There are many perks to the RV lifestyle, such as traveling to new places, family bonding, etc. But, in order to use your RV to its full potential, there is usually a lot of driving involved. Unfortunately, all that extra driving can take a toll on your body and physical health. As you get older, your muscles naturally start to deteriorate – a process called Sarcopenia. This is something that happens to everyone with age, but when you are constantly on the road the effects occur even faster.
While most RV campgrounds have great pools, trails, and fitness centers to exercise in, bad weather can sometimes deter you from going outside. If you find yourself stuck in your RV for a long time, here are 5 easy workouts that you can do that don’t require any extra equipment.
- Sink Pulls: Sink Pulls seem simple, but they work out your entire body. They are great for your arms, lats, back and even your core. We recommend using the kitchen sink for this one, provided it is sturdy. Here’s how:
- Face the sink
- Put your hands on the counter with your fingers wrapped over the sink
- Push Back with your arms and drive your hips down and back like you’re sitting in a chair
- Use your arms to pull you back up
- Do four sets of 12 of these
When you’re done, make sure you grab an apple from your kitchen for a healthy snack!
- Lazy Sit-ups:
This is one of our favorites. Sometimes you know you should be exercising but all you want to do is lay in bed. This is the perfect exercise for those times. Instead of a normal sit-up, we found a way to make it an all-around body workout. Doing this will also encourage you to get up and have some RVing adventures afterward.
- Stand up with back against bed
- Slowly lower yourself on the bed
- Roll on your back
- Lift your hands and legs and squeeze your core
- Stand back up
- Do four sets of 10 of these
- Clapping Wall Pushups:
This workout is something you can do inside or outside the RV. The clapping wall pushups works out a blend of your chest, triceps and shoulders. You can even hold a plank position and work out your core muscles too.
- Place hands on wall
- Step back with your feet as far as you are comfortable with
- Go down into a pushup, making sure your hips are aligned with the rest of your body
- Hold plank position for five seconds (optional)
- Push off the wall and clap
- Do four sets of 10 of these
- Do four sets of 8 if you do the plank
- Sidestep Calf Raises
This exercise focuses mainly on strengthening your calves. It’s not a muscle group we primarily think to work out all the time but it also increases strength and motion in the ankles. You can also do these on your entry stairs for even more resistance.
- Start with legs together
- Step your left leg out to the side
- Bring your right foot next to left, bringing feet back together
- Push up with your tippy toes and stretch hands to sky
- Return your feet to flat and arms back down
Do four sets of 25 of these.
- Teeter Totters:
Teeter totters don’t just strengthen your back, glutes and legs but it also challenges your balancing skills. Balance is extremely important when it comes to RV activities.
- Face a chair or couch
- While lifting your left leg behind you, bend your upper body over at the same time
- Return to standing
- Repeat with right leg
- Do four sets of 10 of these.
With these simple exercises, you don’t need to worry about not having a gym anywhere near you. You can balance out your traveling and healthy lifestyle to stay physically young and active, despite how many hours you spend in your RV. RVUSA is dedicated to connecting you with the RV Lifestyle.
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