Regular scuba diving said to promote weight loss

Posted By Sara-Lise Haith on Tuesday May 6, 2008 @ 16:45 in Scuba Diving

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An article in the UK newspaper publication, The Guardian, has published an article giving facts about calorie burning during a scuba dive.  They provide the following information, which suggests that regular scuba diving can assist/promote weight loss and increase in strength and general fitness.

Shapely legs: Swimming with fins (flippers) is like water-based weight-training - firming the front of the thighs as you kick down and the back of the thighs as you kick up.

Weight loss: Surprisingly good for burning energy. Someone weighing approximately 70kg (11st) burns 13 calories a minute while scuba diving, so a 45-minute dive would use 585 calories.

Cardiorespiratory fitness: According to the British Thoracic Society, scuba divers tend to have larger-than-average lungs and an increased vital capacity (the maximum volume of air exhaled after inhalation).

Upper-body strength: The back, shoulders and arms get a certain amount of work lugging around equipment, but once in the water, the upper body gets off lightly. Arms are usually folded across the chest or kept by the sides.

To view the complete article click on this link.