Staying Fit While RVing

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Staying fit while traveling can be a challenge. There are too many good restaurants, cafes, and bakeries to try while driving across the country. This mini pod will share some of the things we do to stay fit while trying all this good cooking.

Exercise Equipment

I will start with Sabrina because she is excellent about staying fit and keeping to a routine even while traveling. It shows when people meet Sabrina for the first time. They usually ask what sports she does or if she runs track. She doesn’t do either of them. Instead, she does workout programs that she downloads onto her iPad. We also carry a small amount of workout equipment like stretch bands and a step. The stretch bands are one of the best things an RVer can have. They take up so little space and weigh almost nothing while still providing resistance training. Think of very powerful bungee cords that you place under your feet. They have handles to grab hold of and perform movements like curling or upward rows.

Sabrina enjoys doing these workouts outside of the RV at the campsite, which I know is not in everyone’s comfort zone. I know I’m not a fan of having people watch me work out, but Sabrina has become used to it over time. It doesn’t bother her at all. I like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s quote when someone told him they were too embarrassed to work out. He responded, “Are you kidding me? Because you are embarrassed is why you should be working out.” I always found that funny, and it’s probably true.

Gym Memberships – Stay Fit & Shower

Sabrina has also used gym memberships like Orange Theory which allows you to visit any of their locations across the U.S. I feel Orange Theory is a bit expensive. I would recommend planet fitness. That is the membership I used to have, and I found their pricing much more reasonable, and I believe they have more locations as well. A side benefit to these gym locations is you can use the showers. If you are trying to conserve water in your RV, the gym is a great way to get a long hot shower and not use resources like water or propane to heat the water.

Hiking and Biking to Stay Fit

I still feel like jumping around next to your RV while watching a workout video is not for everyone, including me. The two best ways for me to stay active or work out are hiking or biking, depending on our area. I don’t like biking in the street, so I will only ride if I can find a nearby trail to ride on.

If we are out in BLM land, I will take my bike since it does have a fat tire. It’s pretty good on all terrain. Some people will argue that I’m not working out because my bike is electric assist, but that is untrue. The way electric assist works on a flat paved trail is you will burn a similar amount of calories on an e-bike as a regular bike. The difference is that the distance you will cover is considerably further on the bike. I find the best setting for my bike is on low assist; this gives me the longest range possible and allows me to enjoy the scenery around me. The other advantage of my bike is that it folds and packs up in the back of my car, so I can bring it anywhere, and we don’t need to be camped near a trail or path.

I find hiking very easy to get started with, especially if you are hiking in designated areas of state parks. All you need is a pair of decent shoes and a water bottle. What I like most about hiking is Belle, our small dog, can come along with me, although she does slow me down quite a bit because she would rather smell than walk.

Basketball

I always have a basketball with me. If a campground has a net, I will play. Of course, this is a 50/50 chance, but I am always prepared just in case.

Portion Control

I think our best advice regarding staying fit is portion control. It’s easy to want to try everything and think it’s ok because we are on vacation. But if you travel by RV as much as Sabrina and I do, it’s easy to let that vacation mindset overrun good eating habits. So when we are out, and I want to try an ice cream parlor, I order a small cup instead of a large one. Honestly, even six scoops are not enough for me when it comes to ice cream! You could say I have an ice cream problem. It can be tough to refrain from going all out, but I like to think that eating smaller portions lets me try more variety of other options.

Also, we try to make most of our meals in the RV and only eat at a restaurant that catches our eye or seems unique or local to the area. We are not eating at Mcdonald’s or any other type of chain restaurant. It is surprising how much that cuts down on choices.

How Do You Stay Fit

These are my tips for staying fit on the road. I would love to hear any other suggestions you may have. Let me know in this episode’s comments. These comments will help not only me but other listeners as well.

Take care, and safe travels!