Exercise at Home with a Life Jacket to Get Ready for Boating Season

As many states are under stay-at-home orders at this time, exercise is taking on many forms. Some people are taking walks around their neighborhoods or running up and down the stairs in their apartment buildings. Other people are taking advantage of treadmills and stationary bikes that they already owned while others are turning to exercise videos for inspiration. With that in mind, the Sea Tow Foundation has created a unique full-body workout that utilizes a life jacket to help you get ready for boating season.

The life jacket exercise workout video features the Sea Tow Foundation’s Executive Director, Gail Kulp, in her living room. No special equipment is needed other than a pair of athletic shoes and a life jacket. The Sea Tow Foundation has partnered with Onyx life jackets for the nationwide Life Jacket Loaner Program which features over 650 life jacket loaner stations at marinas, fuel docks and boat ramps.  Kulp explains that the life jacket exercise workout involves six different moves – two that are focused on strength, two that are focused on cardio and the final two that are focused on the abdominal muscles (also known as the abs).  Each move is completed for one minute and then at the end of the six moves, there is a one-minute rest before completing the circuit three more times. When including a warm-up and cool-down of a couple of minutes, the entire life jacket exercise routine will take exactly 30 minutes to complete.

A variety of free timers are available to be downloaded to a phone or tablet and can be programmed for the 1-minute intervals for the life jacket exercise workout. Music of your choice can also be played while working out. The full exercise routine is listed at the bottom and Kulp demonstrates all of the moves in the video. She also includes some default moves if jumping or running in place is too difficult for the cardio portion of the life jacket exercise workout.

The life jacket workout exercise video is just one of many tools being debuted by the Sea Tow Foundation to help groups and individuals participate in National Safe Boating Week which takes place from May 16-22, 2020. The Sea Tow Foundation has developed a media kit, images sized for social media and we have recorded a webinar explaining how to use these tools and many others in your local area.

We’d love to hear from you after trying this life jacket exercise workout with your comments below. Was the workout easy or hard? And, we hope that you’ll connect with us on Facebook and Instagram before National Safe Boating Week to join in all the fun!

Direct Link to Life Jacket Exercise Workout Video 

Sea Tow Foundation Life Jacket Exercise Routine:

Warm-up (2 minutes)

                Stretch
                Jog in Place

Circuit (1 minute each – repeat for total of 4 times)

1.       Squat while taking life jacket on and off

2.       Lunge life jacket pass

3.       Jumping Jacks while wearing life jacket

4.       High Knees while wearing life jacket

5.       Abdominal Twists passing the life jacket

6.       Dynamic Plank while wearing life jacket

7.       Rest

Cool-Down (2 minutes)

                Stretch as needed

Disclaimer: Before starting this or any exercise routine, the Sea Tow Foundation strongly recommends that you consult with your medical team. The Sea Tow Foundation staff are not experts in exercise techniques nor medical conditions. By voluntarily participating in this exercise routine, you understand that there is a possibility of injury and you assume all risk of injury to yourself and agree to release and hold harmless the Sea Tow Foundation from any and all claims or course of action.