Staying in Shape to RV Longer

I lot of health and one's longevity has to do with genes. Had an RVing Aunt and Uncle that never exercised, were overweight and RV'd into their mid 80's. Same for my parents, although they weren't into RVing.

But I'm not taking any chances and hoping that I have some of those genes. I've dropped my weight into my "medically recommended/healthy" range and do quite a bit of hiking. So far it's really paid off - I was able to kick all my prescription meds.

jesseannie wrote:
It takes strength and stamina for some of the set-up. unloading and hook-up of a travel trailer as well as the hiking and biking we do.Do you have a program to keep fit and healthy so you can enjoy the RV lifestyle as long as possible?

What you just said is pretty much mine.

Tearing down and setting up a large 5er in one day is a lot of work. All those trips up and down stairs, lifting heavy stuff like a generator or king pin stabilizer, climbing up the ladder to raise solar panels. There's a lot of flexibility exercise too, like stooping and bending under the slides.

I walk as much as possible. And X2 on keeping your weight down. Being heavy limits a lot of activity, which leads to more weight.

Another take on this..

Don't put it off till tomorrow. If you want do do something like travel or whatever, do it while you can.
I was in good shape keeping fit, doing what I wanted to do. A year ago I started suffering from arthritic pain, last Winter I couldn't go up stairs. All this came out of nowhere.
I've been on medication for nine months now and I'm almost back to normal but I know it's lurking around the corner.

Get out now and enjoy.

I've run 25-28 miles a week for the last 8 years. This fall I've transitioned that partly over to using an Elliptical vigorously for 45-50 minutes per day. Partly because I'm tired of running through Idaho winters, partly as a change of pace and partly because I'm a little concerned about the toll my joints have taken over that many miles of pounding. My wife exercises daily as well. Also as a family we try to have active hobbies such as skiing, hiking, biking, etc. We are in our late 30s. The benefits of being fit far outweigh the effort it takes to maintain it, or at least that's been our experience thus far.

With regard to the comment above about cutting fat from the diet, that's too simplistic. Whole fat dairy is healthier than reduced fat dairy for all ages, and there are many healthy fats that are an essential part of a good diet. I'm not advocating a bacon sandwich for lunch every day, but the standard healthy diet script we've been fed the last 30 years is pure nonsense funded by big industry.

Many years ago, a group of scientists did a study. The compared the life span of the tsetse fly and the elephant.

The tsetse fly has a life span of about 48 hours. From the time the fly hatches, reproduces, and dies, is only about 2 days total.

On the other hand, the elephant has a life expectancy of 80 YEARS.

When they scientists did their study, the determined that the number of heat beats were identical between the two animals.

Now, think about that? The same number of heart beats being used up in 2 days, or 80 years? I think I'll take the 80 years. Forget the exercise! It makes your heart beat faster! I'll keep my heartbeats as long as possible! (That my excuse to NOT exercise!) :B

Diet and exercise are everything!
I get some exercise one way of another every day. If I'm not doing something strenuous or aerobic I use our Elliptical (which I hate).
We've also cut the fat out of our diets and work hard to eat healthy and maintain a reasonable weight.
I plan on not just RV'ing but also LIVING a good long time.

I also work at staying as fit as possible and applaud you for your efforts. The work is worth it, isn't it?

However, I am 71 and during the past 10 years have had 2 knee replacements, a broken ankle, and a back injury. Sometimes life just throws it at you. I find that my trips have changed from drive/hike to drive/sightsee/stroll, but I am still out there, still enjoying RV travel safely. That's what matters, that we enjoy it and do so safely for ourselves and others.

In addition to your personal trainer program, you might take a look at http://www.thefitrv.com/, which shows exercises specifically for issues common to RVers.