ADVANCED STRETCHING & EQ ROUTINE

The purpose of this routine is to improve our ability to relax while compressed at depth, and to enable us to dive deeper by equalising deeper.  We can do this by improving the mobility and compression ability of the thoracic cavity and the breathing muscles.

To allow us to do that we are using full lung breath holds with movement and compression and empty lung breath holds with movement and compression and this can be quite an intense practice. You need to proceed slowly and carefully, building up to maximum intensity.

Generally I would recommend this routine to divers who are diving comfortably deeper than 20 metres, but who may be starting to struggle with equalisation between 20 and 30 meters at some point. After that point is it suitable for all levels of divers.

I personally use this routine as a substitute to deep diving days. That means, I don’t recommend such intense empty lung stretches before deep diving, or even on the same day. I feel that combing this routine with deep training sessions could be too stressful on the body. But that’s just my personal feeling. If you will only be diving at easy depths for you then I think it’s OK to do both, if you want.

You can use this routine on your rest days or several times a week during periods where you don’t have access to water, for example.

I personally don’t using packing, or extreme reverse packing, but if you are very advanced in this area, then go ahead. Be warned that divers have been know to seriously injure themselves, when they combine packing and stretching.

Please never wear the noselclip during breath holds for safety reasons. Especially during RV breath-holds.

You should have a general god level of mobility in the body before doing this practice, open hips and the ability to sit comfortably for extended periods with a straight back.