TRAINING
Fitness Insights: Information, Observation, and Experience by Gretchen M. Ashton , CFT, SFT, SFN, SSC, NBFE, Founder of ScubaFit®
I AM OFTEN ASKED HOW SCUBA SHOPS might make a profit from fitness. My first response is one word, LONGEVITY. A diver certified at 20 years of age who maintains good health can potentially enjoy a 50-year diving lifestyle. While the key to safe diving is being well-trained and adequately prepared for the specific type of diving, apart from relying on release forms and waivers, what approaches and resources do dive centers and their staff have to better understand the general fitness readiness of their clients and themselves? Conversely, how do divers perceive the health, preparedness, and physical capability of their instructors? What can dive shop owners do to establish loyal customers that are comfortable in the water, want to advance their training, dive more often and travel? Perhaps one of the most informative conversations around preparedness for diving is not a personal question, but an open discussion about general fitness, comfort in the water, and readiness for physical activity. It is understandable to ask how this relates to teaching someone to dive safely. After all, physical fitness is not a formal area of teaching responsibility or medical expertise required of dive professionals. Yet in- creased motivation for divers to adopt a fitness-for-diving lifestyle can begin simply with access to better information. Understanding what happens to the body when diving, the health profile of the diving community, and the benefits of exercise for diving bring insights into how physical fitness helps maintain medical fitness and improves safety, the en- joyment of, and longevity of diving. What happens to the body when diving? Immersion reduces vital breathing capacity by about ▪ 10%. Shifts in breathing patterns occur in the majority of ▪ divers from dry to wet. Diving equipment affects breathing and adds physio- ▪ logical workload. On the surface, the heart is often the limiting factor. At ▪ depth, the respiratory system becomes more limiting. Loss of just a couple of degrees of core body tempera- ▪ ture can increase VO2 to two to five times resting lev- els. Younger, leaner, or more aerobically fit divers produced ▪ fewer bubbles compared with older, those with higher body mass, or lower aerobic fitness.
Doubling frontal surface area can result in four times the ▪ original resistance. Divers with a larger physical profile, regardless of fitness level, may therefore expend signifi- cantly more energy to maintain the same speed.. Higher levels of body fat may be a contributory factor in ▪ decompression stress and related risk. The Health Profile of the Diving Community Summarized by a 20-year review of “Medical Conditions Reported by Divers” and case studies, includes the following in order of prevalence: Heart Disease / Cardiovascular Con- ditions, High Blood Pressure, Obesity, Diabetes, Smoking, Asthma, Allergy. Divers also reported musculoskeletal issues such as back pain, shoulder injuries, knee problems, and arthritis, as well as injuries related to accidents or prior military service. Psy- chological conditions, including stress and panic, were also noted. This health and medical information is fairly consistent with the general population. The good news is that many of these conditions can be prevented and corrected with even
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