It is easy to get lazy while living and traveling on a boat. Having equipment that makes working out easy and fun is a great way to prevent the laziness that could easily take control. Here is a list of our boat workout gear that helps us stay active even while living in a small space.
Boat Workout Gear
Brute Force Sandbag
Squats with sandbags!
The best thing about this is that you can fill it when you need it and dump the weight when you don’t. You all know by now that weight is a big issue on our catamaran and that is why we LOVE this piece of equipment. This bag has numerous handles for many different options of lifting. Our particular bag has three inner bags that you can use individually or combine them in the main bag for maximum weight. You can make it has heavy or as light as you wish. Our bag has a max fill weight of 125 lbs but there are many different weight options available.  Its zipper is super high quality and we have yet to see any corrosion or have any issues opening it after 2 years on the water.
Wooden Rings
Ring rows on the bow.
This is another great item for the boat because you can set them up when you want and store them when you don’t. We attach our wooden rings to a halyard and do a variety of different exercises on them. Â Some of our favorites are ring rows, plank holds, pike raises and push up.
Water Jugs
Adding some weight with water!
Yes, everything on a boat must have two purposes. If you are on a crossing or long sail with no where to fill up your sandbag then grab your spare water jugs and add some extra weight to any bodyweight exercise. Squats and lunges are that much harder with an extra 20 pounds in your hands.
Paddle Craft
Paddling for CARDIO!
Many boats have some sort of paddle craft for pleasure and exploration. If you paddle a bit faster your leisurely paddle can turn into a great cardio workout. We love using our Flying Fish Board Co. paddle board for exploring new waterways as well as for our everyday workouts.
Goggles or Mask
Catherine (Billy’s sister) doing some laps in the blue hole
Let’s be real we have the biggest swimming pool known to man right under our home. When it is a scorcher outside you can get a cool full body exercise by doing a few laps around the boat. Swimming is a low impact full body exercise and a great way to stretch out after a hard sail.
Sneakers
Ready for a run along the docks!
We may live on a boat but we also love to go to land đ Many waterfront areas that have dinghy docks also have great sidewalks for running. Not only do you get a good workout but you also have an excuse to check out a new area.
Phone with Internet
Open Gym bodyweight workout
Huh? You may be wondering how in the world is this a piece of workout equipment. Well, it is much more. It can be an entire workout class as well. There are many apps you can download that give you workouts that can be done with no equipment. Our favorite right now is Open Gym. There is a new workout uploaded every day with an explanation of how to do each exercise. We also use YouTube to watch yoga videos. Yoga with Adriene has tons of different yoga videos with everything from core and glute workouts to bedtime yoga.
Other Ideas
If you think out of the box you will notice that the best equipment is all around! Rocks and stumps make great places for step-ups and box jumps. Your boom or solar arch can double as a pull-up bar and running on the beach (soft sand) is always super tough.
The hardest part of any workout is starting, once you begin you will see that the world is your gym!
For ideas on workouts you can do while living and traveling on a boat click here!
-Sierra đ
We are planning our crossing from South Africa to Panama. We are doing Strong First Fitness which includes kettle bell regime. Where can I find sandbag dimentions to make my own bags. Would hate to loose fitness. We are 69 and 71 year old. Love your show and thanks for sharing.