater than 15mins) and get the heart rate up a fair bit.
Damian.

 

[milkathecow]

Yup your absolutely right, and it's considered an increasing factor in risks of ADD by most manuals that's why they say we should all be very good at Navigation, and also start the dive against the current and finish with the flow... first of all to make sure we have enough air to finish the dive, and also to reduce add factors.

 

[armyscuba]

I work out everyday before I dive. 1 hour in the Gym..Free Weights. But I have been doing this for the 24 years of My military career. I don't drink alcohol..and I drink water like a fish. Cardio wise, I run about 30 miles a week or hit the eliptical runner. I think overall anything during Your pre-dive will not bother You. Most people get very little excersise, if You have been working out regularly. I would say..workout..then dive

 

[JohnTalbot]

Thanks for sharing, as a Divemaster, its hard to follow DAN´s 4 hours before diving if youre working all day on the boat. I was scared id have to stop working out, and the last couple of months of no workouts have hit my fitness hard. Ill just stick to the afternoon boat and workout in the morning.

Whats the diving like in Gitmo area? I´m in Utila, Honduras.

Thanks

 

[CameronMartz]

Thanks for sharing, as a Divemaster, its hard to follow DAN´s 4 hours before diving if youre working all day on the boat. I was scared id have to stop working out, and the last couple of months of no workouts have hit my fitness hard. Ill just stick to the afternoon boat and workout in the morning.

Whats the diving like in Gitmo area? I´m in Utila, Honduras.

Thanks

John,

Checking armyscuba's profile shows that he has not participated in a thread since 2004- I don't think he'll be answering your question on Gitmo. <g>

Information about pre-dive exercise has increased since DAN formulated their recommendation. Many divers, divemasters included, exercise before diving without injury. In fact, in years of research for my book, and in the time since, I have not found a single case of DCS attributed directly to pre-dive exercise. The two cases of DCS related to pre-dive exercise were attributed to severe dehydration, a known predisposer to DCS, and not to exercise-induced bubble nucleation.

Dehydration is certainly something to take seriously, but it is something under your control on dive day. While more research needs to be done, there is no evidence (either in research or real world) that exercising before diving will increase your risk of DCS as long as you take dehydration and fatigue into account.

Cameron