| Like millions of Americans do each year, my wife and | | | | weights, and wetsuits just to make sure we were |
| I scheduled a trip to Mexico to take a much needed | | | | prepared and arrived on-time that morning. |
| vacation. If you are like me, vacation time is usually | | | | If you have never lugged around dive gear - you |
| filled with everything but exercise and I had no | | | | have a real treat in store. It's heavy, but it's your |
| intention of ruining this vacation with daily workouts | | | | life-safety equipment, so you don't care how heavy |
| and proper eating habits when I would rather be | | | | it is, as long as it works as expected. Again, be |
| sitting on the beach drinking a Mojito. | | | | prepared for a workout. |
| There are, of course, an unlimited number of | | | | On the first day of diving, I made the mistake of |
| activities that one would find exciting in a place like | | | | thinking that it would be a walk in the park - sort of |
| the island of Cozumel, Mexico, but I was set on | | | | a lazy day - so I had a big breakfast, and an extra |
| kicking back and relaxing until I ran across an | | | | cup of coffee. But, to my dismay, I soon realized |
| interesting magazine that featured scuba diving at | | | | that my eating routine prior to each dive needed to |
| the very location we were planning to visit. | | | | be adjusted and the real trick was to eat fruits and |
| For years, I had been curious about scuba diving and | | | | drink water before the dive, and an adequate meal |
| together my wife and I decided to find a local dive | | | | afterwards to replenish the energy lost during "the |
| center and look into getting our open-water | | | | workout". Because, it is a workout, even if you are |
| certifications so that we could "try it" while on our | | | | having the time of your life - you are toning your |
| upcoming vacation - exercise was not the intention | | | | muscles, tendons, and ligaments. You are stretching |
| really. | | | | things you haven't stretched in years - and you are |
| To my surprise, the requirements for passing our | | | | carrying a heavy tank and weights around like a |
| certifications were fairly easy but it did require | | | | soldier going into battle. |
| decent swimming skills and a reasonable level of | | | | After five days, and twelve separate dives, I was |
| physical fitness. I also found that a large majority of | | | | eating better nutritionally than before I arrived, and |
| divers are over the age of 35. Proving that being | | | | feeling like I could lift a truck on my back. I was |
| young is not a requirement. | | | | amazed considering that my intention was to have a |
| For the most part, Scuba diving is a pretty easy | | | | lazy vacation. The funny part was that I was more |
| activity to learn, but it is an intensive exercise and | | | | relaxed and in better shape when we left our |
| does require the knowledge and skills pertaining to | | | | vacation spot than when we had arrived. |
| the equipment and safety for the individual, that | | | | That trip opened my eyes to many new an exciting |
| persons diving partner, and also for the environment | | | | aspects of vacationing and I learned that I can get |
| in which you will be diving. Hence, the certification | | | | the exercise I need by doing the things I love to do. |
| requirement before most dive operations will take | | | | I learned that scuba diving is one of the most |
| you out on a dive trip. | | | | fantastic activities I have ever pursued and will |
| An interesting aspect of learning to dive was finding | | | | continue to dive as long as I am physically and |
| out just how much this activity feels like a real | | | | mentally able. |
| honest to goodness workout. We arrive in Cozumel | | | | The best part of the trip was realizing that I had |
| and checked into our hotel and the dive operation | | | | found a way to exercise and still spend an enormous |
| center the same day to let them know we were | | | | amount of time underwater seeing and experiencing |
| there and ready to go diving as we had reserved | | | | life in a mesmerizing fashion. Until you are there and |
| five days of two-tank boat dives plus two night | | | | see for yourself, words cannot express the beauty |
| dives. We took the day to relax and acclimate to our | | | | or the spender of the sea and all its inhabitants. |
| surroundings and figure out which bartenders served | | | | So, next time you feel like you're getting bored with |
| the best drinks - (Did I mention that Mojitos are my | | | | your workouts and you are thinking of giving up. |
| favorite?) The Dive Master informed us that we | | | | Don't forget, exercise can be fun, exciting, |
| needed to be at the dock ready with our gear by | | | | exhilarating, and memorable. |
| 7:45am the next day- so we checked our equipment, | | | | |