Despite the myths that plague the internet, freediving is not only healthy, it’s also very beneficial. It increases your lung capacity, improves your cardiovascular efficiency and helps you become more aware of your own body. It also improves your ability to concentrate and makes daily activities more conscious.
Although freediving is not dangerous, it has some health risks, especially for beginners. These risks include barotrauma, DCS (decompression sickness), nitrogen narcosis and oxygen deficiency.
These risks can be mitigated by taking a deep breath before diving, using a mask that equalizes after your dive and diving under the supervision of a qualified instructor. It’s also important to get sufficient rest before a dive, so that you’ll be comfortable in the water.
Freediving can also be dangerous if you’re not used to swimming long distances. If you don’t have enough oxygen in your bloodstream, you could black out without warning.
Besides that, some people suffer from decompression sickness, which can damage the brain. To avoid these risks, consult your doctor before you start freediving. Those who have experience in freediving should also be careful.
The University of Bonn recently conducted a study to see if freediving is dangerous for the heart. MRI tests were performed on a group of 17 professional freedivers, ranging from 23 to 58 years of age.
According to Jonas Dorner, the study’s author, the goal of the study was to see what happens in the heart during freediving.