You want to travel the world full time & earn high wages while working on super yachts, but you know you’ll have to sacrifice the routine and comfort zone you’re currently in. 

You want to try all the cuisines from all over the world & indulge yourself without feeling any guilt, shame or having to implement strict dieting.

You want to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle by hitting your fitness goals, instead of letting them slip through the cracks.

You want to work on your mindset by learning how to set healthy habits by implementing mindfulness practices such as journaling, meditation and yoga. 

You want to have your health, fitness and mindfulness on point but you’re afraid you won’t be able to do it all while living the nomadic lifestyle of being a yachtie and #solofemaletraveler. 

I’ve been a nomad since 2014, and have always found a way to keep up with my health, fitness and mindfulness routine while traveling and working in the yachting industry.

I know first hand how difficult it can be to get into a routine and stay committed when you’re constantly bouncing from place to place. I’ve had a lot of people tell me over the years that they are inspired and impressed by my dedication and will power to work out 5-6 days a week, eat healthy 90% of the time and wake up early to practice mindfulness/meditation even while I’m traveling and working on yachts. 

If you’re used to the comfort of having a routine at home, and you’re worried about how you can keep up with it once you decide to travel or work on yachts…. then this post is for you!

I want to inspire you to live a life of freedom and happiness. Putting yourself first and taking care of your mind and body shouldn’t be a sacrifice if you decide to live a nomadic lifestyle. In fact, it’s actually super easy to stay committed to your goals if you make this a priority and a non negotiable in your life.

It all starts with putting yourself FIRST and establishing clear goals and non negotiables for yourself. 

My goals and non negotiables are:

1. Eat healthy foods 90% of the time and indulge in things I love (such as pizza, ice cream & chocolate 10% of the time) 

2. Workout 6 days a week and rest on Sundays 

3. Practice yoga & stretching daily 

4. Meditate daily

5. Journal daily 

6. Listen to podcasts daily

7. Read daily

8. Research & learn new things daily 

A bit about my health, fitness & mindfulness journey: 

Before we dive into the tips that I have for you, I’d like to give you guys a bit of a backstory about myself and my lifestyle choices. I have always been very active since I was young and was fortunate to grow up in a household where I ate healthy most of the time. My school lunches consisted of tuna sandwiches and apples for snacks. I used to be the kid that played rock paper scissors with my schoolmates so that I could try and win the lunchables pack and dunkaroos snacks off them.

When I started traveling, I made it a priority to myself to stay fit and eat healthy (90% of the time). Yes, I did indulge in eating and drinking (especially when I backpacked SE Asia for 3 months). I did look back on those photos recently though, and was shocked at how much weight I gained during that time. I still worked out (almost daily) – mostly went for runs and did HIIT body weight workouts. But, I was having breakfast beers most days (not something I am proud of), therefore my body didn’t look and feel at it’s best. 

I went through phases of binge eating (unhealthy foods) and binge drinking (a TON of alcohol) while I was in Uni, backpacking and living overseas in Australia and NZ on student/working holiday visas. Between the backpacking trips and the binge fests, I used to diet and workout super hard. I did the Paleo diet for a couple months when I came back from my backpacking trip in Australia and lost the 20lbs I gained from drinking beers and eating pad thai’s. I gave up drinking for months at a time, gave up carbs and ate gluten free, and even cut dairy out at some points. I experimented with so many diets just to see how my body would react and change. 

I was addicted to working out and feeling good. I joined a gym and did HIIT training, CrossFit workouts and ran for miles on the beach. I took up surfing, kitesurfing, hiking and diving. I tried pretty much any outdoor activity you could think of. I tried every diet and meal plan, including getting on Isagenix in 2016. It always worked. I always lost weight when I wanted and needed too. It wasn’t until recently, that I started to live a more balanced lifestyle, but also decided to make a lifestyle TRANSFORMATION. I realized that I was bouncing back and forth between having a very strict lifestyle and then letting it all go when I traveled. I hated how much weight I would gain and how bad I would feel when I overindulged, because I knew I had to spend the following month or two dieting hard to lose it all.

I did the same thing when I joined the yachting industry. Having a chef onboard and all the goodies in the snack cupboard made me gain weight all over again, as if I was reliving my “freshman 15”.

2020 made me realize that I wasn’t as disciplined as I thought over the years. Yes, I was always keeping up with my fitness and eating as healthy as I could, but I was also overindulging and emotionally eating A LOT. That’s when it hit me. I realized that over the years, I was constantly trying to transform my lifestyle, but I was never committing to it 100%. I hated the way alcohol made me feel, but I started drinking every time I joined a new yacht or was around people who peer pressured me into it. I ate like shit when I was having a hard day at work, or when I was on the road because it was easier to form unhealthy habits than it was to stick to healthy one’s.

I’m not telling you this because I think you should do what I did by any means. But this year I cut alcohol out for the longest time yet (6 months). I felt amazing. My skin cleared. I lost a ton of weight. I felt clearer. I felt more focused. I felt like a Wonder Woman. Then I got back on a yacht in September and I fell into peer pressure again. I had a drink or (two) one weekend.

I’ve now exited yachting and have made a promise to myself to transform my lifestyle and cut out alcohol for good. I’ve also been pescatarian for almost 6 months, and my goal is to go towards a more whole foods plant based diet in due time. I ate meat again a few times this last month (and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I used to). I’ve seen the positive effects of making healthier choices, and I want to look and feel my best for the rest of my life. I would like to cut out as much sugar and processed foods as I can (while still keeping natural sugar in my diet such as fruits and honey). 

These are some of my future goals that I want to share with you. Maybe you have a similar journey. Maybe you want to make better lifestyle choices too. I see you. I hear you. I feel you.

It’s not easy to commit to a strict lifestyle change, but it’s worth it makes you feel good and it’s truly something you want to do. It’s easier said than done if you’re a full time traveler, backpacker or yachtie. We’re only human. We’re not perfect. I’ve learned to be patient and have grace with myself by trusting in the process.

I hope these tips I share with you can help you make better lifestyle choices today, whatever your goals may be…

Tips for making healthy and nutritious food choices: 

1. Write down your health goals → What do you want to fuel your body with? Do you want to cut back on sugar? Carbs? Are you/ do you want to be a pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan? You can still enjoy a balanced life, while being healthy 90% of the time. Don’t put yourself on a strict diet if it’s going to feel like a jail sentence, but do think about the nutrition you are getting from the foods you choose to consume (what makes you feel good or bad?) 

2. Eat a healthy and nutritious breakfast EVERY DAY → I swear by my gluten free oats every morning. I make them with almond milk for 2 minutes in the microwave, or sometimes I do steel cut oats on the stove. I add cinnamon, half a banana, berries, a tablespoon of psyllium husk (good for digestion), a tablespoon of chia seeds, some honey and sometimes some peanut butter or almond butter (healthier option). Sometimes I make overnight oats and soak them in almond milk the night before. Working on yachts, you don’t normally have breakfast made for you by the chef. Therefore, I make sure that breakfast is the one and only option I have FULL control over. 

3. Control your food portions & avoid overeating → Working on yachts makes it difficult to do this, especially on bigger boats. A chef might come out with platters of 2-3 proteins, 2 different carbs, veggies and a bunch of desserts. The hardest thing is to have control and willpower over what you’re eating. Yes, working on yachts (especially on deck) gives you an appetite, but you do need to learn self control. I used to eat everything and stack my plate. Now, I make sure I have enough protein, lots of veg, and a handful of carbs on my plate. Overeating makes you gain weight, feel bloated and tired. When I am traveling, I try to buy healthy food options that I can cook on a budget and I avoid eating out all of the time (if I do, I try to pick healthy options like a Poke Bowl) 

4. Limit how often you eat out → In yachting especially, it can be very tempting to spend all your hard earned money and treat yourself to a pizza night, a taco night and multiple wine nights! Not only will eating (healthier) options on the boat allow you to keep the weight off, but it will also keep your wallet full. I am not saying don’t (ever) treat yourself. But do be mindful about how (often) you do. This also goes a long way when you decide to travel or backpack around the world – having a budget will get you a long way. 

5. Cut out drinking alcohol/eating right before bed → This will help you have a better sleep and feel more rested and energized the next day. I know this can be hard when working in the yachting industry and backpacking on your travels, but you have to learn when to say no and establish healthy boundaries for yourself. I myself don’t drink alcohol anymore, and I used to be very good at knowing when it was time for me to stop or to take an evening (or multiple) off from drinking.  Eating healthier throughout the day is key, as well as not eating a heavy meal right before bed. This will ultimately affect your energy levels. 

6. Drink lots of H20 → Staying consistent and keeping yourself hydrated and having a glass of water right when you wake up and before you go to bed is essential. Especially if you work on deck, you need that reusable water bottle! I go everywhere with my water canteen, especially when I am traveling. 

7. Plan your meals ahead of time before you travel → This is one of the hardest ones that we are all guilty of. I try to avoid eating unhealthy at the airport by going to the grocery store beforehand and buying some nutritious snacks and prepping meals in order to avoid buying and eating crap on my flights and layovers. Who want’s that disgusting plane food or overpriced airport food anyway? It might feel good in the moment, but think about how crappy you’ll feel afterwards.  

8. Avoid or cut back on processed foods, sugar and junk food → I like to eat more organic whole foods, while avoiding processed foods, sugars and junk food. If you’re on board a yacht working, then avoid the snack cupboards at all costs, or at least try not to dig into it every night. It’s easy to get into a black hole of emotionally eating junk food on your tea breaks, before bed and especially when you’re stressed out on charter.

Tips for sticking to a fitness routine:

1. Write down your fitness goals → How many days do you want to workout per/week? Why? Do you want to lose weight? Keep the same weight? Get more toned? Increase your fitness levels? Feel good? Clear your head? Whatever your reasons are…. write them down. Putting pen to paper will make you aware of what your goals are and WHY they are important to you.

2. Reflect in your journal on your WHY → The point is to know why you want to set these goals. This will help you stick to it more and make this a priority in your life. If you do it because you think you have to do it, then it will likely feel like a chore to you, and you will most likely stop doing it after a while. Ask yourself WHY this is important for you to do.

3. Commit to working out at the same time every day → I’m a morning person, so I like to wake up early (before sunrise) and workout straight away. I did this while living overseas, backpacking and while working on yachts. If you feel better working out in the evenings, then pick a time after your shift at work or at the end of your day.

4. Pre plan your workout outfit → Pick out your clothes the night before and place them on the bedside table next to you so that you already know what you have to put on. I find this makes having a morning routine easier because your brain doesn’t have to think about extra things in the morning. This also stops you from making excuses in the morning to sleep in and skip your workout. 

5. Pre plan your workout session → I like to use Pinterest to get inspiration for body weight workouts that I can do while I travel and world on yachts. I rotate through certain ones, and even make my own sometimes. I write these down in my notes on my phone, or take a screenshot of the workout I plan to do the next day. This is another easy way for your brain to be ready to get straight into it, as opposed to you having to think about what you’re going to do right when you wake up.

Tips for sticking to a mindfulness routine: 

1. Go to sleep at the same time every day & get enough rest → If this means going to bed earlier (9/10pm), then start getting into that routine and forming this habit. Getting a good amount of sleep is CRUCIAL. If you don’t sleep 6-8 hours, then your body will feel out of whack and you won’t have the energy you need to get through your day, let alone do an effective workout. 

2. Use the “Sleep Cycle” App → This is a great tool to set a soothing alarm on your phone, that can wake you up softly and slowly (15-30 minutes before your actual alarm time is set). This helps you to wake up more naturally. As humans, we are not meant to spring out of bed to the sound of an alarm screaming at us. We are meant to wake up naturally to the sunrise and the sound of nature. By training yourself to wake up this way, you will find that you wake up more calmly, easily and you will ultimately feel more at peace. It’s also a cool app that tracks the quality of your sleep (tells you how many times you wake up, if you snore, etc.) 

3. Limit your time on your phone/scrolling through social media before bed → Put your phone on charge and on the opposite side of the room if you must. I like to do a meditation before bed so that I am in a tranquil state and can fall asleep much quicker and easier. This will ensure you get a better quality of sleep and have energy for your day.

4. Keep a journal → Write in this daily – when you wake up or go to bed. I like to journal and mediate at both times in the day (if I can). Journaling in the morning is great to set intentions and write positive affirmations. Journaling in the evening before bed is also great for writing down what you are grateful for or reflecting on your day. You can even reflect on your goals and track how you have been doing with health & fitness goals. 

5. Meditate Daily → I love doing a 10 minute meditation every morning. Sometimes I just YouTube different meditations that are guided by Jay Shetty, Deepak Chopra, Master Sri Akarshana and others. I follow Mindvalley to get inspired and try different forms of visualization and manifestation techniques such as using the famous Silva Method. I have been learning how to do EFT tapping from my mindset coach as well. I have even started doing breathing exercises whenever I am feeling anxiety. 

Workout ideas for when you work on yachts/travel

1. Body weight workouts → This is by far my favourite way to stay in shape while on the road. You can do it anywhere and all you need is your body! Google or Pinterest workout ideas that you can do without any weights or machines. 

One of my favourite workouts is to do 5 sets of 20 reps of each for TIME:

• 20 burpees X 5

• 20 sit ups X 5

• 20 squats X 5

• 20 pushups X 5

If that’s too hard, do 10 reps for each set.

2. Jumping rope → I bring a jump rope everywhere with me and usually warm up with this by practicing double unders (amazing cardio for shedding weight)

3. Yoga → you can literally do yoga anywhere, anytime. I normally do yoga in the evenings to unwind and mediate. Put on a YouTube video or just flow it out. 

4. Trial different gyms → If you’re in a shipyard period on a yacht and based in Fort Lauderdale or Miami, then try out F45, Boxing and even CrossFit. I love intense HIIT group classes and it’s my favourite way to stay fit. I used to do trials at places that I would travel too, and this was a great way to stay motivated when I was going from place to place and getting to try new things.

5. Take up outdoor activities and water-sports → Go for walks and hikes. Try out new water sports like surfing, kiteboarding, paddle-boarding and kayaking. I do all of these activities on top of my gym routine and this helps me not only stay in great shape, but also feel amazing because I do things I enjoy and love.

I hope these tips I shared helped you. Remember, it takes at LEAST 21 days to form new habits, so stay consistent and patient with yourself.

Comment below what your biggest takeaway was!

Love & Light,

Karina