Health Benefits of Scuba Diving
Scuba diving is not just exercise, it is an adventure where you will – as the PADI advertising tells us – go places, meet people and do things. This means that in one day of diving, you will explore new places, meet new friends, and have the added physical health benefits of exercise and mental relaxation. Not bad! Let’s investigate these claims…
Scuba diving works your whole body. Every single arm and leg muscle is in constant motion when you are swimming underwater – without the impact factor involved in running or walking. Your muscles also work harder as the water resistance is greater than air resistance. Overall, scuba diving helps your body get stronger and the same time, obtain flexibility and endurance.
In addition, scuba diving is a great exercise to stimulate your circulation. While diving, every muscle group works simultaneously providing a full cardiovascular workout. 214 calories can be burnt on a single dive, and given that you will do two or three dives in a day, that adds up to a lot of calories!
Oxygen needs to reach every functioning muscle increasing your heart rate without overworking your heart. In addition, studies have shown that scuba diving reduces blood pressure thus preventing strokes and heart attacks.
Diving in the deep blue sea is a great way to improve your respiratory system. Breathing only through your scuba cylinder, is a good exercise for your lungs. Your lugs have to work harder to take in as much air as possible. After a short time, your lungs will increase size to absorb more oxygen.
Without getting too technical, diving at recreational depths of up to 40m, causes a (safely controlled) build-up of nitrogen in your body. When ending a dive, your metabolism is raised for around 18 hours post dive, as your body works to remove the excess nitrogen from your system. Even when you have finished diving, and gone to sit on the deck chair, your body is still working. We like that!
Moreover, scuba diving does not just help your body; it has also many psychological benefits. To swim underwater, you need to be totally focused and concentrated. Balance is a key in scuba diving. Your arms have to work with your body and legs to move you around. As you enjoy the marine life, you have to be extremely careful not to hit on a coral or even on the ground. Learning to control your body movement and simultaneously being fully aware of your surrounding environment, improves your concentration, attention and awareness.
Through the years, water has proved to be an excellent tool for stress reducing. Being underwater feels like being in a whole new different world with no stress, no bills and no anxiety features. It is just you and the creatures of the blue. Scientifically speaking, when diving, your body needs oxygen forcing you to focus on your breathing. It is an extremely relaxing and soothing experience that will take away all of your troubles.
To start enjoying the benefits of scuba diving, contact your local dive centre today. Al Boom Diving has five PADI 5 Star IDC Centres around the UAE and Musandam, including locations at Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah, the Golden Tulip Resort in Dibba Musandam, at the Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa, on Al Wasl Rd in Dubai – and, in the Dubai Aquarium in the Dubai Mall. Offering all dive courses from a PADI Discover Scuba Diving session to the PADI Open Water certification course, with all of the specialties in underwater photography, wreck diving and shark dives, to the PADI Scuba Instructor course, you are sure to find your place in the underwater world! Contact Al Boom Diving on 04 342 2993 or email abdiving@emirates.net.ae