Do you need to get physically fit for sailing

Snowgoose-1 said:
I'm thinking mainly layabouts like me that are retired and getting on a bit.

Could a fitness regime cheat the years?

I had little to do on the boat this winter and now feeling it. I do lots of walking and climb stairs where possible but little physical stuff. I dislike gyms.

Anyone done a fitness programme and found it really helps their sailing ? I am a cruiser sailor
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I find that when I start sailing my fitness improves.

I do cycling, walking and garden maintenance all year round that helps.
 
Snowgoose-1 said:
A reserve of strength would be handy for when you needed it. Just day to day living would probably not do it.
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Actually day to day living is the key.....walk briskly or cycle instead of taking the car...curl your shopping bags as you carry them....use stairs instead of lift or escalator.....squat instead of bending over. Make everyday activities into a workout everyday....and don’t just walk or climb stairs...put some effort into it
 
I think it's a bit unseamanlike to go to sea without the strength and endurance to cope when something goes wrong. Roller reefing problem in a rising wind at dusk; man overboard and you need to get him back on board; crew illness and you're unexpectedly single-handed; electric windlass conks out and you're anchored in an exposed spot with the wind shifting round - we've all experienced situations that have been unexpectedly taxing. Just as you need to prepare the boat, I think you need to prepare yourself.
I used to read the RNLI magazine, mainly the accounts of rescues, to try and get a better understanding of how things go wrong. Very often an exhausted crew is part of the picture.
 
MisterBaxter said:
I think it's a bit unseamanlike to go to sea without the strength and endurance to cope when something goes wrong. Roller reefing problem in a rising wind at dusk; man overboard and you need to get him back on board; crew illness and you're unexpectedly single-handed; electric windlass conks out and you're anchored in an exposed spot with the wind shifting round - we've all experienced situations that have been unexpectedly taxing. Just as you need to prepare the boat, I think you need to prepare yourself.
I used to read the RNLI magazine, mainly the accounts of rescues, to try and get a better understanding of how things go wrong. Very often an exhausted crew is part of the picture.
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Definitely. I stay fit for racing, but it’s certainly a help for cruising. Racing, a 2 1/2 hour race in 25kn of wind is par for the course in Cowes week, usually raining too. The crews that are still sharp at the end of that tend to be the ones who get a top 10 place at least.
 
Stemar said:
One thing that I don't think has been mentioned is balance. Without good balance, moving around aboard in any sea is difficult, and going to the mast or foredeck, fraught with danger. I seem to remember and old sailor (PBO editior?) who had to give up because an operation robbed him of his balance.
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I did say agility but you are right…practice standing on one leg…build up to doing calf raises on one leg…practice with your eyes closed…but always near something you can grab hold of
 
Bouba said:
Actually day to day living is the key.....walk briskly or cycle instead of taking the car...curl your shopping bags as you carry them....use stairs instead of lift or escalator.....squat instead of bending over. Make everyday activities into a workout everyday....and don’t just walk or climb stairs...put some effort into it
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That is the most sensible thing you have ever said, and something I have been preaching for yonks. I went to the Courtauld Gallery this week and enjoyed using the quaint old stairs which are at an easy pitch. Almost everyone else was using the lift. It’s only a couple of floors. For working people it is sometimes time constraints and the weather that discourages them from walking or cycling, but there are still many things that they can do. I am intensely suspicious of imposed exercises and gymnasia outside the field of sport and believe that fitness is primarily an attitude of mind.
 
johnalison said:
That is the most sensible thing you have ever said, and something I have been preaching for yonks. I went to the Courtauld Gallery this week and enjoyed using the quaint old stairs which are at an easy pitch. Almost everyone else was using the lift. It’s only a couple of floors. For working people it is sometimes time constraints and the weather that discourages them from walking or cycling, but there are still many things that they can do. I am intensely suspicious of imposed exercises and gymnasia outside the field of sport and believe that fitness is primarily an attitude of mind.
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Thank you…. I think 🤔
 
Stemar said:
One thing that I don't think has been mentioned is balance. Without good balance, moving around aboard in any sea is difficult, and going to the mast or foredeck, fraught with danger. I seem to remember and old sailor (PBO editior?) who had to give up because an operation robbed him of his balance.
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A friend has a medical condition that means he has very poor balance, on good days he has a staggering walk . (Outsiders may think he's very drunk) . However, he has no problem driving, can rig / unrig his own boat and is a very good helmsman. Not all sailing is at sea...
 
The Q said:
A friend has a medical condition that means he has very poor balance, on good days he has a staggering walk . (Outsiders may think he's very drunk) . However, he has no problem driving, can rig / unrig his own boat and is a very good helmsman. Not all sailing is at sea...
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Good for him. A bit like a blind guy I know, who is a better helm than I'll ever be.
 
Snowgoose-1 said:
I'm thinking mainly layabouts like me that are retired and getting on a bit.

Could a fitness regime cheat the years?

I had little to do on the boat this winter and now feeling it. I do lots of walking and climb stairs where possible but little physical stuff. I dislike gyms.

Anyone done a fitness programme and found it really helps their sailing ? I am a cruiser sailor
Click to expand...
PILATES is all about strengthening your core, as said above , what you use for anchor recovery and setting the mainsail. If you're a lady join a class for a few weeks, if you're a man put your fears aside and join the ladies.

Then carry on at home, half hour a week. I lay on my back doing the leg and arm stretching. Your tummy muscles will tell you if its working.

From a 77 year old of a 26ft wooden cruiser, single-handed.
 
Iam boatless at the moment but found I was fit as a fiddle when i had one. I also had a one year old dog mind you, so between him, no windlass, hank on sail, constant trips to the hardware shop, and an 8 year old as deck mate, ,my 20,000 steps a day and upper body strength were easy to come by.
 
Last autumn I noticed that the opening in to our cockpit locker was definitely becoming smaller and more difficult of access. To combat this unfortunate change in the shape of the boat I decided I’d have to change my own shape to compensate. Thus since Christmas I’ve walked 6 miles just about everyday. Those hills that were very steep requiring multiple rest stops in January I now find that in April the gradient has happily lessened and no stops are required. Having shortened the belt by two holes I’m hoping that the confounded cockpit locker will have expanded back to its original aperture for ease of access when I return to the boat this coming weekend.
 
Trying to keep ahead of health issues is the real battle I think, fitness is good but some issues get in the way of this. I’m waiting on knee work that will most likely be over a year away but trying to keep going gets hard.
 
If "fitness" is the only consideration (i.e. parking aside any critical health issues that may impinge on life), then the answer to the question is: go sailing and you will get fit. At least that is my experience.

Post covid lockdown, I really felt that the downward ageing spiral was dragging me down. Aided and abetted by the effect of gravity on my increased body mass.

The four month stint sailing to, around and back from the Azores in 2023 made me feel as though I had lost at least 10 years (plus 6Kg off my fat). The 3 month cruise to W Ireland last year had the same effect.

The physical action of a constantly rocking boat, good food, fresh air, occasional swim (not so frequent in Ireland TBH) and the general feeling of well being, made a huge impact on my "fitness".
 
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