Staying Fit
 

How does staying fit affect your daily boat life?
 

Scenario: 

Joe has been on boats for about five years, he knows how to build tow, tank a barge and how to run an engine room. The barges are in the fleet and they proceed light-boat to the office dock to meet a mechanic. As they approach the dock, Joe gets his lines ready. The Captain pushes the boat against the piling and Joe toss the line over the kevel.

Something pops! Joe doesn't know what it was, but feels this sharp pain running down his back. Joe throws a lines frequently, so what happened this time?

Staying fit with a regular exercise program can help maintain a healthy lifestyle both on and off the boat. Here are some of the benefits of staying fit:

• Regular exercise prevents injury.
• Fit individuals are less likely to get sick.
• Regular exercise helps maintain a healthy weight. 10 pounds can be a lot of strain on your body over time.
• Fit individuals have more energy. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your organs to help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently you have more energy for daily activities.
• Regular physical activity can help prevent serious health conditions like: diabetes, stroke, depression, arthritis and more.
• Fit individuals have more self-confidence.
• Exercise promotes sleep; a regular fitness program helps you fall asleep faster and sleep better.
• Fit individuals tend to take on more leadership roles.

For those that work 8-5 Monday to Friday, hitting the gym after work isn't a big deal. For those who work on a vessel, it may be a bit more of a challenge, but is possible. There are many exercises that can be accomplished in a small space. Here are a few ideas to use while on the boat:

• Resistance Bands: resistance bands take up little space and they provide resistance during contracting and relaxing of the muscles.
• Stretching Programs: yes, I know it's not masculine, but Yoga has a lot of benefits and doesn't take up a lot of space or equipment. Always stretch before and after any physical activity.
• Walk the barges.   Safety First! Always use inboard walkways. 9 trips back and forth is about one mile.
• Incorporate simple exercises into your watch. 10 squats, 10 pushups and 10 sit ups an hour will really add up.
• Combining exercises is more efficient (a squat combined with a curl provides more benefit than each individual.

If you are starting an exercise program always ask your doctor, especially if you have any health issues. Stay safe when exercising; wear proper footwear, drink plenty of water (not sodas, they dehydrate), and watch your heart rate.

Need more ideas: There are several creative exercise videos out there. You Tube offers a new exercise program called "Kettlebells".

Have you set your New Year's Resolutions yet? If not, maybe an exercise program would be a good way to start off the New Year. Better yet, set the goal for the entire boat (exercise buddies help keep you motivated).

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The Holiday season can bring more than presents under the tree, a roast turkey with all the trimming and a houseful of wild kids. The Holiday season can also bring unwelcome stress as we deal with real and imagined problems.  If you are on the boat during the season, there is also the added stress of being away from family and friends.

Higman Marine provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that can help you and your family deal with stress and other personal problems that often arise often arising during the holidays. Magellan Health provides the service throughout the year for our company, helping employees with financial, legal and wellness assistance.

The services available are:

Financial Services:

Each employee is entitled to unlimited 60 minute telephone consultations.  If you would like to talk to a financial professional about budgeting, debt consolidation, consumer credit, IRS matters and more, then call 1-800-523-5668.

Legal Services:

Each employee is entitled to a free initial consultation for services including but not limited to: civil issues, family issues, real estate, will preparation and more.  Once you have completed the initial consultation you are entitled to a 25% discount on the attorney's normal rate.

Wellness:

As always, Higman Marine offers employees a place to get help with health and wellness issues.  Each employee is provided up to 3 counseling sessions for help with:

• Managing stress
• Handling relationships issues
• Balancing work and life
• Quitting tobacco, alcohol or drug use
• Caring for children or aging parents
• Exploring career development options
• Dealing with conflict or violence
• Working through grief and loss issues
• Controlling depression and anxieties

For these confidential services simply call 1-800-523-5668 or log on to www.magellanhealth.com/member. 

With the ongoing installations of ROSE POINT ECS on Higman vessels, the TNL will highlight operational tips to help you use the software. Consult with your RP ECS manual and the training video to round out your knowledge. 

If you have a software tip or shortcut you find useful, let us know!

On the right, upper side of the keyboard, you will find a button - "H/R". If you push this button while operating your Rose Point Chart System, the screen will go "Blue". The button switches between and HDMI cable output and an LCD type cable output.

If the button is accidently pushed, you will lose your screen. Push the button a second time, and it will come back to normal.