Cardio Equipment on Board

[Adamante]

I’d make a terrible cyclist.

But I was always a terrible runner.

Well, I guess Lance settled that debate a couple of years ago when he got off the bike and ran his first NYC marathon. Imagine, a gallactically-dominant cyclist manages only a pedestrian 3 hour marathon. I guess the two sports don't mix all that well.

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by Dennis.G

Katisusha,
Possible a space on deck to jump rope? Good cardio and easy to store the equipment. Can't have a tether on while doing it, so don't go jump'n overboard.

I know that their is no possible way that a treadmill could fit on my boat. Not unless I ripped out a good portion of my interior.

The whole problem with jump rode is the same as with a treadmill: while you're in the air, the boat moves. Some times it moves away from you, other times towards you. Either way it can be surprising and painful.

Thanks for the suggestion though

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by Adamante

Yeah, I'd love to hear what you find, let me know. If you have read some of my other posts on this thread, you can see I am very interested.

I tried one store close by, but in rural part of south Turkey and they didn't have good selection. Should be able to go to the other one next week. Will definitely keep you in the loop.

Originally Posted by Adamante

There’s actually one more piece of workout gear that might be worth considering for you. Back when I was into skating in the mid-90’s I got a Reebok slide board. I think it was mostly because it had a picture of Nancy Kerrigan on the box, but I found it surprisingly effective.

It’s a super-slick piece of plastic you just roll out on a flat floor and glide between the bumpers on either side. It makes for exceptionally good workout and the range of movements ought be quite compatible with your x-country skiing background. It would be a little tough to use in a choppy sea, but I suppose getting into rhythm with the waves might be incorporated into a workout strategy. The best part is the storage – it rolls up to the size of a rolled-up beach towel.

Here’s the one I have, the original one with the picture of Nancy Kerrigan, but there are other makes: ORIGINAL REEBOK SLIDE W/ BOOTIES AEROBIC, BODY, LATERAL | eBay

Oooh, it's a first time I've heard of this [ part of what I was missing by being a Russian athlete ] This might actually be IT [regardless of Nancy Kerrigan's picture, sorry ]. Skating workout, almost no space required, no electricity required - brilliant.

Pitch and roll is a problem for all exercises on board, so I just treat the balancing act as a part of exercise. It's always fun getting used to a new exercise on the open seas.

I will still look at cardio machines, but now I have a good backup plan. Thank you!

[nautical62]

I remember before exercise machines became all the rage, calisthenics were a a popular way to get a cardio workout in a limited space. They require no equipment storage and you can do them safely on board. You could get some of those wrist and ankle weights to increase the difficulty. I used to do them in High School and would keep my heart rate up for half an hour or more.

[Missou]

Originally Posted by Adamante

All is fine as long as I maintain the increased blood flow. When I stop running, there is not enough blood circulating in the lower body to effectively remove the accumulated fluid and some of it leaks into the intercellular space, which causes swelling of the surrounding tissues. It’s called “dependent edema” and can be quite uncomfortable and potentially dangerous on a boat because it affects agility. It would be kind of tough to move nimbly on a pitching deck with swollen legs and feet. The only effective cure I have found is to resume running on a daily basis.

Dependent edema is a symptom of a pathology. Have you ever talked about it with your doctor? Isn't your intense running increasing the problem?

I was a gymnast in my teens and was in a serious car accident when I was 19. I was in a coma for 2 to 3 weeks, had broken bones and was paralized on my right side. I was able to regain most of my abilities but never was able to come back totally, I can't even run anymore.

I haven't been training rigourously but if I need them, my muscles will react promtly. They remember how to work. They are not as strong but they still deliver. I went sailing this week and did a lot of rowing, something I never do. The muscles knew what to do, how to do it and delivered.

Working the same muscles every day is not good for nobody. You could slowly but surely change your habits so that they fit your new lifestyle and your new accomodation.

I too will ask you this question. What is the most important thing for you, running or stopping to admire this beautifull planet we live on? With the motion of the waves on an ocean, even rowing will be different.

Another question you should ask yourself. Won't the humidity and the salty air be really bad for your equipment?

[mikereed100]

We put electric windlasses on our bows, electric winches in our cockpits, roller furlers on our jibs, outboards on our dinghys, washer/dryers in our cabins, diesel engines in our bilges, autopilots on our helms...and then scratch our heads raw wondering how we can get more exercise on board. This is what makes sailors such interesting folk.

Mike

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

We put electric windlasses on our bows, electric winches in our cockpits, roller furlers on our jibs, outboards on our dinghys, washer/dryers in our cabins, diesel engines in our bilges, autopilots on our helms...and then scratch our heads raw wondering how we can get more exercise on board. This is what makes sailors such interesting folk.

Mike

Yup. Specialization is the name of the game

[zeehag]

crank up the tunes and get down and DANCE!!!!!

[Dennis.G]

I know it was poo-pooed before as not intense enough, but I think some sort of step aerobics might be answer. Need to find somewhere on boat with a large enough step-up to require effort. In my boat, the cockpit seats are maybe 20" high, and have advantage that I could step-up to either side.

To get heart rate up:
> Step up and down faster! This can be like climbing a steep grade up hill - should be effective.
> Increase resistance by wearing a heavy backpack (a 5 gallon jug of water might do!)
> Increase resistance by using some sort of resistance bands or bungee cords secured down to the deck or cockpit floor.

Rolling of boat would just make a bit more challenging (good core strengthener and good for balance). Should not need to be jumping into air, just move feet real fast.

[jjdelrey]

Go to beachbody.com or look up "power 90." A great alternative to any equipment. You just need a screen to watch it on (laptop) and a little space. After a while, you'll probably memorize the routine so no need for a screen anymore. Just some good tunes.

I'm a personal trainer and high school PE teacher. Been recommending that stuff for years. It's timeless. Easy to learn and can go at your own pace. You'll get a great cardio workout and it's diverse, so the boredom doesn't set in... Also check out trxtraining.com if you want a portable bodyweight trainer that helps build muscle, increase flexibility, balance, mobility, prevent injuries, etc..... That should keep you busy. Ha.

To your health,
- J

[Cheechako]

Speaking of electric winches, i read recently that a cruiser lost a hand and some fingers on the other in a wrap. Then who came to her aid lost fingers

[Cheechako]

It was in antigua. Article in ocean navigator.

[Adamante]

Originally Posted by Missou

Dependent edema is a symptom of a pathology.

Yes, I know. I believe I described it in some detail in an earlier post. In my case, the pathology is caused by weakened capillary walls resulting from the increased blood flow to the lower body. It’s a symptom of an adaptation. I believe it’s reversible over time once the blood flow becomes normal.

Have you ever talked about it with your doctor?

I have found that most doctors don’t have a clue about issues caused by intense running. Sadly, this includes many of the so-called “sports medicine” doctors. Most good runners are far more capable of diagnosing and treating health issues caused by their running. Runners don’t really need doctors, we just need vets to set the occasional broken bone.

The exceptions are some of the doctors involved in basic athletic research. I have met a few and was impressed. But they are highly specialized and not accessible for general consultation.

Isn't your intense running increasing the problem?

It’s not increasing it, but it’s certainly perpetuating it. Which is sort of the way I want it. This affliction is the ultimate motivator on those days when it’s hard to get going.

I was a gymnast in my teens and was in a serious car accident when I was 19. I was in a coma for 2 to 3 weeks, had broken bones and was paralized on my right side. I was able to regain most of my abilities but never was able to come back totally, I can't even run anymore.

Sorry that happened to you. I know how devastating it can be for an athlete to be permanently sidelined. But when you say “I can't even run anymore”, do you mean you’d like to run but are unable? And if so, why not? This topic really interests me. I have found that bodies have an almost miraculous ability to regenerate and come back from serious injuries. But it takes a huge amount of hard work. Some years ago I shattered my tibia and fibula and had an operation to screw the leg back together. There were serious questions about my ever walking without a limp, much less running. But I got stubborn and took it as a challenge. After years of agonizing self-rehabilitation, I became a vastly more accomplished runner than I was before the accident. And that’s with a 9-inch stainless steel plate and 7 screws holding my lower leg together. So it can be done.

If I had some other affliction, such as a shorter leg, I would put an orthotic insert in my shoe and run. I have orthotic inserts in all of my shoes anyway, including street shoes, because I am susceptible to plantar fasciitis. Or if I had, say, a balance problem, I would get a small sailboat, a football helmet, some padding and go out day-sailing regularly in the roughest weather possible. And I would do that until my body learned to compensate for my disability. Even if it took years.

Bodies do respond, but you have to challenge them. I am doing things now that I would never have imagined doing when I was 20 or 30. I run marathons. I run 100 miles per week. I race every weekend. Sometimes I run several races on the same day. A few years ago I ran in 100 races in one year, including a total of eight 5-KM races in one 48-hour period. Never thought that would be possible. And my race times were just a few seconds off my regular 5K race times. When worked hard, the body is extremely adaptable. I am always amazed how it’s able to eventually figure out and accommodate what I am asking it to do.

Working the same muscles every day is not good for nobody.

That would depend on your definition of “good”. Runners work the same leg and foot muscles every day. Problem is, muscles are very sneaky and if you keep throwing the same type of a workout at them, they eventually figure it out and become supremely efficient at that activity. And then they refuse to improve any more. That’s why runners alter their routine, throwing new types of workouts, variable intensities, hill work, sprints, intervals, etc., into the mix, all designed to keep the muscles from becoming complacent. It’s the same muscles being worked every day, but it’s important to keep them guessing as to how they will get worked.

You could slowly but surely change your habits so that they fit your new lifestyle and your new accomodation.

Why? I know you mean well , but I don’t want to change, I love what I am doing now. I believe that even on a boat it will be possible to continue engaging in the type of intense physical activity I am used to.

I too will ask you this question. What is the most important thing for you, running or stopping to admire this beautifull planet we live on?

They are both equally important to me, except that I found I don’t need to stop to admire this beautiful planet.. On the contrary, I have found that running vastly enhances my ability to observe and admire my world. I have lived in many places, and visited even more as a tourist, but there is nothing like running through a particular place to really get a feel for it, to connect with it, to own it. I find that running allows me to establish an intimate relationship with places that would not be possible otherwise. It’s the little moments, little vignettes, captured by the camera of the eye and archived by the memory that are unforgettable. You just don’t get to experience those as a visiting tourist. I could give you a ton of real-life examples of what I mean, but this is a sailing forum.

Another question you should ask yourself. Won't the humidity and the salty air be really bad for your equipment?

Maybe. It’s mostly plastic and anodized aluminum. It can be cleaned and maintained. And if it ever rusts, you just replace it. Life’s too short to worry about things like that.

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by Adamante

They are both equally important to me, except that I found I don’t need to stop to admire this beautiful planet.. On the contrary, I have found that running vastly enhances my ability to observe and admire my world. I have lived in many places, and visited even more as a tourist, but there is nothing like running through a particular place to really get a feel for it, to connect with it, to own it. I find that running allows me to establish an intimate relationship with places that would not be possible otherwise. It’s the little moments, little vignettes, captured by the camera of the eye and archived by the memory that are unforgettable. You just don’t get to experience those as a visiting tourist.

Very well said. It's the same sort of thing as looking at the water. When you're sailing for the first (?) time, you see just water and sky. When you've been sailing for a while you see a miriad things: wave patterns, wind shifts, cloud formations, humidity changes, fish/mammals under the water, etc. It's infinitely complex out there.

Running, skiing, etc also makes you much more aware of the infinitely complex space around you.

[Lowcountry]

Swimming is your friend.