Tuesday, 29 March 2022
DIVE IN OUR OLYMPIC DIVING POOL IN LUTON
Which sport requires flexibility, strength and bravery? Diving into the deep end involves jumping off of a springboard or platform, creating perfect body positions with control while making it all look effortless.
If you’re looking for a thrill, learning a new skill, or showing off at the pool on holiday, consider diving at Inspire: Luton Sports Village, where we have a fantastic Olympic diving pool that is just 1 of 11 specialist diving centres in the UK, and now also recognised as a Diving Talent Development Centre.
Our Head Diving Coach, Stephen, explains that diving has endless physical benefits. “Diving increases agility, strength and flexibility,” he says. “It fundamentally involves control and body awareness. There is a big focus on learning what your body is doing and how it is doing it. By creating more body awareness, you can adapt, change and better your form in a matter of moments.”
“When diving, you begin to grasp aerial awareness,” Stephen continues, “You start by learning how to do a forward roll on poolside, then as you progress and gain confidence, you can master somersaults! Then, once you’ve built the skills to somersault, you will know exactly where your body is, so you can consistently land correctly.”
“Also, you will increase your attention to detail by learning about good form and posture and the other many small important details that create a safe and correct dive,” Stephen says. These benefits aren’t just poolside; not only are you enhancing your upper body and core strength, but you are more likely to have better posture. Good posture impacts your overall health. It offers a variety of benefits, including reduced back pain, increased energy, and it can help you avoid many common ailments and medical conditions.
Diving also offers many significant mental benefits. “Being a new diver is scary. It is a brand-new skill for most. You will gain so much self-confidence from overcoming your fears and achieving your goals,” Stephen tells us. “Your continued persistence builds mental resilience and toughness.” Not only will you feel more disciplined and focused, but diving also is an excellent way to relieve stress.
At Inspire: Luton Sports Village, we are home to a state of the art ‘dry dive’ training area, full Olympic diving boards with two 1m and two 3m springboards. We also have 1m, 3m, 5m, 7.5m and 10m high platforms. Our 3-10m boards are full width to accommodate synchronised diving too. Not sure how high 10m is? Just imagine two giraffes standing on top of each other and then diving headfirst from that height!
Diving is also a great way to meet new people from all backgrounds. “You can meet new friends,” Stephen says. “Diving is a small community, and these friendships can last a lifetime.” By joining our friendly diving community, you can prevent feelings of isolation and loneliness, increase your sense of belonging and purpose, and boost overall happiness.
We want to get as many people to dive in at Active Luton as we can. That’s why we’re offering FREE diving tasters, perfect for those who are ready to jump in. Please email us at diving@activeluton.co.uk to book a free diving taster.
At Inspire: Luton Sports Village, we have a range of children’s diving lessons on offer suitable for all levels, including Beginners, Improvers, Intermediates, and Advanced. Learn more about children’s diving lessons here.