No Gym? No Problem: How to Stay Fit Living on a Sailboat

One of my biggest fears about cruising full-time? Losing my fitness. Even on a simple overnight on our liveaboard, I get antsy — itching for a way to move my body that isn’t just hauling on lines. On land, when we are traveling in our Sprinter van, I love mountain biking, hiking, and walking. That type of cardio is a lot harder to achieve on a sailboat!

Sure, in warmer climates I can swim and surf my way to staying active. But what about long passages, or those stretches when getting off the boat just isn’t an option? That’s when I need an actual plan… something I can do right there on deck, in a space barely bigger than a walk-in closet.

So I turned to Rebecca Sweeney of ZeroToCruising, a former martial artist who traded the dojo for a sailboat and figured out exactly how to get a full-body workout in (almost) zero square feet. I caught up with her over email to pick her brain on staying fit while cruising.

What are the biggest concerns about fitness and sailing?

Rebecca: I think, for the most part, people who are concerned about staying in shape while living on a sailboat are those who were involved in some sort of fitness regime prior to sailing. They were perhaps members of a gym or they were involved in some sort of activity that kept them active. The thought of being on a sailboat without these things available raises concerns that they will not be able to stay in shape. For some, it may be cardio but for others, it may be strength conditioning.

I never try to preach to others to stay fit and eat healthily. I only try to inspire by doing it myself. While we were cruising, I consistently exercised on the bow of our boat each morning. Others would see me doing this and subsequently told me that I have inspired them to work out, too.

What are some examples of a full body workout plan to do on a sailboat?

Rebecca: There are a lot of HIIT style workouts you can perform on a sailboat. In other words, perform each exercise for 50 seconds (do as many reps as you can in that time without compromising form) resting 10 seconds between each exercise. Complete 3-5 sets.

As far as deciding how often and what body parts to exercise, I would suggest the following: work up to being able to exercise every day. It doesn’t have to be strenuous every day, but you should do something each day.

It also does not to be a long workout. Even a short 10-minute workout is something. Unless you are training to be a bodybuilder, do full-body workouts. No need to separate which body parts to exercise. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should do the SAME exercises each day but some variation of it. For instance, if you do squats one day, maybe do some other leg exercise such as lunges the next.

There are literally hundreds of exercises that can be done on a boat. Squats, push-ups, lunges, chin-ups, planks are just a few examples of exercises that can be done that require little space and no equipment.

What pieces of equipment do you recommend for a full body workout program?

Rebecca: If I were to recommend one piece of equipment to invest in, I would have to say a suspension trainer. I had an aeroSling Elite on our boat and it was perfect. (The aerosling is no longer available. A TRX suspension trainer is the next best fit)

What are some ways to get cardio when cruising?

Rebecca: This is really not that hard. If you are cruising from island to island, getting off the boat to go for a run or hike is easy enough to do and if you find yourself in a spot where there are cruiser activities, there is often organized sports activities that go on such as volleyball or aerobics.

Having a kayak or a paddleboard is also another way to get some cardio, and of course, there is swimming. A cardio workout can also be achieved even during those times when you cannot get off the boat. By doing exercises at a relatively fast tempo and shortening your rest times between exercises, you can easily get your heart rate up. I tend to do a lot of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts and they are great for keeping me in shape!

How about staying fit while on a passage?

Rebecca: Advice for those on long passages apart from going completely insane? Lol! It was not uncommon for me to be doing squats, lunges calf raises or other exercises while on watch. Push-ups and planks across the seats in the cockpit are a good challenge while underway!

Obviously hanging onto something on standing exercises especially in rougher conditions is key to avoid injury but there is a lot that one can do to keep moving while underway.

Rebecca and Mike are no longer cruising on a sailboat, after seven years aboard, they decided to sell their boat and embark on a bicycling adventure.

They have so many good tips about fitness to share and I’m excited to try out these workouts.

What I Personally Do to Stay Fit on Our Sailboat

We’ve been on-and-off cruising the Sea of Cortez on our sailboat since 2021, and there are a variety of methods I use to stay in shape.

Sometimes, I will do yoga either inside or outside the boat, and have a yoga mat aboard. I do floor exercises like ab workouts and pilates or barre inspired workouts.

Much to the chagrin of my partner, I also carry 10 and 20 pound dumbbells and I’ll routinely stand in our cockpit and do squats and lunges. My body really needs weights to maintain muscle mass, but my partner prefers bands.

I also try to get off the boat and paddleboard, swim, walk or hike as much as possible, but even still that doesn’t seem like enough for me. We carry windsurfing gear and that’s a darn good workout, too!

How do you stay fit on your sailboat?