Clean and wax without the aching back

It is that time of year again. Boaters and sailors are dusting off their vessels from the long winter. Some are hard core and boat through the winter but most of us are fair weather sailors waiting for the temperature to warm up and the days to get longer.

Before you commit an entire weekend to scrubbing, waxing and tinkering, please take your physical fitness into account.

Have you been sedentary most of the winter? When is the last time you performed many of the crouching, bending, pressing and pulling actions you will most likely engage in while getting your boat ready for spring? Asking yourself these simple questions can bring awareness to what you are about to do to your body.

It would be unrealistic for us to suggest you “train” in order to wash your boat. We do however want you to be aware of your body’s positioning while you are performing many of the common actions of de-winterizing your boat.  Here are a few tips on how to minimize the sore muscles and aching backs caused from a weekend of cleaning and waxing.

1. Maintain correct postural alignment. By this we mean simply check in with your body from time to time. Make sure you are standing up straight when possible and bending from the knees and waist NOT the back to scrub or lift objects. Try to keep your spine in a straight line from your hips to your neck when performing ALL actions on your boat. When bending down from the waist to lift heavy objects make sure your knees are tracking over your ankles and not buckling into the centerline of your body.

2. Use your core.  Your core is more than your abs. It involves many muscles from your hips to your upper chest- along the front and back of your body. When you are scrubbing your deck press from your core not just your arms. By doing this you will create more power in your movement and minimize fatigue in certain muscles. Plus, as a bonus,  if you are aware of your posture you minimize the likelihood of injury.

3. Drink water.  Staying hydrated plays an important role in regulating your body’s temperature. Keep your muscles and joints “lubed” and you will feel better while you work and after the work is finished.

4. Stop and stretch.  You don’t need to spend a 1/2 hour stretching before and after you wash or wax your boat, but by simply taking a few breaks and letting your muscles stretch back out you will help minimize cramping and soreness. If you are bent over or kneeling for a long time, stand up and stretch out  your legs, back and arms. This simple action can really help you feel better later in the day.  If you practice yoga, doing a few yoga stretches can help loosen up your muscles and relax your body after a hard days work.

5. Wear supportive shoes. This might seem like an odd point but you will most likely be standing for long periods of time. If you have been sedentary for the winter and sat at your desk a lot, standing for 6-8 hours is a difficult adjustment for your body to make. Making sure you wear supportive shoes can help alleviate some of the stress on your body from this activity.

Please take our advice and implement a few or all of these tips into your cleaning routine and your body will thank you! Here’s to another great season.

Beyond push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups

When the topic of working out on board a boat comes up most often boaters are doing variations of three particular exercises; push ups, pull-ups, and sit ups. These are all very good forms of body-weight exercises however we want to expand the average “athletic boaters” repertoire of exercises to include some variety.

Space is the main restriction we deal with when designing exercises that can be performed on a boat. You might be surprised that many exercises can be done in a space no larger than a four foot by four foot square. Usually most boats will have some area perhaps inside the main cabin or on the fore or aft decks where a space of this size exists.

The other main issue is equipment. Hauling heavy hand weights on and off your boat is impractical. By using one resistance band you can achieve the same results as multiple sets of hand weights. There are many exercises you can perform with no equipment what so ever, but by simply adding one inexpensive resistance band your variety increases greatly. Repetition gets boring, so if you can shake up your routine with varying exercises two things happen. First, your physical results will increase. By changing up the exercises you do you challenge your muscles in new and unique ways which increases desirable results in both strength and appearance. Secondly, you are more likely to workout more often because the routine is new and changing which makes it more exciting to do.

In this blog, I will give you four simple exercises you can do on your boat to shake up your regular routine. We recommend that you loop them together in a circuit and try to make it through all 4 exercises  2-4 times with 12-15 reps in each exercise. All these exercises challenge your core muscles and after you perform this circuit several time you should feel as if you have had a full body workout. Depending on how many times you make it through the circuit this can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes.

We do use a resistance band to perform some of these exercises. When attaching the band please use a stable and solid fixture to loop the band around. With these exercises we used the railing on the bow of the boat to anchor our band around. To adjust the resistance level of your band simply move closer to the anchor point to make it easier and step farther away to increase intensity.

Squat with Resistance Band

Squats use your whole body and holding the resistance band gives you a bit more core control and balance. Your glutes (butt), quads (thighs) and core should all feel worked. Repeat 12-15 reps.

Alternating Band Rows- Lat Pull

Using the lunge stance to increase strength in your legs and keep your center of gravity low. Pull one arm into your side and alternate squeezing your lat (upper back) as you pull. You will feel some fatigue in your quads (thighs) and your arms should get tired as well. Repeat 12-15 reps.

Lunge Stance Band Incline Chest Press

Again staying in the lunge stance to challenge your legs and core, turn your body around and grab the band handles behind you. Press the resistance band away from your chest at an incline toward the sky extending your arms. This exercise works your quads (thighs), core, chest and shoulders. Repeat 12-15 reps.

Glute Hip Lifts

Use a mat or towel to lay on for added support. Bend your knees, press your arms into the ground by your sides and lift your hips up towards the sky. Hold for 1-2 seconds at the top of your lift and lower gradually. You should feel this working your glutes (butt) and your hamstrings (backs of your leg). Repeat 12-15 reps.

We hope these exercises are helpful and want to remind you that we have 100’s more of these types of exercises for boaters of all fitness levels.

We also sell the resistance bands and other “boat friendly” exercise equipment on our site www.onboardfitness.com.

Please feel to email us info@onboardfitness.com for more information. We create personalized workouts for boaters and will be releasing a DVD soon.

The benefits of being “fit for boating”

At Onboard Fitness we feel it is imperative every boater understand the importance of being “fit for boating’.  Aside from the obvious benefits of fitness there are specific reasons why being in shape before the boating season begins is a good idea.

Let’s start with safety on board. This extends farther than simply donning a life jacket while you cruise. What if someone falls over board, are you going to be able to lift them out of the water? This effort becomes exponentially harder when that person is unconscious. Can you trust your body to have the strength to pull a 200 pound person back on deck? Most boaters don’t even think about this because as with most “worst case scenarios” we tend to think this will never happen to us. Well it happens all the time and ladies this is a particularly scary scenario if you are the one hefting your partner on deck. Women do tend to have less upper body strength then men and men do tend to be heavier then women in general. At Onboard Fitness we believe you should have the knowledge and strength to be able to leverage your body correctly without injuring yourself to bring another person on deck should they accidentally fall over board.

Of course this varies from boat to boat. Some boats have swim steps that are very close to the water but if you are driving the boat you won’t be able to be back there to haul the person up until you shift it into neutral.

We recommend all boaters try this drill and practice pulling others on board. It is an extremely important skill to master given the severity of a situation like this.

With strength training exercises we can help you strengthen the muscles you would need to perform and action like pulling someone on deck. The exercises that we have our members practice are designed with these types of scenarios in mind.

Onto point number two; performing boating related activities. These come in the form of docking (pushing and pulling), cleaning (waxing and washing), engine work (crouching, bending, contorting), and anchoring (pulling, pushing, bending). We all tend to live somewhat sedentary lifestyles especially if you work in an office 9-5. So why do expect our bodies to be able to adapt to the very physical environment that accompanies boating? Have we trained our body to do these activities while sitting at our desk or running or doing yoga? Not really. Boaters commonly have back aches, muscle soreness, and other physical ailments after an afternoon or a week of boating. These are due to our bodies not being prepared for the tasks we force them to do when we boat. Consequently this is not healthy for our bodies and cause them to be in pain.

Boating should be a very pleasant pastime, relaxing and revitalizing time away from the hustle and bustle of land life. To be able to enjoy this time we believe you have to prepare your body for the tasks and movements you will be requiring it to perform while you are out on the water. There are simple exercises you can do to strengthen the muscles you will need while boating and you can prepare for this in the comfort of your home or at your gym. And of course you can maintain your fitness level on your boat while you are cruising if you so choose. Unfortunately most boaters do not know what exercises to do or how to do them properly. This is where we come into the picture.

This picture represents a very common docking movement. Pulling your boat into the dock. Notice how they are standing and using their legs to assist them. Below is a possible exercise we would recommend to prepare the body for this type of motion.

In this exercise we are having you stand in a squatting position, maintaining your balance and challenging your leg strength as you pull the resistance band toward your chest in a basic lat pull. We can also modify this exercise in many ways. See this next exercise clip.

We have changed the leg position to a lunge/split stance and have alternated the rowing action in the arms.  This is a great exercise to build strength for hand over hand pulling actions. The wider stance also allows you to have more stability and uses your core muscles to push or pull a boat in our out of the dock. The lunge stance uses your legs for leverage reducing the chance of spinal injury. Boaters are much more stable in this sort of stance. Use it when you are fending boats off the dock or pulling boats into a slip.

The last important point we would like to make is that being fit for boating reduces injuries. This theme is woven in and out of the above points but should be addressed on its own as well. By preparing your body to perform the actions you require it to do while boating you will greatly reduce your risk of injury. All of our exercises are designed to mimic “real life” movements. Simple bicep curls are not going to help you when you get out on the water. You need to do exercises that can train your body to not only be strong, but also to be in the right postural position to perform an action. By practicing these movements (doing the exercises) you strengthen your muscles and also train your body to do what you ask of it in the correct form.

For example, if a boat is careening toward your boat it is important to have the strength to fend it off but also to make sure you are in a good position when you apply the force. If not you risk injuring your back, neck, knees and many other important body parts. This also applies to repetitive movements like pulling up an anchor or bending down to pick up a line or heavy object.  If done correctly these movements are safe and you can enjoy another day on the water. Unfortunately if you continually pull the anchor up with a hunched spine or bend over from the back to lift heavy objects instead of using your legs, you run the risk of injuring yourself.

At Onboard Fitness we want to see all you boaters out there on the water for years to come. Take care of your bodies so you can enjoy a long, relaxing boating career.

Updates for weblog

I have researched RSS feeds and now have a few feeds coming to our blog. As I read and discover more online I will add topical content feeds to our blog to keep all readers up to date. Currently we are featuring a diet and exercise blog as well as two sailing sites.

I have also attempted to add an RSS subscriber feature to our site. In theory we can feed directly to your RSS reader now. Yipee. Let’s just see if it works!

New Intro video on home page

We have created a more informative intro video on the homepage of our site. Please visit www.onboardfitness.com and leave us comments on our blog about your thoughts.

 Is it informative?

 Does it help to have the exercises shown to better explain what it is we do?

Since our fans (friends and family) loved to make fun of us about our original video we have moved that to our About Us page so they can still watch it and laugh.  It is definitely better fit on that page anyway!

Let us know your thoughts! See you at the Boat Show this weekend!

Onboard Fitness videos online

In 2009 we are attempting to publish more videos online. We are using a site called tubemogul which allows us to publish one video on many sites. It is a great tool.

Most of our videos are instructional exercise snippets that can be done on your boat or in your home. They usually require very little equipment and minimal space.

Type in onboardfitness to locate most of our videos, or search under boating and exercise.

Seattle Boat Show 2009

Well despite the economy the “show must go on” and we will be presenting two seminars at the Seattle Boat Show this year.  The official magazine/mailer has not gone out yet but our dates are set for Sunday, January 25th at 3:15 and Saturday, January 31st at 12:15. We are very pleased to receive two prime weekend time slots to present this year. 

We speak for about an hour about why it is important to stay in shape as boaters and of course how to take your work out regime with you on the water. Using MS Powerpoint we have a slide show and lots of pictures to keep the audience attentive. We also demonstrate many different exercises and allow for a question and answer period at the end as well as a “hands on trial” of some of our equipment.

We encourage anyone who is interested in fitness and boating to attend and come prepared with questions. We thoroughly enjoy putting on these seminars and hope to see all you hardy boaters out there!

Happy Holidays.

Summer slumber

Unfortunately we were very lame sailors this past summer. We ended up getting out on our boat for two trips in salt water and only one day sailing on the lake. It was ridiculous. We had grand plans to be on our boat early in the season this year. However when we went down one April afternoon to de-winterize her, she had no rudder. Fortunately the neighbors next door to where we moor our boat had retrieved an odd blue object from the lake one winter day. THANK GOD! So we had our rudder but no way of reattaching the piece. We had to wait as all boaters do for the right piece (which of course is always back ordered) to arrive via mail before we could return our rudder to the stern.

This debacle allowed Myles some time to fix our tiller and raise it so we could steer without hitting other cockpit members legs when we tacked or jibbed. Needless to say, the tiller and rudder were not in working order until the first of July. With the unfortunate passing of my grandmother, our trip to the San Juans was cut short this year too. After returning from that trip in late July we offered on a house and the rest is history……

Our summer was swallowed up by boat issues early in the season and loans, inspections, and closings in the end of the season. So besides our trip north, we did venture out for one day sailing and swimming with friends on the lake and a nice Labor Day Weekend trip around the south sound.

It was very difficult, almost gut wrenching to pull down her sails and put her to “bed” for the winter. We felt nostalgic and missed our usual summer of playing and sailing aboard her. We could sail in the winter here, it is not like the lake freezes over, but I’m too much of a wimp to sail in the cold weather. If Myles had it his way we would sail all year round…. but the galley maid would strike!

Running in the San Juans

Working out onboard is great, but sometimes we need to venture off to see some of the scenery around us. I love running in new places. It adds a sense of adventure to the run which seems to make the time pass a bit quicker then normal. On our short trip up to the San Juans we ran three separate times. Finding places to run, especially in the San Juan and Gulf Islands can be tricky. I have laid out the three areas we found this year that worked well.

Starting in Anacortes we took a run on the Tommy Thompson Parkway which extends 3.8 miles along the water. It was flat and safe with bathroom stops and water fountains along the way. We happened onto it and were pleasantly surprised by the trail we found. (It is a bike trail and pedestrian trail)

On our stop at Otter Bay on North Pender Island we decided to go out for a morning run. I asked the lovely store attendant about a route and she handed me a map with a few options. We decided to run towards Poet’s cove making the small shopping center our turn around point. HILLY!!!! It was a very hilly run but the scenery and farm land was gorgeous. We did pick up a few items at the grocery store and Myles ran back with a backpack full of food. Our bread was a bit squished but talk about killing two birds with one stone; Exercise and the grocery stop all in one!

Our last run was when we spent the night in Friday Harbor. No map, we just headed up the street out of town and stayed on residential roads. This was a quick run as we were crossing the straits that day and needed to head out fairly early.

This year we didn’t run on any small islands. I have however ran on Sucia, Wallace, Stuart, and many others on past trips. Any hiking trail can easily be a good run course but keep in mind that a lot times they are hilly and you might need to jog more then run.

Trip to the San Juan and Gulf Islands part 1

Every year Myles and I take an annual trip to the San Juan and Gulf Islands.  Our route and trip itinerary is largely dependent on the amount of time we have to sail around the islands. Our longest trip was our honeymoon where we took a full two weeks in late September and spent the majority of the trip wet and cold. Since then we have moved our vacation earlier in the summer usually around July or August. The islands are definitely more crowded that time of year but the weather is nicer and the days are longer.

This year we went up from July 20th-27th (our shortest trip yet). Since our boat only averages about 5 knots the trip from the south end of Lake Washington all the way up to the islands can take some long days. The past two years we have left our boat in Anacortes for an extra week to extend our time up in the islands themselves. Last year we planned to bring her home, but the weather in the strait of Juan De Fuca was not cooperating so we left her at Anacortes Marina for an extra week and sailed her down the following weekend with friends aboard. It actually felt like it extended our vacation an extra few days. This year we took her up a week early and drove back up the following week and left on our trip. Having done it both ways we both agreed that leaving it an extra week was better because the sail home after being up in the islands is always kind of depressing. The problem with this plan is the transportation logistics to and from Anacortes. You inevitably end up with a car up there and have to come back up with another person to pick it up later. BUT….. if it extends your vacation it is worth it!

Our itinerary this year was….

Anacortes-Sunday night, Sucia Island (Shallow bay)- Monday night, Otter Bay (BC-check in at Poet’s cove)- Tuesday night, Montague Harbor -Wednesday night, Wallace Island (Princess cove) -Thursday night with the Rock N’ Roll, Friday Harbor - Friday night, Port Townsend (port Hudson Marina) -Saturday and home on Sunday.

Basically for the whole week we had beautiful weather, warm with a strong southerly wind. This is the first year during the summer that we have had much wind at all up in the San Juan area. We tend to believe that if the weather is nice, the wind is absent. But not so this year!

It made for great sailing and a wonderful relaxing time. I will be writing separate posts about the different areas in the future.