Do you have a fitness regimen?

Do you regularly engage in a fitness program?

  • Yes

    Votes: 95 81.9%
  • No

    Votes: 21 18.1%

  • Total voters
    116

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I've been climbing between regularly and obsessively for the past 11 years (hence my username); haven't been on many exotic dive trips but climbing has taken me to some cool less-than-mainstream destinations around the world! On and off road cyclist too.
 
I row (crew) two to three days a week for a couple hours each day, which keeps me pretty healthy. Will also trail run, bike, and paddleboard a bit every once in awhile.
 
Chipmunk update. Healed up enough to get back on the bike. 1st ride was a short 14 miles. That was Sunday before last. Since then I've done 34, 20, 14, 13, and tomorrow I'm planning another 30 in the morning before it gets too hot. Then loading the car for OW checkouts this weekend.
 
The thread focused on the overall fitness of instructors, but I think it it's an important part of diving for the general population as well.

Yes important. TBH, on my last liveaboard, I was in far better shape than the instructor (yet old enough to be his dad almost). Bottom line is because the currents were too much for him, we pulled out of an area to go to calmer waters when I do not recall struggling in the slightest. It was a real bummer bc that was the highlight of the trip and it was cut short.
 
…I was in far better shape than the instructor (yet old enough to be his dad almost). Bottom line is because the currents were too much for him, we pulled out of an area to go to calmer waters when I do not recall struggling in the slightest.

Word.
 
I began participating in triathlons when I was in my twenties. I also competed in cycling and open water swim racing. I still do from time to time. I cross train and workout every day nearly without fail. It is a rare day I miss a workout unless traveling.

Per week and it varies due to weather, season and how I feel but:

Swim - 3-5 miles
Cycle - 50-100 miles (I have an indoor trainer)
Run - 10 to 20 miles (post broken femur and hip I often sub in rowing and elliptical)
Strength - two full workouts, upper and lower body. At about 60% max, 12 to 15 reps, three sets with 30 to 60 seconds rest between

When I was younger it was not difficult for me to go below two hours for an international distance tri. I was actually semi-pro for a short while. Today, to stay under three hours, might be a good day. I am 67 yo however so I have an excuse. Running is hard for me due to the leg but I can still do the 10K run, just kinda slow.

Does being physically fit help with SCUBA diving, yes, yes it does.

N
 
some really good information in this thread. I try to go to the gym 3 to 4 days a week and have been focusing more on Cardio lately vs weight training. Working on Legs/Back/Core for the weight training. With COVID, getting into a pool has been impossible here. but, I am hoping that changes this fall.
 
Go down to the article on fitness and diving:

https://www.dhmjournal.com/images/37/DHM_Vol37_No3.pdf

Sample sizes are not large but interesting:

Screen-Shot-2021-09-14-at-7-55-16-AM.png


From the article:

"The basis for this was US Navy research indicating that the maximum speed a fully equipped diver could attain was 1.3 knots (1.8 km.h-1) at a work rate of approximately 13 MET. Realistically, this is a demanding standard given the normal level of effort involved with diving. Swimming at a more typical speed of 0.5 knots required an effort of only 3 MET in the same equipment. While emergent conditions may produce a transient demand for great power output, it is unclear if a capacity of 13 MET is a reasonable threshold."

I think very few divers could meet the 13 MET threshold and that such a requirement for recreational diving including technical diving is too high. MET is taken from VO2 max divided by 3.5 and for women 3.2 since VO2 accounts for body weight in the calculation. More or less, something like that.

The VO2 max declines with age, for sedentary folks after age 30 there is typically a decline of 10% per decade. For physically fit and active persons who continue to train the reduction is about 5% per decade. I would like to see that bar chart if age taken into account. Body weight (excessive) coupled with declining VO2 max and low fitness might equal a cardiac event? You/me are not what we used to be, period!

I know that the BMI chart is not popular with some folks and that it has some flaws and that only serious athletes have ever had a VO2 maximum test (I have had three but I was kinda serious) but can it really be argued that keeping body weight under control as we age is not important to diving and life quality in general?

My observation of divers as a lifelong endurance type athlete (well, athlete now might be accurate :wink: ) and 50 plus years as an active diver is that a high level of fitness is not required for most SCUBA diving activities but is beneficial. If as you board the boat the boat tilts to your side and there are ten folks on the other side, you might want to look into Weight Watchers first and then a fitness program second.

It is not possible to exercise off caloric intake. The most important aspect of general fitness is food intake IMO. You could never step into a gym or spend an hour in the saddle but get on BMI (by controlling your calorie intake) and do wonders for your general health. But coupled with a fitness regimen, you are golden. Body weight/mass is the enemy. People tend to gain 10 plus pounds per decade and your maximum heart rate also declines along with VO2 max. The less of you there is for your heart to pump blood to and through and the less of you there is for your lungs to oxengenate, the better (IMO) for SCUBA diving. And the older we get, the more important it becomes to control weight.

Weight generally goes up as we age for most people (and more of that weight is fat rather than muscle), VO2 max and maximum heart rate decline as we age for everybody, there is a crossing point and you do not want to be there when SCUBA diving lest one become an entry in that bar chart.

I guess my point is that we can talk about fitness programs but the real enemy is body weight/mass. Especially as we age.

N
 
I train for Half Ironman Distance Triathlons and recently picked up weight and cross training since COVID put the race schedule into disarray. With that said, I did one full IM and that experience was enough to tune it down a notch to the half distances. With that said, a good mix of cardio and weight training 3/4 times a week should be a minimum for Scuba Instructors, IMHO. Also, I recommend to quit smoking if you do. There is nothing worse than seeing an Instructor light up in-front of his/her students right after a dive.
 
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http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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