Seafarers spend their spare time "at work. Physical activity and sports are two of the most important factors in health promotion and maintenance. The results reveal positive influences on both physical and mental health. They also support participation in a group with the same interests. In other words, sport improves health in a number of different ways.
To evaluate and improve the way employees on board take part in sports, the research team of ZfAM conducted a survey on the seafarers’ current attitude towards them. This survey took place when the research-team was on board the ships to determine the crew’s health status.
The results showed that 88.2% of respondents believe their health would benefit from more physical activity on board.
In fact, 58 out of 68 (82.4%) seafarers indicated that they were actively involved in sports. The average time they spent exercising differed significantly between “sports on shore, while they were on home leave” (5.5 ± 3.6 hours) and “sports on board” (3.4 ± 2.5 hours). This was mainly a result of a lack of time and the fact that their work itself is physically exhausting.
It is therefore surprising that 85.3% of the crew members gave a positive answer to the question “Would you like to be part of a dedicated sports programme offered on board?”. Most of the seafarers who were questioned said they would like to do more sports while they were on the ship. It can therefore be assumed that most crew members would benefit from a regular sports programme. Group fitness can also improve individual psychological health and cohesion within the crew.
To give the crew more time to exercise, three new training machines were brought to the ships:
In this way, the crew members were given the opportunity to test their endurance individually.
