Freediving is a sport that has been around for centuries, but only in recent years has it begun to gain popularity as a training tool for other sports. For the uninitiated, freediving is simply diving without the use of scuba gear; you hold your breath and rely on your own lungs to get you down to the depths and back up to the surface again.
While this might sound like a recipe for disaster (and, let’s be honest, it can be if you don’t know what you’re doing), freediving actually has a host of benefits that make it an ideal training tool for athletes in many different sports. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of those benefits and show you how freediving can help you take your athletic performance to the next level.
improved lung capacity: One of the most immediate benefits of freediving is an increased lung capacity. Because you are constantly challenging your body to hold its breath for longer and longer periods of time, your lungs will adapt and learn to efficiently use the oxygen that they are taking in. This process will also help train your diaphragm, which is responsible for drawing air into your lungs. A stronger and more efficient diaphragm means better breathing both in and out of the water. Better breathing means more oxygen getting to your muscles, which means improved athletic performance.
increased stamina and endurance: In addition to improving your overall lung capacity, freediving will also help increase your body’s stamina and endurance. When you are holding your breath underwater, your body is forced to find new ways to utilize the oxygen that is already in your system; this process will help increase your body’s overall efficiency and make it better able to endure strenuous activity for extended periods of time. This increased stamina and endurance will transfer over into other areas of your life, making you a better athlete across the board.
Mental concentration: One of the most underrated aspects of freediving is the mental concentration that it requires. When you are holding your breath underwater, there are a million things that can go wrong; if you allow yourself to dwell on any one of them, it can cause panic and lead to a dangerous situation. Rather than panicked thinking, freedivers learn to focus their thoughts on staying calm and achieving their goal (whether that goal is reaching a certain depth or simply staying underwater for as long as possible). This same focus and concentration can be applied to other areas of life, both inside and outside of sports. Anytime you need to achieve a specific goal, Whether it’s writing a paper or running a race, learning how to focus your thoughts and stay calm under pressure will help you succeed.
Overall, freediving can provide many benefits for athletes both physically and mentally. If you are looking for ways to improve your endurance, focus under pressure, or relieve stress, then freediving may be right for you. Give it a try and see how it can help you reach the next level in your athletic career!
