Shipshape

Rebecca and I may be Newbies at the whole sailing thing, but one thing we do have some experience with is getting and keeping in shape. Having run a Martial Arts gym for well over 2 decades it is almost impossible for us to not see the exercise opportunities that exist, even on a small boat. Yes, being on a boat does present its own set of challenges, but nothing that can’t be easily overcome with some experience and creativity. We plan to use this page to share some of our fitness strategies both on the water and in far off places that we visit!

Here are a couple of examples from our recent trip to Amherst Island, Lake Ontario.

we LOVE the TRX!

First, it should be obvious to anyone following along in our blog that we LOVE the TRX! In our opinion it is the perfect match for the sailor looking to keep in shape. It is small, lightweight, durable and super versatile. It can easily be attached on just about any boat in seconds and can just as easily be taken ashore to use on some nice sandy beach! The following video shows Rebecca and I doing one of our favorite types of workouts with the TRX. We each take turns choosing an exercise until we have both completed 20 different ones (plus a couple of warmup sets). This is fun way to structure a session because we never know exactly what is coming next, and neither of us can simply choose the exercises that we enjoy or find easy!

Don’t have a TRX (yet)? No problem. While suntanning on our catamaran’s trampoline Rebecca concocted the following little bit of exercise fun.

• tread water 1 min.
• climb up and down transom steps 10x
• tread water 30 secs (arms only)
• back out of the water and do 10 suspended leg raises in cockpit
• front crawl to front of boat
• tread water 30 secs (legs only)
• climb rope and climb up onto tramp
• 10 side step ups each leg on front seat
• reverse workout… climb back down rope… tread water (legs only)… etc.

Caution: Boat decks are slippery when wet. Use care when moving about the boat when your feet are wet. We want you healthy, not broken!