Get Your 10,000 Steps in While on a Cruise Ship

Boarding a cruise ship can be full of excitement and challenges. Knowing there’s an adventure ahead for several days can give a passenger, especially an active one, more innovation and creativity to maintain a level of fitness when out to sea. There are solutions to being able to walk and attain your tried-and-true 10,000 steps on a cruise ship. It might simply involve dedication, responsibility, and outright commitment to your health.

For starters, if you know how long your trip is planned for, chart your fitness course with a gadget that helps to see how far you’ve walked. Every little bit counts. Get that pedometer rolling the instant you’re walking aboard the ship. Secure it tightly on your body and keep it there until you feel confident and comfortable with your new routine.

Pedometers are a travelers best friend when it comes to your walking health. Whether worn on your wrist as a watch, or secured to your clothing. wearing a pedometer on a ship is highly advantageous to gaining the steps you need every minute of every day. It’s almost an encouragement knowing you’ve brought it along to display your accomplishments.

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Here are several ways to include–and achieve–your 10,000 steps while on a cruise:

• First thing in the morning, make certain you grab your pedometer and gently attach it to your wrist or clothing. Start it up. Track every step from bed to bathroom to kitchen, to dining hall.
• Be intentional with your walking. After meals, rest a bit, then get up and do a few laps around the perimeter of the ship. Every cruise ship has ample space to get exercise in the wide open, fresh air. The minute you rise from sitting, your pedometer is tracking, and depending on your chosen cruise, a jogging track can be part of the scene as well. Cruises are now catering to more people who desire to stay in shape while at sea.
• Take the stairs everywhere. Avoid escalators and elevators and climb those stairs! Even if it’s one or two flights, make it a point to go up and down them as often as possible. If you forgot something from inside your room, take the stairs to go back and retrieve it. Oftentimes, when we are privy to our health and fitness on the ship, we subconsciously forget things from wherever we left them, so as to retrace our steps and add more to the daily total.
• Once the ship has docked and your port-o-call land adventure begins, the pedometer practically works overtime. Explore. Discover. Take detours to your destination and go off the beaten path. 10,000 steps are achieved sooner each day when you take the time to see the sights and walk everywhere versus hopping on a shuttle or hailing a cab.

Cruise adventures aren’t for the faint of heart, however sea travel can be more than just a time to relax. Walk, track your progress, be healthy, and have fun!

Gerry Ellen is a published author of three books, a freelance creative writer for several publications, a marketing copywriter, and a wellness entrepreneur. When she’s not out adventuring with her pup and guru, Scout, she’s writing new stories about life and travel on her antique typewriter. You can find more of Gerry’s work on her website and her animal wellness blog.