Here is a couple of quick tips for fitness and losing weight onboard your cruise.

Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day – If you are new to exercise and feel inspired by your cruise to give it a try, you are already half way there. If you do not know how to put together an effective weight loss program on your own, or if you are a looking for a quality diet and exercise program you can follow, nearly all ships have fitness instructors to help you. Most ships have fully equipped gymnasiums with weights, cardio machines and a host of exercise classes like Aerobics, Pilates, Yoga etc.

If you want a shortcut to burning fat fast, train in the morning before breakfast. If you train when you first wake up, your body starts burning fat faster than it would after you eat. The reason being is, your body has been fasting all night; hence it has less energy to use before it starts burning fat.

So if it normally takes your body 20 minutes of exercise before it starts burning fat, it may only take 10 minutes in the morning. Therefore, a 30 minute workout becomes a lot more beneficial for burning fat in the morning than the afternoon or evening. And considering your days will be filled with sightseeing, and your nights with eating, drinking and entertaining, the morning is also the most convenient time to train.

Keep busy – On cruises nowadays, there is always something to do onboard, so it should not be too hard to keep yourself occupied. This will keep you from getting bored and take your attention away from eating. Depending on your ship, there could be fitness classes, dancing, rock climbing, ice skating, surfing, golf and miniature golf, inline skating, basketball, volleyball tournaments, dodge ball tournaments, and soccer just to name a few. The ships daily planner will outline different fitness activities and wellness seminars you can do. Take advantage of these to learn more about staying healthy. This will not only keep you motivated but give you valuable education to serve you long after your cruise. Want more cruise ship tips for staying healthy onboard.

Sailing is great. You become part of the environment around you as you capture the winds energy and move ahead. There are all types of sailboats. Generally speaking, there are cruisers, racers, cruiser-racers, center cockpits and pilothouses. If you are a first timer, there is no better time to jump into one. Prices are down and deals are for the making! You have to look at the different types available and find what makes you feel comfortable. How it looks, how the cockpit feels and the cabin below will influence your decision. The cruiser type sailboat ranging between 25- 30 feet is a common first sailboat, because they are easier to handle for the inexperienced sailor.

When you are more experienced, your choice becomes refined. You start where you feel comfortable, just as you would with a car, and, after a while, you may like cruising and go for a larger sailboat with more speed and comfort. Or you may turn to racing – a great sport the whole family can enjoy. You learn quite a bit about sail handling and usually join the club. They may have cookouts and activities lined up the year through. There are racing machine sailboats out there in all sizes, but with sparse interiors, less weight and more speed. But a new breed of sailboats has been coming out, getting better year after year. It is the racer-cruiser, capturing the best of both worlds.

Center cockpit sailboats present the deck forward and aft with the steering towards the center of the sailboat. This configuration allows you and your guests to relax in the stern area of your sailboat rather than everyone being in the cockpit. The stern railing usually has built in seating and some also have deck mats to layout and get a tan. Below there is your cabin made up of your salon (living room), forward stateroom (bedroom), with a head (bathroom), and to the rear of the salon there is another stateroom with an ensuite head. This area is usually large and enticing, depending how large the sailboat is.

The pilothouse is a nice change. This type of sailboat features an aft cockpit with steering and, if the weather gets bad or if it is raining, you can duck in to the cabin ahead, which is usually raised and also contains a cockpit. That becomes your salon with another cabin area further ahead and below. Sleeping accommodations are in the salon like all sailboats and also up forward. The pilothouse gives you great visibility and everything can be handled out of the weather.