Fitness Training for Boating & Yachting

The spread of the coronavirus has placed the entire world in an unprecedented situation. To slow the spread of the disease and mitigate its impacts, travel is being curtailed and borders are being closed, transport hubs are being affected, ports are being closed, and ships denied entry.

In these difficult times, the ability for boating and yachting to perform leisure and competitions will be central to responding to, and eventually overcoming, this pandemic.

It is, therefore, crucially important that the flow of leisure and competitions by sea should not be unnecessarily disrupted. At the same time, the safety of life at sea and protection of the marine environment must also remain paramount.

One of the goals of this article, as stated by the publisher letter, is to ensure defeating the virus is a priority, but sports and leisure by sea, continue to be maintained in a safe, secure, and environmentally friendly manner.

We must also remember the hundreds of thousands of fans of boating and yachting must be ensured safety. These are usually people far from home and family whose health and welfare are as important as that of anyone else.

The World Health Organization, the International Maritime Organization, the sailing/ powerboating governing bodies, and the recreational boating organizations are continuously issuing practical advice and guidance on a variety of technical and operational matters related to the coronavirus.

Fitness training is the physical activity people use to improve or maintain their physical condition; examples include power training, aerobics, and spinning. Through fitness exercises, we can improve our stamina, suppleness, and strength.

Keeping fit can help us in many ways. It makes us physically and mentally stronger, improves our sleep and digestion, stabilizes our blood pressure and sugar, and improves our concentration and self-confidence. 

The possibility of doing any fitness exercise is limited on a boat and yacht, but there are exercises that crew and passengers on board of boats and yachts can do that don’t require much space or equipment.

This article contains onboard exercises to help crew and passengers keep fit, as well as guidance on how they determine their fitness level and tips on how to warm up, work out, and cool down safely.

On board boats and yachts, the modern way of life is a sedentary one and opportunities for sport are limited. Sports activities on board have to take into account the general safety measures on board. Boats and yachts don’t always have sufficient or suitable accommodation or facilities for sport. Also the strict organization of work and tasks on board does not leave a lot of time for physical activity.

Sport contributes to a general sense of physical, psychological, and social well- being. Sport not only improves health, but through social interaction, it also encourages team building.

Fitness activities are intended to improve or maintain good physical condition. Fitness and health are closely related. Many elements are important to maintaining good health: healthy food, sufficient movement, adequate rest, and avoiding stress.

The important thing is to exercise specific skills and maintain them at an appropriate level: stamina (aerobic endurance), strength, and flexibility.

Fitness is not power training. Keeping fit gets our bodies in optimum condition; we move around more easily, recover faster, and are less tired. During training, we force our bodies to perform at a high level; during the rest period that follows, the body will compensate for the effort made and become stronger for the next training session until a balance has been achieved between effort and compensation. The level of training must be sufficient to reach this “supercompensation”. Overtraining can make us weaker.

Fitness allows each individual to determine his own goals and decide on the number of training sessions per week, the weights he trains with, how long a training session takes, etc.

It is important to set realistic goals. “Why do you want to exercise?” is the first question to ask yourself.

Is it because you want to become fitter or lose weight? Maybe you want to improve the state of both your body and mind. You might want to increase your endurance levels or maybe you are just concerned about staying healthy.

Select the kind of training you want, stamina, strength, or flexibility, and the level of intensity, light, moderate, or hard.

What do you want to achieve and over what period? Be realistic and aim for that; set measurable targets in terms of e.g. heart rate and weight. Progress is the best motivator!

Goals should be specific rather than general, challenging but achievable, and divided into short-term sub-goals.

The contents of your exercise program depend on your current fitness level and on your fitness goals. You know what level you are at now and what level you want to reach in the future.

A good training session starts with 10-15 minutes of warming up to stimulate the blood circulation in the whole body and muscles. The heart rate should rise to 60% of MHR. A good warming-up session prevents injuries especially in the untrained and beginners.

After exercising for at least twenty minutes in your target zone for heart rate, gradually reduce the intensity of the exercises and do the same ‘warm-up’ exercises to cool down. Stretch the muscles used during warm up. Warm up in a rhythmic way; don’t bounce; stretch slowly and steadily. At the end of the movement, hold the stretch for a slow count of ten and don’t push yourself into a painful stretch.

Any form of resistance can be used to train muscle power (weights, bands, bodyweight, or any other object). DYNA-BAND is a fitness/exercise aid that can strengthen, tone, and condition your entire body. The DYNA-BAND is simple and effective, providing resistance for your muscles to work against. 

For fabulous results fast, we recommend that you exercise with your DYNA-BAND three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes (or six sessions of 10 minutes). If you can’t manage this length of time to begin with, don’t worry! This is a target to aim for. Keep at it, and soon you will find that your fitness and strength will improve!

Make sure your DYNA-BAND does not come into contact with any sharp objects that may pierce it such as rings, buckles, or sharp stones underfoot.

If you have a history of injuries or suffer from high blood pressure, it would be wise to check with your doctor, physiotherapist, or qualified keep fit instructor, who may refer you to your doctor, before you begin a regular exercise routine with DYNA-BAND.

The DYNA-BAND can improve stamina, strength, and flexibility. The thickness of the DYNA-BAND relates to the level of resistance. Four types are used: pink/red for starters, green/blue for medium resistance, purple/yellow for the experienced user, and grey for super athletes.

Before starting fitness training on board, it is important to determine the level of training required. Four categories have been determined: ‘untrained’: never trained and/or above 50 years of age, ‘beginner’: periodic training during the last year, ‘advanced’: trains one to two times per week, and ‘sportsman’: trains three to four times per week.

The heart rate at rest is a general indicator of a person’s physical condition, but also during training, measuring the heartbeat is important in order to maintain the appropriate level of exercise.

The Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) determines the level of training you should aim for. It is easy to calculate: 220 minus your age in years. Example for somebody aged 45: MHR = 220 - age = 220 - 45 years = 175 heartbeats per minute. For a useful training session, the heartbeat has to be above the “training threshold” of 60% of MHR. In our example, the “training threshold” for a 45 year old is 175 x 60% = 105 beats per minute. 

YOUR BODY IS YOUR CAPITAL, KEEP IT FIT!