Staying In Condition While Cruising.......

[duckwheat]

I am curious on extended crossings if staying in condition is an issue. Those of you, like I2F with boat loads of experience what have you done? Is it an issue? Do you cut back or increase daily calorie intact to meet demands?

Plenty of isometric exercise maintaining your position, but wonder if it is enough.

Still with a lot to learn before I leave the safety of the shore,

DW

[imagine2frolic]

My appetite has always increased while sailing. I have also always managed to lose weight without trying. We do a lot of walking when we arrive somewhere. The smaller the boat the more hanging on you will do which will give you your isometrics. Even in a short period of one month I have found myself stronger, more flexible, and sleeps are deeper. Then again if you are in warm waters. You will be swimming too................i2f

[Lighthouse]

I would be very surprised if you gained weight while out cruising. You will also feel fitter after a very short time as you start using muscles you never even thought you had.

It is a good, healthy lifestyle.

[MMNETSEA]

Up and down the companion way or saloon to port hull or the other one - all while following the rule 'one hand for the ship' etc. Good nutrition - fast food not available in quantity. Tobacco usually banned or limited. Less contact with crowds limits virus bourne infections.

Cruisers have the edge - small but significant - both physically and mentally.

[Istioploos]

I have never gained weight while cruising. During my transatlantic crossing, we were two people who love to eat and cook, we ate very well and both of us lost weight. One theory is that because of the constant motion of the boat the muscles are working all the time. On short cruises one does work a lot: sails, anchors, etc.

[duckwheat]

I appreciate the help.

It seems intuitive that you would tone up and lean up if you maintained a consistent calorie intact.

One of the things I was thinking of bring on board was the type of resistive devices used to rehab people after ortho surgery. Should be able to hook it up almost anywhere above or below and get some Range of Motion for the upper and lower extremities.

One of the Pardey books I read they hauled folding bikes. Do any of you guys haul a bicycle for onshore excursions?

DW

[imagine2frolic]

I use to have folding disblasi scooters......junk. Then we went to folding bikes.....junk.....Then we went to regular bikes......hassle. We have more fun taking local buses. Meeting cultures, and finding out where the hole in the wall restaraunt is at. Burning calories, and you don't have to worry about a stolen bike....IMHO

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by duckwheat

DW

Hi, Duckwheat,

We have a regular bike and folding bike for that purpose. We have to take the regular bike apart to store it on the boat but we have a couple good stash away (hard to get things in and out of) spots that work for it.

One can also use a bike on a "wind trainer" which is a stand which hooks up to the rear wheel and adds resistance based on how hard you're peddling. We joke that we'll hook up the folding bike to to a home-made one to generate electricity My husband did a few tours of duty on an aircraft carrier when he was a Navy pilot--he always took a bike on ship (Hung it on the ceiling of the shared stateroom) and used the wind trainer while aboard ship and used it in some ports they visited.

When we're sailing (note we've only done short coastal cruising, no big passage making trips) we note that we're hungrier than usual, eat more than usual and seem to be getting a work out just from our sailing. But we haven't spent weeks at sea like some of the more experienced cruisers here.

I've heard from some cruisers that refraining from the outboard engine on the dingy and instead rowing is also good exercise for someone living aboard the boat. We've never had an outboard--we have a dingy and a canoe--bot require us to row or paddle Only downside is that we kept our last boat on a mooring that was way at the end of a mooring field (long way to row or paddle) and we'd occasionally become windbound on the boat because we didn't feel like fighting the wind and waves without an outboard...

[seaescape]

The wife and I went up to the boat on the weekend. Just to sit and reflect on how good it's going to be and to clean up 20 years of old parts, paint tins, bent and broken bolts just about anythying you can collect in 20 years on a boat. Oh I'm off the track. Yeah this exact question came up that after 12 months with no exercise we would be too fat to be able to sail.

So knowing that I won't be the house is on the market and by this time next year I hope to be gone. Only one catch I'm not that good of a sailor but I will look at another post to try and find a remedy.

Kevin

[johnyx0]

Hi DW,

I'm a PT, and always worried about not being able to do cardio in the confines of an extended cruise (no room for a bike here).

One thing I found fantastic is something called the Tabata Protocol method of training. Basically you do short bursts of training (twenty seconds) followed by 10 seconds rest, and then repeat 7 times. You can get a great workout in just four minutes a day, which stimulates the cardio system.

I do:

20 seconds of push ups,

rest,

20 seconds of bodyweight squats,

rest,

20 seconds of chin ups on a suitable grab rail,

rest,

20 seconds of crunches,

rest

then repeat the whole workout.

You can vary the exercises as much as you like. The key is the short bursts of energy and very short rests. This gets the heart going and keeps the muscles strong. For those who want to give it a go, take it easy first few times around and give yourself enough rest (ie, at least 30 seconds) and then start to reduce the rest time as you get used to it. It is certainly a lot more challenging than it sounds!

[Swagman]

Think most will agree there's not exactly the room nor flat areas big enough to duplicate land exercise routines when afloat.

Personally - four hours on the wheeel with a big spinnaker up gives more than adequate upper body workout. The diet is usually low fat. If aything, we find legs need the most work when you get shoreside. Walking / running / biking usually gets it all in balance before the next pasage starts once more.

JOHN

[Bellamar]

Same concerns. 5 years on the boat, moving under sail, moving at anchor, up & down the companionway, struggling to get at the fridge filter........180 pounds on the boat, 203 at home during hurricane season. Most issues you have before cruising are not really major issues on the boat.

[LoneStar]

I like the idea of JohnyxO 's 20 second routine & will try it. My wife is a yoga instructor, and, believe it or not, (and depending on conditions) she does a yoga & pilates routine while we are under way. She uses her yoga mat (which makes a great cabin sole non-skid!) and is careful (no head stands!) We don't have a big boat, but have found enough space on the cabin sole for push-ups, sit-ups, stretches, etc...

When we are anchored, swimming helps me stretch out my back. We also walk a lot. I am not as strong as when we attended the gym regularly, but a boat does provide opportunity to get a work-out in. I truly believe maintaining flexibilty is vital, after all, it makes it easier to change that alternator belt or impeller when you need to!

Tom

[KAFERTOYS]

I've been rollerblading for years. I have never had problems getting around any town in them. Sailing seems to be more my thing all the time.

Mario

[JanB]

Sailing is very healthy living. I never gained weight.

But I did feel my legs were weaker after an extended cruise: jogging has to be re-learned when back ashore.

Now i'm thinking of constructing a pedalled generator, for leg-exercise while loading the batteries !

[osirissailing]

Underway in the ocean in a monohull will remind you of the monkeys in the zoo - you are swinging from handhold to handhold so you get a lot of exercise. Not to mention grinding winches and hauling sheets, anchors and dinghies. One really great modification I made to my boat was to install handrails - teak - horizontally along the sidewalls inside the boat and - since I have a pilothouse - 1.25" pipes vertically around the walls of the pilothouse. You are perpetually "hanging on" almost all the time you are underway.

In harbor is quite different, things are much more settled onboard. But since it is not practical to stow an automobile onboard - we walk everywhere. Most of the time we are carrying backpacks which after a day of shopping for food and other things end up weighing in at 10-20 lbs. for the long walk back to the boat/dinghy. Again exercise is not an issue. You get it whether you want it or not. Add in swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, hanging upside down in the bilge fixing things and static exercise is not necessary.

But you much watch the calorie intake in harbor. There are some great places to eat - especially in the French Islands. At sea, we eat minimal food - just don't feel like eating for the first couple of days and thereafter it is pain to go below to cook. So we loose weight easily.

[HandyBilly]

When I've been sailing for a couple weeks I don't feel like I'm getting out of shape. When I get to the dock, though I don't like walking for a day or so. It doesn't feel right. Hard to explain but makes me feel a little strange. Not out of shape though.