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I turned 50 last month!
It feels so strange being in my 50’s now. I’m still adjusting to it. I was expecting my 50th birthday to be a tough day, but in the end, it actually wasn’t bad! It certainly helped that I’m in better shape than my 20’s. Although admittedly, I could do without the extra grey hairs, saggy bits, and wrinkles I picked up throughout my 40’s. Regardless, 50 wasn’t the dramatic life-changing moment I worried it might be. You know what I credit for this? Our healthy ‘fitRVing’ lifestyle.
What is FitRVing?
FitRVing is a commitment to a more fit-focused RV lifestyle. It’s a mindset shift. Instead of viewing your RV trips as an excuse to skip exercising and eat anything — because, after all, you’re ‘on vacation!’ — you view your trips as an extension of your healthy lifestyle, and you make sure staying fit is a non-negotiable part of every trip. No one ever says ‘hey I’m on vacation! So I can skip taking my blood pressure meds, YAY!” So the hall pass we give ourselves for skipping exercise and eating poorly doesn’t make sense either. That’s what fitRVing is all about. Keeping our healthy habits a priority and adapting them to life on the road.
FitRVing Your Way Through 2021
FitRVing isn’t complicated, and it certainly doesn’t mean your trips have to have the joy sucked right out of them. Quite the opposite! If you handle it right, fitRVing can make your trips even more fun. If you’re interested in trying some fitRVing yourself on your next RV trips, there are really 5 main habits you’ll want to address. Take a look at these 5 fitRVing habits, and ask yourself how you’re already doing at these things:
HABIT #1: Plan active trips.
Before you even hit the road, the trip planning starts by asking, “What do I want to do on this next trip?” As a fitRVer, the destination becomes the secondary consideration when trip planning, coming after you’ve chosen the activities you would like to do. This way, you’re guaranteed the trip will not only be activity-focused, but also, FUN!
HABIT #2: Be smart about your long driving days.
Physiologically speaking, we humans aren’t a sedentary species. Our bodies can handle sitting only temporarily before a cascade of negative effects sets in. But as RVers, driving is part of the deal, so we’ve got to be smart about it. Stop often, keep the drives short, and make sure to set your seat so you’ll have good driving posture. Once you land, take a walk or do some exercises to clear your head and get you re-energized.
HABIT #3: Make healthy eating part of the adventure.
An RV trip is a perfect time to step outside your meal prep comfort zone. James and I love hunting for local markets or farms to find foods unique to the area. We have our RV’s galley, after all, so why not use it to get creative by preparing healthy meals using ingredients we find locally!
HABIT #4: Pack travel-friendly fitness and active gear; and use it often!
You’ve already got the best piece of exercise equipment…your own body! But packing some fitness gear can shake things up and keep your workouts interesting. And if you’ve followed Habit #1, you’ll also have bikes, kayaks, snowshoes, hiking gear, or other things along those lines stashed in the RV so you’ll have lots of options for staying active on the road.
HABIT #5: Roll with the punches.
As RVers, so much is out of our control. Loud campground neighbors, traffic jams, bad weather… lots of things can cause us stress. Trouble is, chronic stress lowers our immune response and increases our risk of disease. Stress-inducing moments are an inevitable part of RV life. The key is how you deal with those moments.
All this said, there is a caveat– and that’s life itself. We’ve got to balance our disciplined healthy habits with living our lives and allowing in less-healthy things that bring us joy. So, maybe there’s a famous donut shop along your RV route you’d like to try. Or maybe you want to spend the day inside the RV binge-watching The Crown instead of hiking that mountain… it’s okay! As long as it’s rare, and it doesn’t become a habit, I’m all for a treat every now and then. Life’s too short to not eat the famous donut. And The Crown is just too awesome to miss.
Feel free to leave comments below, I’d love to hear how you’re doing with your own fitRVing! I’d especially love to hear which of the 5 habits you’re going to work to improve. I can tell you ours is definitely #2, being smart about long drives. Since James and I have day jobs, and on top of that we do RV-related events across the US, sometimes we don’t have the luxury of taking our time getting cross country. I’d like to see us get better with our time management so we don’t get ourselves in situations where we’re driving longer than is healthy!
Wishing you all a healthy and kind 2021! Here’s to becoming fitter and wiser (and younger!) versions of ourselves by the year’s end! ❤️
Be well, all! 💪
Love, Trainer Stef
NOTE: This is an abbreviated version of my article from RV Mag’s January 2021 issue. James and I write regularly for RV Mag, you can subscribe by clicking here!
Wait ’til you hit your 60s like I am Stef!!! (I’m 62 LOL) But I still ride my mountain bike and enjoy it ENORMOUSLY, I don’t ride like I use to 30 years ago, but I think THAT is what keeps me young at heart…Enjoy your Texas runnout.