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Ramzisleiman

How fit should a skydiver be?

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pchapman

It's kind of self regulating, isn't it?
If you can do 15 tandems a day, day after day, in 30C heat then maybe you do that. If you're older and less fit or are an overexcited newbie and are wiped after 3 jumps (and 3 packjobs!), then that's how much you do.

One could go on about different parts of the body -- suffice to say that generally any level of fitness, strength, and endurance helps. (But leg strength really isn't all that important.) Plenty of pretty ordinary or chubby or older people jump. We're not out to beat Jay Stokes.

You ever jumped??



Leg strength not important? I guess it depends on the discipline but if you are free flying legs are very important. Also, it is not a good idea to "muscle" through the air like another poster stated but that does not mean you are not using muscle to fly. I am a fan of good fitness in general but really a fan for my skydiving. Cardio and core are big but I think general fitness is also a big plus. I use yoga and pilates in addition to cardio and weights. Is it a must... no, BUT I believe it will make you a better skydiver and when something does happen and an injury occurs... you will recover faster.
Life is all about ass....either you're kicking it, kissing it, working it off, or trying to get a piece of it.
Muff Brother #4382 Dudeist Skydiver #000
www.fundraiseadventure.com

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As a physician who has dabbled a foot or two in skydiving I can say that the physiological strains placed on you while you exit an airplane, get a surge of adrenaline and dopamine, have up to 6G's of force exerted on you, and the sometimes jarring landing (I flare poorly. very poorly)... you should be relatively fit. Relatively. You don't need to be a marathon runner, power lifter, etc... but you should have a healthy cardiovascular system ready for the demands placed on it; should not have a medical condition that could cause you to become incapable of action. You will need reflexes above the minimum.
You should have the basic ability to land and not get injured. flexibility and strength training are an asset here.

It is actually a fairly well rounded activity. Stresses the brain and the nerves (more figuratively but also literally), requires some fine motor control and gross motor movements, spatial reasoning, flexibility and strength, as well as balance.

It is, however, too short to be used for training except by the most determined.

Kind of elegant if you think of it, so the better shape the better but you could be, in relative terms, quite unfit from a medical standpoint and still be a safe and exceptional skydiver/parachutist.

If you're not sure... go ahead and exercise a bit. Even if you aren't going to benefit your skydiving, you will benefit your health in other ways!
You are not the contents of your wallet.

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chemist

they should be fit enough for a full day of jumping after a heavy night of drinking



..............................................................................

Does that mean that when I quit drinking, I slacked off on training?
Hah!
Hah!

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Since I started skydiving I've gone from a more gym based workout to more yoga. Flexibility, especially in the hips and back, is pretty important to good body position. A long day of jumping and packing is more about stamina than strength so running, cycling, hiking, anything that keeps your endurance up will be helpful.

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