A yacht with an onboard gym is vital for yacht owners who want to stay fit and healthy while travelling the world in style. Imagine running on the treadmill or working up a sweat on the cross trainer as the yacht floats through stunning landscapes, whether that’s the tropical islands of the Caribbean, the active volcanoes of Sicily, or the ethereal blue-green icebergs of Antarctica. With a yacht gym you can exercise any time of day or night in complete privacy – and what’s more, as soon as you finish your workout, it’s only a few steps to dive into the cool, refreshing sea, or relax tired muscles in the yacht’s Jacuzzi.
There are many benefits of having an onboard yacht gym, and a range of sizes and options out there once you decide you need one, which we’ll run through in this guide.
The Practical Benefits of a Yacht Gym
A yacht gym is a must-have for anyone interested in fitness. It allows you and your guests to keep to a fitness regimen on holiday without having to go ashore and share the often poorly-equipped and crowded gyms at local resorts. You can choose the state-of-the-art equipment that suits your training style, and have it fitted and by companies who specialise in adapting gym equipment to the specific conditions of a floating, moving yacht. Many larger yachts with gyms also carry specialist crew on board to help you with your fitness and wellness goals, such as personal trainers, yoga instructors and masseuses. Imagine how easy it would be to motivate yourself to exercise with the best equipment money can buy, dedicated fitness professionals at your service and a view of your next cruising destination out of the window.
Yacht gyms are particularly important on yachts which engage in a lot of remote cruising, or where the yacht owners live on board for long periods. Gyms are an increasingly common feature on explorer or expedition yachts for this reason, as the yacht is often travelling to areas without access to gyms onshore (there’s not a lot of gyms in the Alaskan wilderness or in the coral atolls of the South Pacific!)
If you’re planning to run your yacht commercially as well as for pleasure, a yacht gym is an extremely popular feature with yacht charterers . Yachts with gyms typically attract a higher charter rate, while yachts for sale with gyms also perform well on the resale market when you decide it’s time to upgrade your yacht.
A Guide to Yacht Gyms
Yacht gyms come in a multitude of shapes and sizes, ranging from state-of-the-art fitness studios to an alfresco gym area set up on deck.
- Custom-built yacht gyms: The premium option, generally found on larger yachts for sale or charter. These high-tech fitness studios are designed during the build stage, and can be found anywhere throughout the yacht, whether on the lower level near the engine room for maximum stability and soundproofing, on the main deck for stunning views out the windows, or up high in an air-conditioned studio on the sundeck. A custom-built yacht gym is often combined with a spa, sauna, or massage space for the ultimate wellness experience.
- Cabin-conversion yacht gyms: Some yacht owners elect to buy a yacht without a gym, and then convert one of the cabin spaces into a gym suited to their needs. This is a versatile option as it means you always have the choice to use that space for other things as needed. It also allows the next owner to either keep the gym or easily convert it back to accommodation space, depending on how fitness-focussed they are.
- Multi-use spaces: For yachts where there is not enough space (or demand) for a stand-alone gym, gym equipment is often included in other areas, such as in the beach club just a few steps away from the water, or outside on an upper deck, where you can watch the whales and breathe in the sea air as you exercise. Some yachts include gym equipment in one of their lounges, maximising the effect of the big windows to gaze out of as you exercise, and making fitness central to the yachting experience.
While there are plenty of other fabulous ways to keep fit during a superyacht vacation, such as watersports and activities ashore, it’s ideal to have gym equipment on board so you can keep up your fitness routine on holiday, or to take advantage of during longer sea voyages, in remote cruising areas, or in poor weather. A yacht gym is an excellent investment, not only for your health and happiness, but also for your yacht’s resale and charter potential. With the wide range of options out there, you’re sure to be able to find an onboard gym to suit you.
