Hi my lovely readers!

By now you should all know that I am a big cruise fan. I love everything about cruising, there are so many reasons why everyone should try a cruise at least once in their life.

Cruising is a different way to get that sort of resort experience, while being able to experience different places in a short period of time.

Many cruisers, including me, rave about the food. Cruise lines offer different food experiences and you typically can find food 24/7 on the ships.

Everything is accessible by lift, so you do not have to walk too much to get from A to B. Plus, many cruisers spend most of their days, especially sea days on the sun lounger with a cocktail in their hand that is brought to them by the friendly waiters around the lido deck.

All in all, the majority of cruisers eat and drink more than they would at home and move less. Not a good combination if you want to keep your waistline in check, right?

If you are health conscious, want to stay fit and healthy or simply want to make sure you can fit in your evening dress for the formal nights, here are some tips to stay fit while cruising.

JOIN THE MORNING EXERCISE CLASSES

Many cruise lines offer morning exercise classes. Most of them take place around 8 or 9 am in the morning and often incorporate some stretching and Pilates moves. They are gentle wake up classes and not too hard or difficult.

They are really for everyone. I often participate at least once during a cruise in an exercise class and see all age groups represented there.

PARTICIPATE IN DANCE CLASSES

I know it is not for everyone, but I think the dance classes are fun and just a good laugh. You look as silly as everyone else and you get to move around a little, burn some calories, have a good time and learn some dance moves.

TAKE THE STAIRS

Everyone knows this, but many do not do it because they are lazy. But taking the stairs is good exercise.

Often your cabin is on deck 5 and the lido deck is on deck 12. I know those are a lot of stairs you have to take to get to the pool, but it will be worth it.

You will not feel as guilty eating that extra chocolate pudding for lunch if you take the stairs 🙂

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

When I was a first time cruiser and even the second time I went on a cruise, I got so excited about the food. Everything looked so tasty and appetising and OMG those desserts.

I put so much on my plate of only one or two food items/dishes that I did not have enough space to try some other. And if I was like “what the heck I want to try this although I am stuffed” I would feel sick afterwards as I was simply overeating.

Put small portions on your plate and a little of everything you like to be able to taste and try out all the amazing foods on offer. If you want some more later, you will have enough space to go and get some more of what you liked or try something different.

EXPLORE THE PORTS ON FOOT

If you can, try to explore the ports on foot. Try to walk to an attraction if it is close to the cruise port instead of taking a taxi.

Instead of taking a sightseeing bus tour, walk around the city and you will often find hidden gems that you would not come across if you are stuck in traffic or a metro.

HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS

A lot of cruise lines offer reasonably healthy food options throughout the day now as more and more people are becoming health conscious.

Carnival for instance has an excellent salad bar in my opinion and I often have a salad as a main course for lunch, because it is so tasty and they have lots of topping options that transform a boring and bland salad into a super tasty dish.

In the mornings you could have some porridge or fruits and yogurt instead of croissants with jam. Basically there are plenty of options to also eat reasonably healthy during a cruise, if you make some swaps.

GO TO THE FITNESS CENTER

The fitness centers are often underused and empty. But working out at sea is actually really nice, I really enjoy it. Most fitness centers I used on cruise ships were on the upper decks and were overlooking the sea.

You cannot get a better view to work out. And when I am saying workout, this can be a full body workout for an hour, 15 min of walking on a treadmill or just some stretching. The key is to get the body moving, even if it is just for a few minutes.

RUNNING TRACK

An alternative to the fitness center could be using the running track. The tracks normally show you a distance, for example four runs or walks around the track is one mile. I often see people using the running track for walking. I guess people prefer the track as it is outside.

STAY AWAY FROM SUGARY DRINKS

It is easy to get carried away drinking sugary drinks all day long like sodas and cocktails, especially when you have purchased a drinks package with unlimited refills.

These can all add up to lots of calories. Of course have your cocktails and sodas, but maybe replace it with some water once in a while or go for a G&T instead of a Pina Colada.

TAKE PART IN OTHER ONBOARD ACTIVITIES

There are plenty of onboard activities that cruise lines offer and that you can take advantage of to keep in shape.

Royal Caribbean for example offers rock climbing and surfing that will activate your muscles. Most cruise lines will have a basket ball court and table tennis so why not participate in a basketball or table tennis tournament? Carnival has mini golf and it is really nice to be on the upper deck playing a round of golf.

FINAL THOUGHTS …

To be perfectly honest with you, I do not really think it is possible to stay super fit and healthy during a cruise all the time and to be perfectly frank, why would you?

It is your holiday and the one time of the year when you are supposed to have a break, enjoy life and just be happy.

I am not a believer of staying in shape during my cruise as there are just too many things I want to eat and taste and I just want to have a few days where I can be lazy and preferably do not move away from my sun lounger, only to cool down in the pool, get some food and drinks and go to the toilet.

I am always trying to move around and incorporate the tips I outlined above, but if I am on a five day cruise and am not hitting the gym, I am not going to regret it and I am not going to burst out in tears when home and seeing that I gained 1 kg.

A holiday is there to enjoy and not to worry!

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What are your tips to stay fit during a cruise? Do you prefer to stay active or just be lazy and relax?