Malia White — Fitness Forum

Malia White explains why a fitness routine on charter is crucial to peak performance.

You’ve seen several yachtie-designed fitness routines featured in Triton and know working out is key to staying healthy on charter. After banking 30,000 steps and endless flights of stairs, why in the world should you bang out another workout when all you want to do is catch some “z’s” instead of doing pushups?

Triton talked to Second Officer Malia White, who starred on three seasons of Below Deck Mediterranean, about why working out, especially while on charter, is one of her biggest priorities. White often posts clips of her unconventional workouts on Instagram, hoping to help crew members understand why it should become a priority for them too. 

“It is important to stay super fit not only for the physical but mental aspect,” White said.

Despite spending her days deploying heavy inflatables, pulling lines, and serving guests, White does not consider her work on deck to be her fitness routine. 

Why? The mental and physical stress from the job has to go “somewhere.” While yachtwork has a heavy physical element to it, it also comes with the same stress and mental toll as any other job – and White said that stress has to be released.

Otherwise, it’s easy to get rundown. Crew performance can suffer, and not being in shape opens crew to succumb to a cold, flu, or another virus, which ultimately has a ripple effect on the rest of the team – and could negatively impact the entire season. 

A physical job requires physical training and support, White insisted. There’s no way crew can maintain the high level of stamina and support some of the physical challenges the position presents if they only rely on the job itself to stay in shape. 

“You have to be able to do physical fitness essentially for a long period, especially in the hot sun,” White said. “You’re then pulling lines, you’re throwing fenders, you’re carrying heavy objects, then you’re scrubbing teak – and this isn’t just for deck, it’s for all departments.”

Knowing you have to fit in a daily fitness routine is one thing, actually completing a fitness routine is another hurdle. White knows it’s easier to hit your bunk after a brutal shift than hit the weights. 

“If I don’t get a workout in before work, I do everything to avoid going into my bunk after work,” she said. “I’ll make it a point to go directly to my workout first or there’s a pretty good chance I’m going to want to just lay down.”

Smashing out a workout is a little easier for White because her current boat has an onboard gym for crew, which is one reason why she’s stayed on the yacht for an extended period of time. In fact, she prioritizes an onboard gym over just about anything. 

“If I was going to get paid more, but not have access to the gym, I’d go for the job with the gym,” White said. 

White acknowledged that not all boats can offer the same benefits, so she offered some tips and ways to fit in a quality workout with little to no equipment. She also designed a system that she uses if she’s traveling or for hotel room workouts, which can be easily used on charter. 

“I have a travel bag that I bring everywhere with me – it has a jump rope, sliders, a couple of resistance bands, and egg weights,” White said. “No matter how small the space, whether it’s outside somewhere or in a hotel room, I’ll just build a workout with that equipment.” 

She also fits in those dreaded burpees or will do sprints on the dock if she’s pressed for time. In a pinch, 12 reps of any explosive movement does the trick, she said. 

Beyond the workout, feeding your body with nutritious options goes hand in hand with health. White acknowledged that having candy, cookies, and other treats constantly available in the crew mess can be an enormous challenge. 

“Some people can go all day, eat like that and be fine,” White said. “But the hardest thing to do is not grab a snack while heading to the bathroom since it’s all right there.”

The best way to combat mindless sugar grazing is to keep your water bottle filled, opt for a cup of coffee instead of candy, and choose the least of the sugar evils. For instance, White keeps dark chocolate on hand so if she needs that small sweet, she’ll grab a square of that instead of her big weakness – gummy bears. 

White is also a big proponent of ensuring that when her crew takes a break during the day, they are resting and not working out. 

“There’s a tendency to want to work out while you have a two hour break,” she said. “The break is there to get their energy levels high again, so I recommend working out before or after work.”

https://www.instagram.com/maliakpwhite/

Topics: