Exercises to Gain Stamina for Diving?

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KingOfSomewhereHot

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I was just wondering if there is anyone out there who can suggest any good sort of exercise(s) for gaining and maintaining stamina for diving. I haven't been in the water for 6 months, and even when I was, I got tired pretty easily (in terms of legs feeling tired and breathing heavy). Does anyone know of any sort of exercise(s) to allow for my legs to be able to swim longer while diving and my stamina to increase? I know there are probably some complicated things to do, but something like a stationary bike or something....something I could do at home?
 
Start with cardio work. Do interval training (some fast/some slow) and work your way up in resistance. Bike, treadmill, or better yet elliptical trainers are great because they work your upper body a bit as well. Do it more frequently rather than longer (a half hour a day then working up to more is better than an hour every 2-3 days).

For finning, there is an easy exercise you can do at home. Get one of those stretch bands or tubes, and find a spot where you can stand on a stool or anything that gets one foot about 12" off the ground. Put one end of the band/tube on your free foot and anchor the other end. Stand on the step with the band being just tight (no slack) while your leg is 6"-12" behind you. Then point your toes down and just stretch it forward (like you are finning) about the same distance. You will have resistance going forward, then resist the pull on the way back. Do as many as you can while keeping your leg straight and your toes pointed down. Then switch legs and repeat. Turn around and do it with the tension as you pull back.

That should help, but an overall fitness program is better than isolated things specific to diving.
 
i think in terms of breathing heavy, that means your heart needs more exercise. your heart won't know the difference between running, biking, swimming, or anything else. just give it regular exercise and you will notice a difference.

as for leg stamina in water, i think swimming will help. you will be used to the resistance of water. you can always swim with your fins on to get used to the additional resistance fins create. however, if you do cardio regular your overall leg stamina and strength will increase since you are running, biking, swimming, etc.

like merxlin said, i don't think a dive specific workout plan is necessary. if you do regular strength training and cardio exercise it will help in both diving and other activities.
 
Start with cardio work. Do interval training (some fast/some slow) and work your way up in resistance. Bike, treadmill, or better yet elliptical trainers are great because they work your upper body a bit as well. Do it more frequently rather than longer (a half hour a day then working up to more is better than an hour every 2-3 days).

For finning, there is an easy exercise you can do at home. Get one of those stretch bands or tubes, and find a spot where you can stand on a stool or anything that gets one foot about 12" off the ground. Put one end of the band/tube on your free foot and anchor the other end. Stand on the step with the band being just tight (no slack) while your leg is 6"-12" behind you. Then point your toes down and just stretch it forward (like you are finning) about the same distance. You will have resistance going forward, then resist the pull on the way back. Do as many as you can while keeping your leg straight and your toes pointed down. Then switch legs and repeat. Turn around and do it with the tension as you pull back.

That should help, but an overall fitness program is better than isolated things specific to diving.

What kind of exercise can one do to strengthen muscles used for the frog kick?
 
What kind of exercise can one do to strengthen muscles used for the frog kick?

I don't know because I can't frog kick. :shakehead: Yoga helps a lot because it frees up your hip joints and allows your legs to rotate out. Do a Scubaboard search for Yoga. There was just a thread discussing frog kicks.
 
I was just wondering if there is anyone out there who can suggest any good sort of exercise(s) for gaining and maintaining stamina for diving. I haven't been in the water for 6 months, and even when I was, I got tired pretty easily (in terms of legs feeling tired and breathing heavy). Does anyone know of any sort of exercise(s) to allow for my legs to be able to swim longer while diving and my stamina to increase? I know there are probably some complicated things to do, but something like a stationary bike or something....something I could do at home?

My recommendation:


Swim 500 yards (457 m) in 14 minutes or less, using sidestroke or breaststroke. Once achieved, try to get your time down to under 11 minutes.

Perform 42 push-ups within 2 minutes, with the chest touching the ground on each repetition.

Perform 50 sit-ups within 2 minutes.

Perform 6 pull-ups with palms facing out. (No kipping or swinging is allowed and the chin must clear the top of the bar on each repetition.)

Run 1.5 miles (2.414 km) in 12 minutes and 45 seconds.

Do 20 splits (ten right leg, ten left leg, alternate) with minimum 10lb weights in each hand. Gradually pick up greater weights.

Once you have done this routine, let me know and I'll give you more if you want.

Hope this helps. Nice to see a guy who wants to keep fit for diving.
 
Maybe you need different fins? My legs used to get fatigued and my knee hurt but when I changed to Apollo Bio Fins I had no problems. Still I wonder why you would need so much stamina? I find diving to be relatively easy. In fact, in Curacao, we were all wondering how you burn up calories diving and we came to the conclusion that most of calories are burned maintaining body temperature. Maybe it's because I've been doing cardio and strength training regularly for 3 years that I don't feel tired diving?
 
Maybe it's because I've been doing cardio and strength training regularly for 3 years that I don't feel tired diving.
Hey, O'Neil, OF COURSE that is why you don't feel tired diving! Way to go! (BTW, Great Photo with John and Ritchie. Two real heroes. You are connected! Actually I am jealous!)
 
Hey, O'Neil, OF COURSE that is why you don't feel tired diving! Way to go! (BTW, Great Photo with John and Ritchie. Two real heroes. You are connected! Actually I am jealous!)
Thanks. And I'm actually considerable thinner since that was taken a few years ago. :D No connection with the Shadows. Though I did hear that John was single again so who knows? :crafty: Went to see them and Robert Kursen give a talk and book signing at a library a couple of years ago and a friend of mine snapped this photo.
 
I was just wondering if there is anyone out there who can suggest any good sort of exercise(s) for gaining and maintaining stamina for diving. I haven't been in the water for 6 months, and even when I was, I got tired pretty easily (in terms of legs feeling tired and breathing heavy). Does anyone know of any sort of exercise(s) to allow for my legs to be able to swim longer while diving and my stamina to increase? I know there are probably some complicated things to do, but something like a stationary bike or something....something I could do at home?

IF you are disciplined enough to push yourself to the high intensity level you need for progress a bike is exactly what you want. I finished Spin Class lesson 24 today. Absolutely wonderful for building legs, lungs and core body. If you already have a cycle and want to get something a bit more versitile than a Spin Bike try buying a Trainer to mount your own cycle on.

With a Trainer for your bike, or in a Spin Class the only limit to improving cardio, stamina and reducing pain is your own desire.

You will get other ideas. But, none will be simpler or cheaper for such excellent results.
 

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