How Much Does ‘Cruising’ Fitness Cost?

/ Ben Starling


How Much Does ‘Cruising’ Fitness Equipment Cost? 

How much will it cost to keep the Can Opener in fine form? The First Mate and I industriously researched a few items of interest along ‘Cruising’ Fitness Equipment lines. 

Here’s a sampling of prices for some popular on-board fitness items we found at the websites of a few big retailers. 

Of course, caveat emptor and prices change all the time. This is just a baseline price trawl for rough budget estimating purposes.

 
Here we go… 

Some Ballpark Prices in the USA  

  • resistance tubing ($5-15 at Walmart)
  • yoga DVD ($7-20 at Amazon depending which one you buy, $5 if you buy used)
  • snorkeling gear (about $30 at Amazon for a medium quality set)
  • skipping rope ($5-10 at Amazon, you can spend $40 if you want somebody’s idea of the ‘Olympic’ version…)
  • Mini Stepper, Stairmaster-type equipment ($40-70 at Walmart depending on what brand you buy) 
  • TRX Suspension Trainer ($150-200 at Amazon depending on what package you buy)
  • folding bike – good for getting to the store and back ($140-260 at Amazon) and bike repair kit ($25-38 at Amazon)

Some Ballpark Prices in the UK

  • resistance tubing (£9-12 at Sports Direct)
  • yoga DVD (£2-10 at Amazon UK depending which one you buy)
  • snorkeling gear (£18-26 at Sports Direct for just a ‘fun set’)
  • skipping rope (£5-14 at Sports Direct) 
  • Mini Stepper, Stairmaster-type equipment (£35-120 at Amazon UK depending on what brand you buy)
  • TRX Suspension Trainer (£160-200 at Amazon UK depending on what package you buy)
  • folding bike – good for getting to the store and back (£100-210 at Amazon UK) and bike repair kit (£10-15 at Amazon UK)

 
Observed  
Above samples are for ‘new’ prices. eBay pros and secondhand treasure-hunters, of course, can drive great bargains.

If you’re into scuba, kayaking or high end bikes and boards, you could spend a bundle. 

But if you’re like us, you can stay in shape with a pair of running shoes, a swimsuit and some pretty nominal purchases. And… no more gym fees! Which is good news for the budget-conscious crowd.


Conclusion
We will probably choose get most of the above – except for the Mini Stepper and the TRX. We’re not yet convinced.  I’d like to investigate more to see if the TRX really adds that much value beyond what the resistance tubing provides.

The folding bike, on the other hand, will probably pay for itself pronto by getting us past the tourist-priced areas near marinas and out to the food and shopping markets used by locals. 

Where did you buy your play/exercise stuff? Would you buy it there again? Any recommendations for good price-value brands?

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Life Aboard 
Previously: Fitness on Boats

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