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.