Beach life can sometimes leave me feeling like a lazy bum. Happy hour can have me drinking down calories (not that I count) that I don’t necessarily need. And our nighttime movie routine has me munching on snacks way passed my metabolism’s bedtime.

  Boat life is busy, and it can be strenuous, and although I can sweat my way through daily boat chores, I don’t count them as being a workout. I have the girls that keep me busy too, but they are older now; I am not constantly running after toddlers anymore. And the “natural liposuction” of breastfeeding, those days are long gone. The only thing that can balance out my lifestyle and choices, and my desire to stay fit is to work out.

   Working out on a boat is totally doable. For a while I was doing yoga on the paddleboard tied off to the back of the boat. Then I switched and was doing 30 minute cardio workouts in our salon. I have also seen posts of people hooking up a TRX on deck. And there is our friend Rebecca who has found a million and one ways to get your daily dose of workout in while living on a boat.

   But none of my workouts ever stick. I do them for a week or two and then let them dwindle out, slightly on purpose. I can find so many reasons not to workout, it’s too hot in the boat, I would be tripping over the kids, if I do it during nap time I would wake up the kids, after working out I need an extra shower (wasting water), or I just feel too lazy to move.

   My problem is not the space, it is definitely the motivation. I struggle to motivate myself when I know that I am going to be working out alone. I don’t even need a “workout buddy” per se but having people around me, in a class or in the gym, pushing themselves towards a healthier lifestyle, that always helps give me a rush of energy. Without all those people I am left with just myself and all of those reasons why I shouldn’t work out. So for this reason I have decided that this month I am taking my workouts off the boat.

   Since we are on the dock for a month I decided to take the opportunity to enrol in a class on St Thomas. I looked at a few different ones, yoga studios, gyms, and spinning, and had to decide which interested me the most and had classes that fit our schedule. I also had to take into consideration the whereabouts of the gym since I am getting around by safari taxi, and they only do a specific loop around the island and run until dark.

   I hit the jackpot though. I found the Pure Balance fitness studio that offers morning spinning classes with a babysitter for the kids. Now the girls can’t be an excuse for me to not workout since there is someone watching them! Even though spinning was not high on my list of workouts (because I had never done much of it), I figured it was worth a shot. After only three classes I see how good of a cardio training it is, and my bum is feeling it too, which is perfect. I think with an extra padded seat, and maybe even some padded shorts (so my lady bits don’t feel so sore from the bike seat), then I may be hooked!

   This class is a great business model, and it is perfect for parents with little ones. It’s like a quadruple bonus for us, 1) I get to workout, 2) the girls get to play with other kids, 3) I get an hour away from the kids, and 4) we get to do all of this while Eben can do boat projects without the girls in his way. Everyone wins. I honestly think that every gym should offer a sitter program. I know many do in the states, but this is the first time I have come across it in the islands, around the sailing community. And it is hugely helping me get my butt moving.

The girls enjoy going to spinning as much as I do!

 

Arias keeps telling me, Mama its not that hard, you’re just riding a bike.

 

  Next month, when we are back to sailing, then I will be back to looking for a good way to keep moving, or I will commit to the beach bum lifestyle. Although I am quite liking the workout bum.