Last Updated on June 18, 2024 by Steve Weinman
There are plenty of things you really shouldn’t do right after scuba diving, like flying in an aircraft, jumping in a hot tub or leaving your cylinder standing upright, which will cost you a drink to whoever owns that cylinder. One thing that isn’t recommended soon after a dive is exercise.
Now, this isn’t an excuse to be lazy and make your divemaster carry your empty cylinders to the filling station, but if you’re like the diver in a recent DAN (Divers Alert Network) article who wants to warm up after a cold dive by going for a run, then perhaps think of another way to warm up.
WATCH THE VIDEO
The video is sponsored by the big diving superstore Scuba.com
DAN Case Study
The DAN account went as follows: “My son and I had been mapping the bottom of a quarry. We did several dives last weekend, each to about 9m and 45 minutes long. The water was cold, so we decided to run about 1.5km around the quarry between dives to get warm.
“We started running about 10 minutes after coming out of the water. To our surprise, we ran much better and were able to breathe more easily than usual.
“While it may be inadvisable to exercise too soon after diving, we wondered why breathing while running was so much easier after diving. It was a complete surprise to both of us.”
Exercise After Scuba Diving
Strenuous exercise is discouraged soon after a dive, because it stimulates bubble formation and increases blood flow in your body, both of which are bad for decompression.
DAN uses the analogy of a fizzy drink: under normal circumstances, you open a fizzy drink and bubbles form out of the solution because of the reduction in pressure.
Similarly, if you decompress too fast, bubbles can form in your body. Exercise and high joint forces such as jumping around and carrying heavy items can promote bubble formation. If you’re diving deeper, the risk is greater but, as a general rule, avoid exercise after a dive as much as possible.
Another consideration is the impact of immersion, the breathing equipment and the divers themselves. The combined effects of blood shifting to the chest because of hydrostatic pressure, cold stress and elevated breathing resistance from the regulator can vary depending on your body position and depth.
This can lead to respiratory compromise, especially in cold water. Mild impairment might not be noticeable post-dive because of the obvious benefits of removing heavy equipment and breathing regular air. However, the dive itself has still stressed your system.
General Fitness For Scuba Diving
Maintaining a good level of strength and aerobic ability is crucial for divers. Divers who are not physically fit risk not only their own lives but their dive buddies’ lives as well.
In challenging conditions, a dive partner should be able to help a fellow-diver back to shore or onto a boat to receive first aid. Physical fitness is associated with fewer post-decompression bubbles in humans and a lower likelihood of cardiac emergencies.
In an annual report, 74% of divers involved in fatal dive accidents were overweight or obese in the cases where the victim’s body mass index was known. This highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and regular exercise.
Ideally, every diver should exercise for at least 30 minutes per day or 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week and engage in muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups two or more days per week.
Some exercise is better than none, and workouts don’t have to take place in a gym. Walking and swimming are excellent alternatives. Even if you don’t have a gym membership, it’s still easy to work out at home.
Final Thoughts
Next time you go scuba diving, try to schedule your CrossFit, Pilates or other exercises the day before the dive. Avoid intense exercise 24 hours before and after diving. Take it easy on the dive itself and avoid heavy exertion.
After watching the video, do you think you should be exerting yourself during each portion of the dive? How do you think heavy exertion would affect your gassing and off-gassing rates during the descent, bottom, ascent and stops?
Remember to head over to Scuba.com for your next scuba equipment purchase and for the latest scuba diving news. Safe diving!
Also on Divernet: DIVE LIKE A PRO : HOW TO STAY IN SHAPE, LET’S GET PHYSICAL: LIFE-CYCLE OF A DIVER, PRECONDITIONING TECHNIQUES, ARE YOU DIVE FIT?
