Hitting the open road for an extended period of time is a dream of many! For those of us who possess the wandering spirit, traveling in an RV is heaven on earth: the ability to call “anywhere USA” home for as little or as long as we want. As with anything, there can be pitfalls if you are not careful. One of those is fitness. It’s easy to get lazy! So, it’s important to look for ways to stay in shape while RVing.

The favorite past time of most RVers is the “happy hour.” In the late afternoon you find groups of folks gathered around different sites consuming alcoholic beverages and high-fat snacks. A few drinks and some of the snacks and you can add an easy five hundred calories before even getting to dinner. That, added with inactivity, will lead to quick weight gain while on the road.

Hilga and I avoid this regular happy hour activity and instead replace it with walks that burn three to five hundred calories, and we do that every evening. On average, walking one mile burns one hundred calories. It’ easy to walk a mile! If you need groceries, and the store is close by, walk there! Hilga and I each have a back pack, and we carry our grocery items that way. It’s a great way to earn your dinner, and one of the best ways to stay in shape while RVing!

Traveling from place to place allows for so many wonderful opportunities to get out and walk. You can visit national parks, walk the beaches, walk the mega malls, do some push-ups in the RV, try yoga or pilates, use a Fitball, get Wii with fitness games, or ride a bicycle. There are so many places, especially out west that have communities with miles of bike trails allowing great views along the way. Biking around the south rim of the Grand Canyon is spectacular!

Franz likes to write about health and fitness! In addition to his passion for full time rv living, he has also been a fitness consultant for years. I get very concerned when I see how the majority of the RVing population completely disregard their health and fitness. With two-thirds of the population classified as obese, and that certainly is true with RVers for reasons mentioned earlier, it is so important to get out and exercise.

Hey, it’s easy when traveling in an RV. We are always in great places where activities abound. With a few fitness gadgets aboard the RV, a good pair of athletic shoes, and a bike, you have everything you need to maintain, if not lose weight while living in your RV!

So, listen to Franz and get out there! Put down the snacks and just go check out the scenery! You’ll feel so much better, and you will avoid the ever popular RV tank a$$ syndrome!