Workout during circumnavigation

[bwsailor60]

Everybody knows how important regular physical activity is, particularly once you have reached a certain age:


WHO | Physical Activity and Adults


On land, it is not too difficult to reach this level of activity. It will be different on our planned circumnavigation, especially during longer trips or when lying at anchor. Interestingly, I haven't found much information about this topic. Of course it would be great having a gym-room on our yacht, but it is apparently beyound our financial possibilities.

How do circumnavigators keep in shape?

[Pete7]

Sir Robin Knox-Johnson says in his book on his first circumnavigation to diving off the front swimming like mad then climbing back on as the stern over took him.

My experience on a long trip was upper body strength wasn't a problem but the legs stamina for running afterwards was compromised for a while.

Pete

[bbowers2004]

Kettle Bells, + Swimming / HITT training for cardio.

Jumping Jacks, Standing Lunges, Touch and Reach.

Although it is a smaller area, the only thing you'll be missing is the machinary you are used to in the over sized gyms.

There are plenty of excersises that require no movement at all, that can maximize your working space and time.

[boatman61]

Dynamic Tension" is the name Charles Atlas gave to the system of physical exercises that he first popularized in the 1920s.
Dynamic Tension is a self-resistance exercise method which pits muscle against muscle. The practitioner tenses the muscles of a given body part and then moves the body part against the tension as if a heavy weight were being lifted. Dynamic Tension exercises are not merely isometrics, since they call for movement. Instead, the method comprises a combination of exercises in three disciplines: isotonic, isokinetic, and some exercises in the isometric discipline.
Proponents assert that it is nearly impossible to be injured during exercise using this method because one's own muscles provide the force and, as they tire, so the force used also decreases. Likewise, the benefits can continue beyond the more traditional exercise methods because as the practitioner grows stronger, the exercise becomes more intense.

[homeless]

Get a strong bucket and rope, and tie it off to a cleat. Throw the bucket off the stern, wait for the bucket to sink, haul it in, slosh it on the deck, scrub with a brush, then repeat. The faster the boat, the longer the rope, the bigger the bucket, the fitter you will get.
Get a game fishing rod, strong line, and large lures. A big fish is a big workout.
Haul the anchor by hand
Row instead of motor
Bicycle instead of car
Swim instead of boat
Sit-ups
Chin-ups
Elastic straps

[Normanby]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Dynamic Tension" is the name Charles Atlas gave to the system of physical exercises that he first popularized in the 1920s.
Dynamic Tension is a self-resistance exercise method which pits muscle against muscle. The practitioner tenses the muscles of a given body part and then moves the body part against the tension as if a heavy weight were being lifted. Dynamic Tension exercises are not merely isometrics, since they call for movement. Instead, the method comprises a combination of exercises in three disciplines: isotonic, isokinetic, and some exercises in the isometric discipline.
Proponents assert that it is nearly impossible to be injured during exercise using this method because one's own muscles provide the force and, as they tire, so the force used also decreases. Likewise, the benefits can continue beyond the more traditional exercise methods because as the practitioner grows stronger, the exercise becomes more intense.

Is this what you mean?
http://youtu.be/AatcIe1qoT4

[Normanby]

Seriously though, I'm pinning my fitness hopes on kayaking to and from shore, plus lots of walking.

Moving aboard this month - woo hoo!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Normanby

Is this what you mean?
Monty Python's Flying Circus - Episode 5 - The Dynamo Tension Cartoon - (Legendado) - YouTube

That's the one....
But... you don't need the 78 page instruction booklet... just about every multi-gym exercise can be replicated on a boat... just assume the required position then imagine the weight you normally use... muscle memory helps with this... so not much use for a beginner..

[tom1263]

I prefer Yoga as you can see in this video....

[MarkJ]

Theres no need for mono-hull long range cruisers to worry: I do not know one overweight grossly male, and very very few grossly overweight females.

The movement of the boat and the sailing of it will reduce the pounds and increase the fitness.

When in port for a while I go to a gym.


Mark

[Normanby]

Originally Posted by tom1263

I prefer Yoga as you can see in this video....

Oh yeah, that's how it's done...
I think I sprained something watching that.

[barnakiel]

You will be very limited if you sail a smaller boat and longer passages. We tried to catch up while anchored but we could never recover our earlier (land life) fitness levels. Back on land (well, sort of, because we live aboard) it took us well over a year to recover from that slump.

I think on bigger boats it is much easier - more physical things to do, you can walk the decks, carry some gym equipment, etc. (a friend of ours has a 50' cat and proper gym bike onboard). Maybe you can link one winch to an alternator and grind it for a couple of hours each day. This would be good for your fitness and for your battery bank too.

I think swimming is a great option but not all of us like to swim and it is not safe to swim everywhere.

Other than swimming, my main exercise was lifting the anchor (no winch here) BUT it did not do any good to my back. BEWARE.

All the best,
b.

[boatman61]

Best done seated on the deck, feet braced against the pulpit and leaning back to 50 degrees... then haul in hand over hand just using the arms.... have used this method on boats up to 40ft....
with a sensible anchor

Originally Posted by barnakiel

You will be very limited if you sail a smaller boat and longer passages. We tried to catch up while anchored but we could never recover our earlier (land life) fitness levels. Back on land (well, sort of, because we live aboard) it took us well over a year to recover from that slump.

I think on bigger boats it is much easier - more physical things to do, you can walk the decks, carry some gym equipment, etc. (a friend of ours has a 50' cat and proper gym bike onboard). Maybe you can link one winch to an alternator and grind it for a couple of hours each day. This would be good for your fitness and for your battery bank too.

I think swimming is a great option but not all of us like to swim and it is not safe to swim everywhere.

Other than swimming, my main exercise was lifting the anchor (no winch here) BUT it did not do any good to my back. BEWARE.

All the best,
b.

[JPA Cate]

We have a friend in his 80's, and he still does 50 sit-ups and 50 pushups on deck every morning, at anchor. He's phenomenal! He free dives to 60 ft. and waits for the fish of his choice to come by to shoot. He's partial to coral trout. And walks a lot, too, as those of us do who have no cars.

Another friend, with a Valiant 40, installed a pull up bar at the top forward end of their companionway, and did pullups each morning, and an exercise where he raised and lowered his whole body weight with pushing up on the sides of the companionway. I suspect he did the dreaded wall squats for his legs.

Ann (using a car in the US)

[rebel heart]

There are only a handful of big oceans. Crossing them means a few weeks without proper exercise but that's roughly the same as any fitness person has to wait out injuries.

In the big picture, even in the medium picture, sitting out a few weeks isn't a big deal.

I have a 24kg kettlebell (and some smaller ones for my wife), but the real mileage I get is from my gymnastic rings, jump rope, and body weight exercises. Pistol squats, levers on the rings, and dips are pretty wicked.

Here's a picture from a few weeks ago. Baja Sur has a lot of basketball courts and parks in various stages of disrepair. Bluetooth speaker to pump some tunes, rings, jump rope, and chalk. As long as I'm done before sunrise and chalk up like a bastard I can keep the hand sweat to a minimum.