Staying Fit On A Barge Cruise
By John Roberts
Because we always cruise with a rough plan on how we'll incorporate fitness into our daily routines, Colleen and I were able to stay very active on our recent barge cruise aboard the 8-passenger Horizon II through France's Alsace-Lorraine region. In fact, in some ways, barge cruises provide a great setting for some creative workouts.
Importantly, we also found plenty of time to relax each day in all the great ways that a barge cruise allows. Read our full barge cruise review here.
When it comes to staying fit on a barge cruise, here are five ways I stayed active on my barge cruise with French Country Waterways. I’m so glad we made daily workouts a priority because we certainly couldn't resist any of the delicious meals, wines, cheese and snacks.
1. Do Bodyweight & Exercise-Band Workouts
I packed some exercise bands. They don’t take up any space in your luggage and are a versatile piece of workout equipment. We use these and bodyweight exercises for our resistance training regimens.
Each morning, Colleen and I would go ashore along the canal path and find an area to use the bands. We used YouTube videos and the Peloton app to follow along on a workout.
John's morning workout with the exercise bands he brought with him. * Photo: John Roberts
RELATED: Heidi shares her barge cruise packing list.
2. Do Morning Stretch or Yoga Sessions
Fitness apps and YouTube videos are great for finding morning stretch or yoga routines, if there aren't any organized on board (they rarely would be on a barge cruise).
We find these invaluable to help get limbered up and the blood flowing after a night of sleep. This helps your back, hips, shoulders and knees wake up and be ready for the next day’s activities. This daily habit helps prevent injury and helps us feel more invigorated on our tours and is an important way to stay fit on a barge cruise.
Workout in the lounge (when other passengers are sleeping or off on shore!). * Photo: John Roberts
RELATED: Read John's full review of his Horizon II barge cruise through Alsace-Lorraine.
3. Go for Runs & Walks Along the Canal Route
After our morning workouts or stretch routines, we would go for a two-mile run, then come back onboard for breakfast. The Alsace-Lorraine region is beautiful, with many areas we visited having the feel of a nature reserve.
Our locations along the canal route featured paths ideal for walking, biking and jogging, and in the early morning at sunrise, we delighted in the sounds of all the bird songs. We routinely heard cuckoos, great tits and reed warblers.
John's pre-breakfast run. * Photo: Colleen McDaniel
4. Grab a Bike & Ride Between the Locks
You can walk, run and ride bikes while the ship is sailing. That’s right, your crew will tell you the best time to hop off when you’re in a lock, then outline when and where to meet up with the barge again to hop back on. French Country Waterways’ barges carry a fleet of bikes. On Horizon II, we had nice 3-speed bikes to use. There were no electric bikes.
One of the other travelers on our voyage liked to go for walks in between the locks. Meanwhile, Colleen and I planned a few bike rides. Sacha, the deckhand, and Oscar, the boat’s pilot, helped us offload and onload the bikes while in the locks.
From there, we were able to ride off along the paths and even into the countryside to enjoy the fresh air and scenery of the hills, farmlands and historic old lock systems while putting a few fun miles on our legs. Of course, we just had to make it back to the canal path and beat the barge to the lock in time to re-board when we were done riding.
John & Colleen bicycling between locks. * Photo: John Roberts
5. Join the Tours to Add More Steps
Our captain/guide Anna provided some type of tour each day, and while they generally are pretty casual and slower paced, you will add to your step count like we did when touring the city of Nancy and visiting the Benedictine abbey and its grounds in Marmoutier.
A walking tour in Nancy. * Photo: John Roberts
We typically exhibit plenty of self-control when it comes to onboard dining on all those other ships, but that was out the window on this trip — mostly because barge cruises focus on serving excellent cuisine.
I can honestly say that this barge trip consistently offered the best food we’ve ever enjoyed on a cruise. And we've taken hundreds of cruises!
And after the week onboard, I came home four pounds heavier. Now, imagine that number if I hadn’t done all that biking, running and walking plus the daily morning workouts?!
Read John's full review of his Horizon II cruise HERE.
RELATED: Is a barge cruise for you? This article will help you decide.
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HEIDI SARNA
