The following question from Natasha is a common dilemma for FitDivers™. With safety recommendations regarding exercise and diving, how can we stay in shape when on dive trips or assignments of long duration? Especially for divemasters, I hope this discussion is helpful.
Natasha Botha is a Broadcaster, Journalist and Writer in Alberta, Canada. She is currently on a one-year adventure with her husband. Part of this year will be spent in Roatan where the couple is participating in divemaster training. We look forward to following Natasha's travels. Thank you Natasha for your question.
Question:
Hi Gretchen,
I have been trying to find an answer to my question for some time now and I keep getting different answers!! My husband and I love working out. We each work out on an almost daily basis with a mix of weights and cardio. I've taken to running 3-4 miles a few times a week for the past six months or so.
In any case, we are going to Roatan to do our divemaster course at the end of this month. We will be diving numerous times a day five to six times a week for at least two months. Can we keep up our current fitness regime?
DAN's website says they recommend avoiding rigorous exercise 24 hours before and after diving. Obviously we wouldn't be able to exercise at all under this guideline and it worries us!!
Please help. We would very much appreciate it!
Thanks so much, Natasha
Response:
Hi Natasha,
You have a very exciting life! Thank you for your question and for sharing your website. I understand your circumstances and concerns. You and your husband have a great advantage for getting through this dive adventure because of your current fitness lifestyle. For the most part, this fitness foundation will carry you through. I hope the following discussion is helpful.
The best information we have through research supports DAN's recommendation regarding diving and exercise. There are a couple of studies that indicate aerobic exercise as soon as four hours prior to diving actually helps reduce risk of DCS. My ScubaFit recommendation is to avoid exercise 24 hours before and especially after diving. However, studies and recommendations also indicate just sitting around is not good either. I also recommend a fitness lifestyle and exercising right up to the day before diving activity. Again, you have this, which is great!
Since your dive trip to Roatan is for two months, I can see why you are concerned. It would be very good if you could schedule yourself to have two days off from diving every five days. This would allow for one moderate workout including resistance training and/or running between every five day increment of diving. You should probably take these breaks from diving anyway. These incremental workouts supplemented with light walks on most other days, may be your best strategy. Remember diving is moderate physical activity and to modify your nutrition to match your activity. On my ScubaFit home page you will find an article called "Caribbean Chub: Fish or Fat", which discusses this topic.
My husband and I also exercise almost every day. We just spent 12 days in the Turks and Caicos Islands. We scheduled ourselves to exercise on the evening of our first travel day, we did not dive the next day (did some site seeing and other adventures), and also exercised the first half of the second day, then started diving the third day. On this trip we did three dives a day for eight days straight.
After diving three dives in a day, we go to the pool, hang out at the shallow end, fill in our log books and relax for an hour or so. After a few hours we usually go for a strolling beach walk, snorkel and/or kayak at a very low intensity. This means we do no do any weight training (other than our scuba gear) or exercise at a high intensity for 10 days. 10 days is about the maximum break from a routine you can take without losing some benefits.
I feel better by thinking of it as crosstraining. Often, when we return to lifting we make adaptive gains in strength because of the change in the routine. However, each individual is different. Generally you will retain the permanent and long-lasting results of your fitness lifestyle, even if you have to retrain to your pre-vacation fitness level after you return home. When we arrive home we resume our usual workout schedule, but take it easy the first few workouts.
At age 38 I was introduced to competitive powerlifting. I was certified as a diver in 2001. That same year I participated in at least three lifting competitions. My training cycles at peak conditioning were a minimum of 12 weeks. When I went diving, I added the diving days, plus two weeks to each pre-competition training cycle.
As an aside: In a recent presentation to the dive community in my area, I suggested dive operators consider rotating their divemasters schedules to allow for a minimum of two aerobic and strength training workouts each week on non-diving days. I also recommended a daily task rotation so that divemasters who are diving are not also loading and unloading gear and scuba tanks (which requires exertion). It is not necessarily a practical option for a lot of operators, but would be good for the longevity of the divemasters and their health. Especially since a good number of them smoke and hang out at the bar in the evenings.
Best of luck with your divemaster training. Please, let me know what you are able to arrange for yourselves regarding your fitness routine while in Roatan. If you wish, and have the time, feel free to let me know how its going from your destination.
Also, if you like, I would love to post your question on ScubaFit with a link to your website and follow your experience.
Sincerely, Gretchen M. Ashton, CFT, NBFE
Response:
Hi Gretchen,
Thank you SO SO SO much!! I really appreciate all the time and effort you took to respond to my question. It helps us a great deal and I will definitely be recommending your website to my diving friends!
I think you are right about scheduling days off to train. I think we're going to discuss taking two days off during the week to run and lift with light walks in the evenings of days we do dive. Once we get to the island and see more of our schedule, it will be easier to figure out what works when. I will surely update you on our progress and fitness routines! I'm going to keep my personal website but I'm also creating www.nopants.com (still in the works) to document our trip for friends, family and my former radio show listeners. We are going traveling for a year before we have children...Roatan is just the first stop! My husband is hell-bent on chasing an endless summer where pants don't have to be worn (hence the website name)!! hehehe... Thanks again for all your help. Again, I appreciate it very much. You are such a friendly and informative person! I wouldn't mind at all if you post our question. I know a few other people who've been asking the same thing and I'll direct them to the site.
Natasha
September 16, 2009
Hi Gretchen!!
Great to hear from you. Thank you for posting my question and for checking on our progress. That's awesome! We are in Roatan and have started our DMT program. It's been great so far...much more of a workout than I thought it would be. The gym is too far away to get to without a car so we're pretty much just swimming and using our bands in our little apartment. So far, so good!
Our website is www.beachesorbust.com I know I gave you another one earlier but it was already taken. There are a few photos on there but not too many of us just yet. I will send a couple once I take some..time has been flying.
Anyway, thanks again for everything. I will keep checking the website and I'll definitely mention it to all my diver friends.
Natasha
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≈ While walking through the shops in Frederickstad, St. Croix, USVI, I watched a woman in her late 50’s or early 60’s zipping around in a motorized cart. Although she couldn’t walk well, she was getting her shopping done all by herself. The next day when I arrived at Anchor Dive Center, she was on our dive boat. She shared how much she loved diving and that the only time she wasn’t in pain was when she was in the water. She told me that at home she exercised in the pool. ≈ One afternoon at Sunset Waters in Curacao, I listened while a man in his 40’s shared he was riding his bike to work to lose weight. Interestingly, he considered scuba diving an exercise. A subject we will explore in the future. ≈ At my home gym in Carlsbad, California, I’ve met several divers 50 to 60 years of age. One has knee problems and just finished rehabbing a rotator cuff tear (which happened on a dive boat), and another has bulging disks in the lumbar spine. They consistently exercise on their own initiative and have very different workouts.
FitDiver™ Story: The Watertown Workout
Bob and I first communicated via e-mail. He contacted me with a question about his triathlon training. A short while later Bob also contacted me in response to a ScubaFit™ press release looking for dive instructors who were interested in being role models for their students. Bob lives in Ottawa, Canada and I live in Carlsbad, California, but on April 17th, 2009 we managed to connect in Watertown, New York.
Our workout was hosted by C.A.N.I. Fitness Center http://www.canifitness.com/ in Watertown, New York. Chris and Michelle arranged details by telephone, provided a warm reception, and a top-notch facility for our use. C.A.N.I. Fitness Center is just the right size facility with all the right equipment for beginner to advanced workouts. The atmosphere was positive and productive.
The workout I developed for Bob is available to ScubaFit™ FitDiver™ members. It is aptly called "The Watertown Workout".
I am very impressed with Bob and his accomplishments. His athleticism was evident during the workout and in the photographs. His ability to understand and perform exercise properly is that of an accomplished athlete. Even more impressive is his commitment to health and fitness for himself and on behalf of his dive students. Bob is a PADI instructor, TDI instructor and DAN instructor in Canada. Gretchen M. Ashton, CFT, NBFEHere is Bob's Story in his own words -
"Scuba is for enjoyment, not getting me into shape" Bob Milton, Dive Instructor
Started diving in 1991, still playing hockey at this time looking for something else to get involved in.Took my open water course here in Canada, it sure isn't the Caribbean.
Decided to get more involved in diving, 1995 started my rescue course, 1996 signed up for my dive master program. Worked through Sharky's Scuba Supply for a couple of years, realized that Instruction was what I wanted to get into.
Started diving more after a couple of serious hockey injuries. 2001 I did the IDC course and wrote my Instructors exam.
With some of my previous injuries, gained some substantial weight but still diving I came to the realization, I was becoming unhealthy.
I have always tried to lead a healthy lifestyle, but with life getting in the way, found myself and my health getting away from me.
In the summer of 2006 I was even having issues getting my fins on at the side of the pool, finding blood pressure increasing, realizing that teaching scuba I wasn?t leading a good example in the sport, you need to be in shape to dive, not depend on diving to get you in shape.
November 2007 my weight was now at 350, and finding that neoprene wet suits kept shrinking and I was always having to go one up size, or custom fit, the problem was me, I was fat, and now out of shape and it was time to do something about it.
November 2007, I joined a fitness clinic, BMI(bariatric medical clinic) and was now doing something about it, changing diet, adding more fitness, I've always lead a busy lifestyle, started with a trainer, dietician, and a medical doctor, in the first couple of months weight was disappearing, clothes were getting looser, man I was getting in shape.
Now just to show you don't have to go crazy to be in shape all I changed was my eating habits more regular meals, not so much junk, walking 3 to 4 nights a week a couple of kilometers, and exercise 3 nights a week 30 to 45 minutes a session.
By January 08 I had now lost approx 45 lbs, one of the trainers asked if I ever thought about running a triathlon, I told him are you "crazy" so February 08 I started a learn to run program, apparently I am crazy cause I was now training for the early bird Try a Tri, well May 08 came and there I was lining up for the swim in my Try a tri 100 meter swim, 13k bike, and a 2.5 k run, well I finished it I was now down about 60lbs, and I felt great finished 59 min. 25 seconds.
Now I am hooked on Triathlons I did 2 more Triathlons sprint distance now and a couple of runs 5 and 10k's, I am hooked on fitness, my goal was to complete a Olympic distance Triathlon in August 2010 my 50th birthday.
Since January I have lost a total of 96lbs, but have since had a training injury that is taking my goal race away, but am I giving up " No Way" find a new goal. So now I am looking at September 09 Nordic Walking(walking with walking poles) a Half Marathon, and you know what, I'm not stopping there I plan on walking a couple of full Marathons for the 2010 season.
By the time that comes I hope to have reached a new weight of 240lbs or less. I don't want everyone to think I'm obsessed with the weight loss, but I can't stress how much better I feel but now. I have more energy for teaching a sport that I love (SCUBA). I feel I promote a healthier lifestyle, breath better underwater and now I have to buy smaller wetsuits. And because I have met so many positive people through my weight loss, my compatriots, my trainers, my doctors, my dieticians, oh yes and Gretchen. I am enrolling into a personal trainer program so I can promote fitness that much more.
My Motto I use now is "Scuba is for enjoyment, not getting me into shape"
Copyright 2007-2009, ScubaFit™ and FitDiver™ all rights reserved, Gretchen M. Ashton, CFT, NBFE, Owner Use of images, graphics, text or fitness training recommendations contained on these pages without prior written authorization by Gretchen M. Ashton, Owner of ScubaFit™ is prohibited. Disclaimer: This information is intended for educational purposes, to promote exercise and foster discussion. It is necessary to seek professional medical evaluation and clearance before beginning any exercise program. Further, it is well-advised to seek professional fitness instruction when engaging in new physical activity. An Agreement of Waiver and Release of Liability is required for FitDiver™ membership. See Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Webmaster: gretchen m. ashton
