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Exercise Equip for Cruising?

S

Steve Swann

Member III
A couple weeks ago, we spent a week on a 42' Moorings catamaran. I couldn't believe how much my feet and ankles swelled with so much time on the boat and so little time ashore.

Here is my question: On a small sailboat, what do you long-distance cruisers use for excercise equipment to keep the body limber and toned? Any suggestions as to what is out there that has wide application and small space requirements in terms of storage, overall effectiveness, Usefulness, impervious to salt water, and minimal space requirements to actually use comfortably?

There should be some good equipment to consider, but so far, I am just drawing blanks here.
 
Guy Stevens

Guy Stevens

Moderator
Moderator
Chartering and cruising are different worlds

M's weight loss plan: A 20+ day passage to the marquesas, good for about 10 pounds....

Seriously when you are cruising you are either in passage making mode, or you are at a new place walking around exploring. Also a lot of swimming. We never found any problems with getting enough exercise.

If you are sailing 24 hours a day on a passage your body is moving all the time, you get sore muscles that you didn't know that you had...

When we spent a long time in a port we would break out the exercise bands for exercise, there are plenty of places to attach them on the interior of the boat.

Guy
:)
 
Loren Beach

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Losin' It (weight, that is)

I figured that Guy might provide some insight! ;)
While he has wrung more sea water out of his socks than I have sailed over, I still remember losing about 8#of weight in 5 days, from Astoria down to SF, a few years ago.
It was not from being too ill to eat, either; actually I had a good appetite.
Lots of boat movement -- that, and 36 hours of gale winds off Mendocino...

Being at sea on a small (i.e. under 100 foot ! ) boat is like isometrics, 24/7. You are always bracing yourself and hanging on.
Matter of fact, it is a bit challenging to cook! I still remember several eggs escaping from the counter in a nanosecond. :)

We managed to corral most of that dozen into a pan on the gimbeled stove, however. :D

The head could have used a seat belt, also... but that's a story for another day.

Cheers,
Loren in PDX

ps: not only are there "no atheists in foxholes," but there also aren't any at 3 am in a gale, either.
 
P

paul culver

Member III
Steve

I hear you on the swollen ankles -- I get them after about three days of sailing/anchoring without going ashore. Elevating them from time to time really helps, like propping a leg up on the cockpit coaming. An effective diuretic (beer) can also help.

Paul
 
S

Steve Swann

Member III
My feet thank you!

Thanks for all the replies. I thought I had done enough walking around that Cat to keep the circulation going, but perhaps it was the warm, humid climate along with everything else. Maybe my body was just rebelling, after all, we had been snowmobiling a couple days before. :egrin:

BTW, I was surprised that I really did not like the herky-jerky motion of a catamaran in the open ocean. I liked the room and relative separation (perfect for chartering), but the thing was a lumbering pig underway. Pointed into the wind about like a bowling ball.
 
M

Morgan Stinemetz

Moderator
Aha!
Another cat that sails like a dog! I had the same motion sickness problem on a cat in Tampa Bay. Herky-jerky is a good description. Ugly.
Morgan
 
S

Steve Swann

Member III
Insult to dogs

Morgan,

I like dogs too much to say that; "pigs" is a better description!

I am not prone to seasickness most of the time. However, on this cat, I had to keep my eyes on the horizon a good part of the time. Going down below was just about a tummy disaster.

I also didn't like how the cat "hunted" while at anchor in strong wind. We had winds peaking at 44 kts. and this boat, even though bridled, really swung an arc on the hook. A bow would catch the wind, fall off, and the entire boat would jerk itself up short, work itself back and forth, and never really stabilize. We stuck a piece of the jib out into the wind with not much improvement. Interesting way to live on the water....
 
S

Steve Swann

Member III
Thanks but no Thanks

Hey Loren,

Nope, NOT my cat! I don't think I'd want to own one - and certainly not that one! But they would probably be better suuited for exercising at sea and while on board.

Thanks anyway.

Steve
 
K

Kim Schoedel

Member III
Steve,
I have found that one of the best exercises whilst on board is to do a serious work out at least once per day. You start out with a six pack of beer in each hand and use them to do curls, bench presses, military presses and such. You of course get an award for your efforts and do the "one arm single beer lift", you must open one cold beer and consume it. Now, as time goes by, you can step-up the program and exercises with a halve a rack in each hand. Once this is accomplished, you get a double reward. Yep, the "one arm double beer lift". This is a great way to get your exercise and build your self esteem and enjoy cold beer.

Oh, work the legs too. Tether one sixer to each foot and do leg raises! The rewards would be the same.
 
S

Steve Swann

Member III
Confused but soon to be enlightened...

Gee, thanks, Kim. You left some questions unanswered: Which brand of beer works best? Is there a difference between brands that work best as a 6 pack vs. singles? Is there any possible reason to ever lift anything containing more beers than 6? Say a half rack or a case?
 
K

Kim Schoedel

Member III
Glad you asked Steve! The beauty of this exercise plan is that you can customize it to best fit your exercise needs and your pocket book at the same time. Cans are much safer then bottles. Cheap canned beer may be the best to start with just in case you happen to break the tether while working out the legs in the "rail meat" position.

It is best to start with the sixers first and then work your way up to the half a rack plan.
 
S

Steve Swann

Member III
Walking on Beer Foam

I think you are spending more time on belly trim than sail trim, Kim.

If I may be so bold, I would suggest that you also change the name of your boat from "Windfall" to "Beerfall." This fits, even if your pants don't. :D
 
EGregerson

EGregerson

Member III
swollen ankles

How much wine do you drink on board? I started getting swollen ankles last summer; thot it was lack of exercise; did more biking; didn't help. Finally deduced it was the wine. Sulfites. Some organic wines don't add sulfites; they work fine. And beer is always good.
 
K

Kim Schoedel

Member III
I like a glass of wine with dinner. And thats about it. Wine wine can produce a headache and red goes down too easily. Beer or rum and coke works just dandy though.
 
EGregerson

EGregerson

Member III
der Vine der Vine

wine, beer, rum and coke; all part of a complete exercise regimen. But exercise equipment or board? I guess one could mod the v-berth into a weight room. Geraldo Rivera had a special a few years back where he sailed around the world; they excercised regularly. But had no exercise equipment. They did things called pushups....and situps...also something called running in place; stretching. I can't imagine living under such primitive conditions.
 
T

The Blue Heeler

Member II
Good Suggestions

Looks like the popular choice is 12oz curls!!! I agree. Anyway, there is a great article in the March Latts and Atts mag on this exact subject!
 
S

Steve Swann

Member III
Wine & Swollen Ankles

This must have been the problem. In French Polynesia, the only food item that you can buy that is reasonably priced is....French wines. I was never far from a bottle later in the afternoon. Mea culpa; I should switch over to beer - which will make Kim happy.
 
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