Exercise? or not?

[Token]

Hi there,

My wife and I exercise regularly when we're not diving. But what to do when we're on dive vacations? We can easily go 4, 5 .. or more days in a row diving, and usually we don't exercise. Should we?

We are in our late 50's, early 60's and are in good shape for our age. We are keenly aware of the need to keep an exercise program!

Hi Bill -- I'm in your age bracket and I do my best to work out regularly and consistently. However if I'm diving...carrying my gear, swimming, climbing onto the boat, etc. I am more than happy to bag my workouts and simply enjoy the activity of diving. I'm on vacation, dammit...and you don't lose a thing in terms of physical condition in just a week or two, esp. not if you are otherwise active.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I do pretty heavy lifting 4 days a week on a split program. I take a week off once in a while and when I come back I'm actually stronger.
I am not doing any real cardio these days but I do work hard and outdoors all the time climbing up and down scaffolding and using hand tools quite a bit, so at least I'm active. I watch my diet and have eliminated all simple carbs so I'm skinny once again like when I was in high school, and I'm coming up on 50.
If I was on a one week dive vacation I'd totally blow off any thought of a workout. If you want a workout then sprint underwater. It's the best no load leg workout you can get!
I know that when I freedive for a day using those long fins I am toast the next day, so I know it's a good workout.

 

[Sat Diver]

My experience is not exactly valid here, but maybe useful.

While in Saturation, I work out in the chamber everyday whilst diving it is less strenuous, but on hold days I work out very hard.
In deco as well, I work out hard.

The only negative effect it has is the scrubber has to be changed more frequently.

 

[vladimir]

The recommendation above for a post-dive nap is confusing. I have read that it is a less-than-optimal way to off-gas—light activity and the consequent circulation increase being preferred—and the author seems to agree when he says:

light exercise during the decompression phase (including safety or decompression stops) increases inert gas elimination and reduces risk.

He then cautions not to overdo it:

The caveat on exercise during decompression is that more is not always better.

But presumably there is a window of activity between napping and overdoing it that would be more optimal than napping. I have also read concerns that a napping diver might delay the recognition of DCS symptoms.

I workout six or seven days a week, so I understand the OP's concern. I would hate to disrupt the salubrious routine just because I am vacationing. It's seems like good habits are easily broken and bad ones are maddeningly persistent. Based on discussions here and on publications like DAN's, I have settled on light cardio—usually swimming at a relaxed pace—before the first morning dive, no weights, push-ups, etc., at any time during the vacation, and slight post-dive activity (changing camera batteries, for example) without napping.

If you want a workout then sprint underwater. It's the best no load leg workout you can get!

This is bad advice. Sprinting underwater is exactly what you don't want to do, as the DAN article reproduced by Mike indicates:

Exercise during the compression and bottom phase increases inert gas uptake, effectively increasing the subsequent decompression obligation of any exposure.

 

[TMHeimer]

I never excercise on a dive day. I have read that if you do it more than 12 hours before a dive it is preventative regarding DCS, whereas less than 12 hours could be a negative and put you at more risk. I find the dive itself is plenty of excercise for me.

 

[danvolker]

Hi there,

My wife and I exercise regularly when we're not diving. But what to do when we're on dive vacations? We can easily go 4, 5 .. or more days in a row diving, and usually we don't exercise. Should we?

What about if we took a day off diving and exercised during that off day? Would that be bad in terms of nitrogen?

It would be very difficult for us to exercise after diving. Even if we waited a few hours, we are usually "so tired" (which I assume is an example of nitrogen de-gassing?)

We are in our late 50's, early 60's and are in good shape for our age. We are keenly aware of the need to keep an exercise program! We usually dive two dives per day and usually not more than 50 or 60 feet -- if that. We might increase the number of dives on subsequent dive vacations -- I have heard of people doing three or even four dives per day.

Thanks,

Bill

Sandra and I are in your age range, and ride 25 to 40 miles per day, 3 to 4 days per week, at a pace between 22 and 24 mph with just the 2 of us. We ride for fun, we used to race, we do see it as something to continue for good health and for fun....
It helps our diving enormously, but if we take a week long dive trip, the muscle use of diving will be like easy spin rides, and will be enough so that we won't lose any fitness...in fact, If you do intense training for 2 months ( 4 to 6 days per week), you need to take a week off -- a macro cycle break for 3 to 6 days. In other words, a dive vacation

I have never lost any speed on the bike after a dive trip.

On the other hand, if you could not dive one day due to weather or something on the trip, then I would do a bike ride if I could get a decent bike-and would probably do a hammer ride.
No bike available, I would consider kayak or paddle board or mountain hike( if there are "serious mountains"

 

[farsidefan1]

My experience is purely my own. I don't want to infer how you should dive/exercise but perhaps this might be instructive to some. I regularly got I 5 dives a day on trips for 6 - 14 consecutive days. On these trips I did not exercise. ( I ride my mtn bike 3 times a week in the summer and swim 2 miles 3 X a week the rest of the yr). I am pretty mellow in those exercises. I never had a bit of trouble with DCS. 150 dives into my dive hobby I went to Coz and had a very light dive schedule. 2 dives day one, same for day 2 and 4 dives day 3. I spent that night in the chamber (and the next day in the hospital and then another chamber trip). What was the difference this trip? The night before I walked into town (3.5 miles each way) in the August heat. Later I found I had a PFO which has since been repaired but it certainly didn't affect me those first 150 or so dives, most of which were part of a MUCH more intensive nature. Dehydration has not been "proven" to be a significant factor but you will never find me saying no to a glass of water after (or before) a dive. I have also wondered if the walking was a factor. I just don't know, but now I am more careful to stay hydrated and avoid exercise during my dive trips. Also I take a LONG time to come up those last 15 feet and I avoid "grunting" (holding breath) up the ladder. In fact I over tip so the divemasters take my bc before I come up the ladder. They like it as do I. Of course in the last 6 months I have had knee replacement surgery and a triple bypass - exercise ain't no guarantee Just sayin. No doubt with the PFO I was more prone to an unprovoked DCS hit but the precautions I take now, along with ALWAYS diving nitrox but leaving my computer set for air, make me feel much safer. Dive with no worries - till you visit the chamber a few times. Then still dive with no worries but you will be more "careful.

 

[vladimir]

We have had the hydration debate here quite a few times, so I won't revisit it. But I noticed in some recent reading that people who have suffered immersion pulmonary edema are advised to be careful not to over-hydrate before diving:

Under what circumstances can someone who experienced IPE return to diving?

Bove: One common problem is excess hydration coupled with rapid onset of heavy swimming exercise on the surface. In triathletes who develop IPE, excess hydration and rapid onset of extreme exercise while immersed should be avoided. Military divers are instructed to avoid overhydration before high-energy swimming. Divers are advised to ensure normal regulator function and not to use regulators that allow breathing resistance to be increased. The majority of divers can return to diving with proper precautions and confirmation their cardiac evaluation is normal.

I'm not sure what relevance that has to the normal healthy diver with no other risk factors—probably little or none, but I found it interesting. When I dive, I drink enough water to be properly hydrated, just as I do in everyday life, and no more than that.