3 Simple Exercises to do Onboard

Working out on a boat comes with some challenges, even once you get over answering the “do I really NEED to?” question. (The answer is, of course, “it depends” but in general, yes, sorry to tell you - life on board isn’t the panacea of healthy living you might wish it was. YMMV.)

Space is generally at a premium, both laterally AND vertically. You can generally mitigate the latter by choosing to exercise on deck as opposed to below; weather or nosy neighbors can make this a tough choice.

The boat moves. Even on a calm day. Even at a dock. This can make any exercise that involves leaving the ground (anything jumping, for example) more, err, surprising than expected. Check that out! The ground is in a different spot when I took off!

a short-haired woman wearing a blue workout top and bright fuchsia leggings lying on her right side lifts herself into the air with her right arm. Behind her is an open hatch, a wooden mast, and the bow of a kayak. — *side plank*

I’ve talked about some basic tips before, ones that work even on my small boat. Here are specific exercises, ones you can combine in a few different ways to get a good sweat in.

Side plank. (as seen above) Start in a plank position (as if you were getting ready to do a push up), then roll onto one side and push yourself up by one arm. Raise the other one in the air if you wish. You can do this on the side of your knee too, if it’s really rolly on the boat or you’re not quite at this level yet. Hold this for 15 seconds, then lower for 5, then back up. Repeat for a total of 10-12 repetitions. Repeat on the other side.
Swinging Hugs. Stand in a comfortable stance, arms outstretched. Squat, then transfer weight to the right side (pivoting) while you sweep your left arm across to meet the right arm. Squat again, then sweep the right arm to the left side while you transfer your weight over. Repeat over and over for 30 seconds. Your arms don’t ever drop, and you can make this harder by squatting lower or even holding weights in your hands.
V-sit. Aka “Boat Pose” from yoga. On your back, sit up at the same time that you raise your legs, forming a “v” shape. You can do pilates “100s” from this position (holding body and legs in the same position while you pump your arms straight up and down), or just hold the position (15 second hold, then lower for 5, then back up).

You're looking over a woman's left shoulder as she raises her feet and arms into the air. Just beyond her pointed feet (toes painted blue) is a white mainsail flying. — *Boat on the boat!*

You could do a circuit of sorts with this combination, going from side plank to hugs to v-sit to side plank to hugs (you get the idea). You could set a timer and do each exercise for 30 seconds before moving on, doing a full rotation between 3 and 10 times.

Current science is showing a benefit to even short bursts of exercise, which makes some sense if you ask me. Of course doing SOMETHING is better than doing NOTHING!