Top Ten Strength Training Mistakes:

#1: Not sticking with a program

Following a program will get better results than working out intuitively. Intuitive workouts may feel free-spirited, but the lack of structure may neglect certain muscle groups. Proper programming will make sure you touch all major muscle groups including legs, chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and core. Whether you are doing a full body routine, a pull/legs/push split, or an individual body part split, all the muscle groups get the love they deserve.

In addition to having a program properly written, it’s important to stick with it for 6-8 weeks. I typically assign my programs for the full eight weeks to maximize progressive overload. Progressive overload involves gradually increasing the intensity with time, to promote the development of muscle mass and strength. Getting bored and constantly seeking change could set you back here.

#2: Not tracking reps and weights used

In order to improve your strength you need to continuously progress. This can be done by increasing volume, intensity, reps, and/or weight. If you never track your weight and reps, you won’t know what your goals are for each set. Going in blind without a goal will yield mediocre results. In addition to optimizing your progression, tracking your weight and reps will also save time, as you will know exactly which size weight to use for each exercise, without having to go through the guesswork.

Tracking weight for dumbbells is easy and straightforward. A 15-pound dumbbell is 15 pounds, cut and dry. Dumbbells are one of my favorite equipment options for RVers. They are effective and simple.

But what about tracking loop-style resistance bands? They are definitely more of a challenge to track with intentions to progress. One of the advantages of loop bands is that they have variable resistance. Shifting your grip by even a quarter of an inch can make your resistance easier or harder. This can make things muddled on your tracking notebook. If you do a set of bicep curls using the medium band with a lot of slack, and another set using the medium band with extra tight tension, the intensity is night and day. So it’s really up to you here to rely heavily on your perceived level of exertion, and really push yourself on your intensity each set.

#3: Using poor form

This strength training mistake is an important one for staying safe, lowering your risk of injury, allowing you to move efficiently, increasing your performance, and enabling you to have full range of motion. You may have some exercises where your range of motion is limited, and that’s okay. Stay consistent and practice these exercises and with time you may notice an improved range of motion.

There are a few general guidelines to always keep in mind with your form. Always carry good posture with your shoulders back and your chest up tall. Don’t hunch your shoulders or hold tension in your neck. Keep your core engaged, and remember to breathe!

#4: Not lifting heavy enough

Safety and form are always the first priority. Once you have your form mastered for an exercise, then start paying attention to your weight load, or resistance level. Both men and women often underestimate how strong they really are. However, women do tend to underestimate more than men. Some women shudder at the thought of using two twenty-pound dumbbells, but they don’t think twice about bending down to pick up a 50-pound child…

There are so many physical and mental benefits to strength training. These benefits are all accelerated and magnified by lifting heavier for lower reps vs. lifting lighter for more reps.

#5: Using the same weight for all exercises in the program

Lifting as heavily as possible while maintaining proper form is a constant goal to strive for with strength training. I often see people who are brand new to lifting try to use the same set of dumbbells or level resistance bands across the board for all of the exercises in the program. Don’t do this! Your muscles vary tremendously in size and strength.

Muscle groups like your legs, glutes, and back are strong and you can generally use heavier weights here. Smaller muscles such as the shoulders and triceps shouldn’t be expected to move as heavy of weight.

Additionally, the exercise itself matters, even when targeting the same primary muscle. For example, a tricep kickback is an isolation move that you will want to go pretty light on. An overhead tricep extension is a compound move that you can use more weight on. Same idea with lateral raises vs shoulder presses. So not only does the muscle affect the weight selection, but also the exercise itself.

#6: Not having a wide variety of weight increments

In order to properly load each muscle during its selected exercise, you need to have a good variety of weight increments to work with. For dumbbells, I recommend having light weights up to extra heavy weights. Your exact numbers will vary based on your strength and fitness level. But generally, for beginners, dumbbells ranging from 5 pounds to 40 pounds in five-pound increments will do the trick. Eventually, you will outgrow the 40’s too.

Space and weight are always a consideration when traveling in RVs. For this reason, the adjustable dumbbells are a great option to save both footprint space and overall weight. Adjustable dumbbells generally are available in sets that go either up to 25 pounds or 50 pounds (exact pounds vary per brand). If you’re going to invest in a set of adjustable go with the heavy set that does 50 pounds. The last thing you want to do is spend hundreds of dollars and then outgrow it quicker than expected.

The loop bands that I recommend come with five different band strengths: extra light, light, medium, heavy, and extra heavy. I personally use all 5 strengths and also enjoy stacking some together for even more resistance options.

#7: Not timing rest periods

If you are a newbie eight-lifter, rest periods may feel counterintuitive to you. The world of cardio has us brainwashed to think that you must always be constantly moving, sweating, breathing hard, and have a high heart rate to be effectively working out. Now, your fitness coach is programming you to stand and rest?!

You’ve already learned the importance of lifting heavy. In order to lift as heavy as possible, it is absolutely critical that you take rest periods between each set. The style of program and your specific goals will dictate how long your programmed rest periods are.

• For muscular endurance, the best rest period is 30 seconds between sets.
• For muscle growth (hypertrophy), the best rest period is 30-90 seconds between sets
• For strength and power, the best rest period is 2-5 minutes between sets.

Using a timer is always best for timing out your rest periods. If you try to guess with it, you may go way under on time, way over on time, or both. During your rest periods, stay focused and concentrate on your workout. I like to use this time to track my results for that set and get set up for the next set. Avoid scrolling your phone, watching tv, sneaking in house chores, or anything else that may cause distractions.

#8: Stopping at the max rep range

Just like lifting too light can minimize your results, so can stopping short on reps. Your strength training program will likely prescribe a target rep range. You want to select weights where your last few reps are extremely challenging to perform, with your total number of reps for that set falling in that rep range. Using 8-12 as an example, if you can’t do 8 reps your weight is too heavy. If you can do 12 reps consistently, your weight is too light.

This is one of the most common mistakes out of our top ten list. So many times I see people write down 12 reps for every single set, on every single exercise. In their mind, they are doing their best and hitting the top expected number. But there is no magic in performing 12 reps. The magic is when you are challenging your muscles with enough intensity until your muscles are fatigued to the point of near failure. Your last couple of reps should be extremely difficult to perform without compromising form. You should be making ugly faces, grunting, and working hard!

#9: Letting soreness dictate the effectiveness

When you start out a lifting program as a beginner, you will likely get very sore the first week. It can be surprising how sore you may get. Your body goes into a shock phase, and it may last two to three weeks. As your body adapts and gets stronger, the soreness will go away. When the soreness goes away, that doesn’t mean you aren’t getting a good workout. Your body is doing what it should be doing as it adjusts and improves.

Having a change in your programming will cause some initial soreness again. But likely, not as intense as when you very first start out. Of course, there will be workouts where you bring the intensity more, and push yourself harder. And you will feel that as a result.

Don’t get discouraged if you lose that “crippling” soreness. Too much soreness can be a bad thing, such as poor recovery. Lack of sleep, dehydration, and poor nutrition can all lead to poor recovery.

#10: Expecting physique changes through fitness alone

So you’re doing everything “right” in the gym. You’re consistent, running complete programs, tracking results, and improving on strength, but your body isn’t changing. Strength training is extremely powerful for overall mental and physical health, as well as healthy aging.

If fat loss and transforming your physique is one of your top priorities, it’s important that you really dial in on your nutrition. While fitness supports and can accelerate fat loss, nutrition is the number one dictator. Overcunsmption in general is a huge problem in America, as well as eating too many ultra-processed foods. Most people are overeating carbohydrates and fats and undereating quality protein.

My approach to nutrition is implementing small changes that are sustainable. You want to enjoy your lifestyle, so that you can maintain it for the rest of your life. Avoid crash diets, diet culture, and packaged food, and seek out whole foods that are nutritionally dense and make you feel your best.

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What is Resistance Training?

Resistance training, strength training, weight training, lifting weights…what’s the difference? I like to think of resistance training as the act of making your body and muscles work against force. It describes an action. Strength training is ultimately the same thing, but more describes the outcome. If you are resistance training properly you will gain strength…well, if you’re doing it right you will! And lifting weights?! Same thing, different name.

The Benefits of Training

Where do we even start with this? The benefits of training are unparalleled when it comes to health maintenance and optimization. It is by far the number one activity you can do to not only enhance your current health but also protect your future health and prevent the disabilities of aging. We can’t stop the clock. But we can take action to age with optimal mobility, independence, and quality of life.

The shortlist of the very long list of benefits includes but is not limited to improved mood, mental health, sleep, energy, body image, confidence, strength, bone health, heart health, posture, flexibility, fat loss, and metabolic health. Additionally, weight training will decrease stress, anxiety, risk of slip and falls, risk of injuries, mobility loss, risk of cognitive decline

America tends to focus on obesity. In reality, we should be looking closer at the fact that Americans are extremely under-muscled. Even if the obesity levels stayed the same, we would be a much healthier population with higher muscle to support mobility and metabolic health. If you need help getting started, consider reaching out to an online coach to help you with programming, such as Irene Iron Fitness.

Equipment Options

Many RVers have to carry their equipment onboard their rig. If you are a part-time or weekend warrior, you want to have a program using equipment that can easily move from your sticks and bricks to your RV life. Knowing your equipment options will be a good step to being set up properly.

The top two options we recommend for training are dumbbells or loop-style resistance bands. With either option, you will want to be sure to have a wide variety of weight/resistance levels. One single set of dumbbells will not do the trick. You want to have lightweight, heavyweight, and everything in between. You have a lot of different-sized muscles on your body and it is not a one-size fits all. Especially once you start to make strength improvements and need to increase resistance to continue to make progress.

How Often Should You Train?

It’s important to stay safe and start at a level that you feel comfortable and enjoy. This might mean one time per week for ten minutes per session. It might mean two times per week for twenty minutes per session. Ultimately, you want to work your way up to three or four times per week, at 30-45 minutes per session.

Start where you are at and make sure that you enjoy it. If you take on too much too soon, you can discourage yourself, burn out, or worse, cause injury. You will know when it is time to ramp it up!

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Benefits of Food Prepping

If you want to improve your nutrition, the number one thing you can do is cook your own food at home. Cooking your own food puts you in control of the ingredients, from a quality and portion perspective. You will connect with your food more, save money, and improve your health all at once. Sounds pretty good to us!

Most of us don’t have the luxury of time to spend each meal starting from scratch 3-4 times a day in the kitchen. If you do, that’s awesome and I’m actually a bit jealous. If you struggle to find time to cook, then prepping is for you. While it does take some time on the front end, it is an investment in your schedule that will save hours on future meal times. You will feel your ROI very quickly as you utilize your efforts throughout the week.

Create a Food Prep Schedule

Some people like to have one day per week where they prep food for the entire week ahead. Others like to have multiple food prep sessions throughout the week. The frequency that you choose may depend on a lot of variables. Such as, how often are you grocery shopping each week? How much time do you have to cook every day? How picky are you with leftovers? Do you get bored easily of eating the same thing? How large is your refrigerator?

You should definitely plan to carve out 2-3 hours at least one day per week to commit to food prepping. Many people like Sundays, because it is the start of a fresh week ahead. Use your selected day to get organized and set the tone for the week.

Master your Meal Planning

Before you start tackling food prepping, you should have a good idea of what your daily meals will look like. I highly encourage having a set schedule of your meals each day. The number of meals you eat will depend on your personal preferences, activity level, and goals. Generally speaking, I recommend eating meals about 4 hours apart. For me, that ends up being four meals per day, which I call Meal 1, Meal 2, Meal 3, and Meal 4.

Ideally, you will have quality protein, fibrous vegetables, smart carbs, and healthy fats at every meal. Once you have your number of meals scheduled, you can break down the quantities needed for each meal. It may take some time to dial in on your quantities and portions if you are brand new to this. With time, you will make adjustments and you will figure out what works best for you and your household.

Keep it Simple

Food prep can easily become overwhelming. Try to keep it as simple as possible, so that you don’t cause brain damage week after week. I personally like to focus on prepping proteins, prepping vegetables, and prepping carbs. The fats come onto the plate easily and often don’t require prep work. Once in a while, I might make some new recipes throughout the month to spice things up, but I wait until I’m in the mood for those. If you try to force several new recipes week after week into your food prep, you may get burnt out and want to quit prepping. Start small by focusing on one meal of the day (breakfast or lunch are good starting options), or one food type (such as proteins).

Different Ways to Food Prep

There are a few different ways you can tackle your approach. At the end of the day, the goal is to have an organized fridge with ingredients or meals that are easy to consume. Play around with each of these varieties and find which version (or combination of versions) works for you. Once you figure out which ways you plan to prep, you will also want to have a good variety of food storage containers to accommodate these prepping efforts.

Batch Cooking

Batch cooking is when you make large quantities of individual food items to use later throughout the week in different ways. Common examples are making a big pot of brown rice or a big pot of quinoa, a large tray of roasted veggies, or cooking several pounds of chicken. You could also batch-cook recipes as well. Maybe you make a big double or triple batch of chili or soup on the weekend so that you can eat it all week long. Some people also like to freeze portions of their batch cooking, to enjoy later in the month.

Individually Portioned Meals

Individually portioned meals are a convenient way to have grab-and-go meals. After you make your recipes or your meal components, you take the time to divide them up into individual serving containers. I used to prefer this method when I lived in a house or an apartment. I had a huge residential-size fridge where space wasn’t an issue, and I could stack up all of my daily meals in there. It was perfect for having lunches ready to take to the office every day.

My preferred method of food prep had to change as soon as we started vanlife. There was no way my 3 cubic foot dorm fridge could accommodate all of those food containers. This was the point that I switched to bulk prepping.

Prepped Ingredients

Prepping ingredients is where you do not actually cook the food. You just take the ingredients as far as possible so that when you do want to cook food, they are ready to use. Cleaning, chopping, trimming, and portioning are all done during the prep phase. If you want to make a quick lunch salad, it will be very easy for you to take out all of the prepped vegetables and through things together in 5 minutes.

The Leftover Method

The leftover method is exactly what it sounds like. If you are going to cook a meal such as lunch or dinner, make double or triple on purpose so that you have leftovers. You can make dinner for yourself to enjoy fresh, and eat it for lunch for a couple of days after. This version allows you to rotate through different recipes and you’ll get more variety in the week. I call this the “cook once, eat twice…at least!” method.

Key Food Groups to Food Prep for

A balanced meal will consist of quality protein, fibrous vegetables, smart carbs, and healthy fats. As mentioned above, healthy fats are usually readily available in the form of oils, butter, nuts, seeds, egg yolks, cheese, avocado, olives, coconut, etc., and do not need to be prepped ahead. The other three categories are where you will get the best bang for your buck during your food prep sessions.

Quality Proteins

Protein is usually the hardest macro for people to eat enough of. We recommend targeting 1 gram of quality protein for every pound of ideal body weight. When we say “quality protein”, we mean whole food sourced proteins, not processed proteins (such as cold cuts, chicken nuggets, or processed vegan imitation meat). Quality protein sources will contain most if not all of the essential amino acids. And finally, a quality protein is in a food that doesn’t require us to ingest a large amount of fat or carbohydrates in order to get that protein count (for example, consider peanut butter a high-fat food, not a high-protein food).

I like to prep proteins in two different ways. First, I like to have pre-cooked proteins that are ready to eat immediately. It is important to have at least 30 grams of protein at every meal, especially your first meal of the day. If you are only eating 2-3 meals per day, you will need to adjust the meal goal in order to hit your daily goal.

I personally don’t like to cook a big breakfast for my first meal of the day, and I prefer to reheat some pre-cooked protein. Turkey and sausage patties are my main go-to for pre-cooked breakfast proteins. I have two recipes that I like to rotate between: turkey sausage patties, and five spice patties. Both of these recipes can be made with ground turkey, chicken, or pork. When I make these, I double the recipe and form the patties into 3-ounce portions. Then, I grab two patties in the morning. It’s preportioned so I know I’m hitting my personal protein goal, and it’s no fuss.

The second way that I like to prep protein is simply by portioning it out in its raw condition. I purchase protein in bulk whenever possible. Flank steak, chicken thighs, and ground turkey are always on my bulk list. Usually, flank steaks will come in a pack with two big flanks, totaling about four pounds. I break this up into four single-pound steaks and put one in the fridge, and three in the freezer. Portioning the flank is extremely easy, as I simply cut each flank in half cutting up the steak vertically so they are two long strips per flank. Portioning chicken thighs take a bit longer because you need to trim off excess fat from each thigh. You could skip this step, but I personally don’t want to eat the fat and I like to know my portioned weights are accurate since the portions are trimmed and cleaned.

You can determine what size portions to make based on your goals and how many people you feed at each meal. One-pound portions may work great for two adults at a single meal. Two-pound portions may be ideal for two adults and two teenagers. Having your protein portioned out into ziplock bags makes cooking lunch or dinner a breeze since you don’t need to handle any raw meat. It also eliminates food waste, as you can pull out portions one at a time, the night before. It also helps minimize material waste when out boondocking.

Vegetables

Vegetables should be included in every single meal. Prepping vegetables has various approaches, as they can also be pre-cooked or prepped raw. Having a big variety of raw vegetables available for quick use in salads or other side dishes is a big time saver throughout the week. It also helps you consume more vegetables. If I have a diced-up cucumber in the fridge I will definitely add it to salads and meals without thinking twice. If I have a full cucumber in the fridge, it may just sit there and go bad if I’m too lazy or rushed to cut it up every time I reach into the fridge.

There are two big motivators that push me to prep vegetables as soon as I get home from the grocery store. First, I can get WAY more into my RV fridge after I trim the veggies down. Items like Brocolli stems, crowns of cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, and bell peppers require some level of trimming. Once you trim these down, they take up significantly less space. The more you condense down, the more goodness you can pack in.

The second big motivator is freshness. Transferring veggies into air-tight food containers along with dry paper towels is a game changer. I line each container with a dry, clean, paper towel at the bottom and the top of the container, and make sure the vegetables are completely dry before adding those in. Water and air are the enemies! I will check in on these containers mid-week and will swap out the damp paper towels for fresh dry ones. This makes a big difference and will help extend the veggie life to a full week. I like to save the damp paper towels and reuse them for dirty jobs later after they’ve been able to dry out again.

Smart Carbs

After you have your proteins and veggies portions figured out, you can dial in your remaining portions of carbs and fats. Some people prefer higher carb and lower fat, while others prefer lower carb and higher fat. Everybody is different, and there is no absolute macro split that is right for everybody.

Starchy vegetables and fruit are excellent carb sources. Fruit is easy since it doesn’t require any cooking. Other starchy carbs that do require cooking are excellent items to precook, and the batch method is my favorite. Brown rice takes a solid 45 minutes to cook and I usually never have time to cook that fresh at dinner. I will cook up a big batch of rice and keep that in the fridge to use throughout the week. I also like to cook quinoa ahead of time as well. Pre-cooked brown rice, white rice, and quinoa reheat very well and cook up fantastic in stir fry. You may also consider roasting potatoes, beets, or squashes as carb sources as well.

Tips to Stay Organized with Food Prep

The more you food prep, the quicker you will get at it. You will begin to master your meals and the groceries needed to complete the puzzle. We have a few tips that will help stay organized to get you going.

Learn your Food Containers

I have certain food containers that fit one single serving of starchy carbs perfectly. I have other containers that will fit four servings of starchy carbs perfectly. When dealing with a small RV refrigerator, it is important to have your food containers dialed down. The last thing you want is an oversized container that isn’t being filled to its full capacity. What a waste of space!

There are certain food containers that I prioritize for veggies, while I have others that I use for prepped proteins and starchy carbs. The veggies are the most fragile and susceptible to moisture damage, so I use “the good containers” on those!

Keep a List of Your Tare Weights

If you are monitoring your portion sizes, having your tare weights written down will help you. Tare weights are the weight of whatever bowl, cutting board, pot, pan, or food container is holding your food. Let’s break this down. Imagine cooking two pounds of ground beef, which equals 32 ounces. After you cook the ground beef, a lot of the moisture in the meat is evaporated. So 32 ounces in raw weight will end up weighing less after cooking. You know you want to divide this batch up into 6 servings, which will total roughly 5.33 ounces per serving in raw weight. But what is the adjusted cooked weight?

To find the new serving size (after cooking), you put your skillet on a scale. But before you can divide by 6, you need to deduct the weight of the pot itself, which is your tare weight. I like to keep a list of all tares on my cell phone, so I can quickly pull it up and use it for calculating portion sizes. Not everybody will need to get this granular on portions. But if you are tracking macros or just starting out prepping, it can be an extremely helpful tool. Not only for learning your portion sizes, but also to make sure your prepped foods last the number of days you intended them to last.

Use Mini Post-it Notes During Food Prep

It can be really challenging to remember what you made on which date. Especially if you are prepping on multiple days throughout the week. I like to use mini post-it notes so I can write the date that I cooked it. This can help you keep your refrigerator organized and follow the FIFO method when putting meals together (first in, first out), to minimize waste.

Keep Track of your Favorite Meals to Food Prep

Keep a running list of your favorite recipes. Maybe a list on your computer, or a notebook in your kitchen. Remember to add to it when you try something new that you like. It is easy to get bored with your usual meals. It can be helpful to have a list and rotate in some reliable recipes that you may have forgotten about!

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What is Strength Training?

Strength training is also known as resistance training, weight training, and weight lifting. While strength training is known by many names, the bottom line is it uses your body weight or other resistance equipment to perform weight-bearing exercises. This type of exercise will build muscle mass, strength, and endurance.

Why is Muscle Mass Important?

Skeletal muscle and strength are critical for healthy aging. Muscles are the key players in body movement and function, and it provides a long list of physical, mental, and quality-of-life benefits. The reality is, as we age, we naturally lose muscle mass starting at the age of twenty.

There are two ways to increase muscle protein synthesis. Both exercise and dietary protein-based nutrition will help you maintain a strong, healthy muscle mass. Optimal muscle mass in turn leads to improved health, independence, and functionality. As we age, it is incredibly important to practice both approaches, to maintain and build skeletal muscle tissue.

Common Myths About Strength Training

Let’s cut to the chase on some common misconceptions about resistance training. Resistance training isn’t only for bodybuilders and meatheads. Resistance training isn’t only for men. It won’t turn women “bulky”. And it certainly isn’t only for people who are already “in good shape”. Whether you’re brand new or experienced, old or young, obese or underweight, resistance training is for you. If you haven’t tried strength training, now is the time to start.

Physical Benefits of Strength Training

When you think about resistance training and physical benefits, you may automatically jump to a visual of a well-chiseled body. Having a sculpted physique could be a side effect of consistently lifting weights, and having proper nutrition, for several years. But it’s certainly not the main attraction of benefits. And it’s definitely not the reason we promote it. This is not about aesthetics, this is about overall health benefits.

1. Burn Calories

It’s commonly known that a workout routine and physical activity, in general, can be effective to burn calories. Aerobic exercise often gets used as a tool to torch calories, and it is very powerful for doing so. While aerobic activity is an important piece of a well-rounded fitness program, it is not the quickest way to fat loss, but strength training is.

One of the best things you can do to be metabolically healthy is to increase lean muscle mass. The more lean body mass you have, the higher your resting metabolism becomes. In other words, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day, even when you doing nothing. You will burn more calories even while you are only sleeping.

2. Fat Loss

We’ve already covered the fact that both aerobic exercise and strength training are effective for burning calories. Balancing your calories in with your calories out, and being in a caloric deficit will result in weight loss. But now we want to get into fat loss.

How is fat loss different from weight loss? Sometimes when we lose weight our body burns muscle rather than burning fat. We’ve already discussed why muscle is important, and we definitely want to protect it by all means. What you eat and how you exercise can play a role in dictating this. Lean muscle is a highly metabolic fat-free tissue, and it produces the highest caloric burn in the body. When you lift weights you build muscle and burn fat.

As you begin strength training, you will see a shift in your body composition as you gain muscle. With a proper diet and regular resistance training, your body fat percentage will go down, and your lean muscle mass will go up. This phenomenon is hard to achieve and is usually only able to happen when you are brand new to resistance exercise.

3. Improve Heart Health

Multiple studies show that regular strength training can strengthen your heart and blood vessels. A strengthened heart can lead to a decrease in blood pressure, lower total and LDL cholesterol, and an improvement in blood circulation.

Strength training also can help you maintain healthy body weight and manage your blood sugar levels. Properly managed blood sugar levels will mitigate your risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

4. Improve Bone Density

Bone loss essentially starts to happen for both men and women in their 40s and 50s. It is much more pronounced for women and tends to kick in heavily around menopause, then slowing back down around age 65. Whereas men actually have a higher rate of bone loss after age 65.

While osteoporosis and other bone fragility disorders can be hereditary (up to 50%), there are several lifestyle factors you can implement during your young/mid-adult years to increase bone strength. Monitoring your weight, and diet, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol, and engaging in weight-bearing exercises will all help to improve bone mineral density. 

Classic strength training tools such as medicine balls, weight machines, free weights (dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells), resistance bands, and even body weight are effective for increasing bone density. However, the more strain the strength training puts on your muscles, the better it is for your bones. So lifting heavier will be more effective than using only your own body weight. 

5. Decrease the Risk of Falls

There is a strong link between muscle loss (sarcopenia) and bone loss (osteopenia). With advancing age, sarcopenia and osteopenia present major clinical problems, such as impaired mobility, compromised balance, increased risk of osteoarthritis, and falls/fractures; all of which diminish the quality of life in seniors. 

Some people are afraid of falling, so they refrain from activity altogether. Inactivity can actually contribute to the risk of falling, rather than preventing it. Instead, use strength training to train all major muscle groups and build muscle strength, improve bone health, and decrease your risk of falls. Make sure to incorporate balance exercises, and have a good mix of both lower-body and upper-body exercises.

6. Decrease the Risk of Injuries

Skeletal muscle is your body armor. It helps you stand up straight, move, and function. It protects your bones and joints when moving and also when under an impact such as a fall. Strength training helps improve the strength, range of motion, and mobility of your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This reinforced strength around major joints like your hips, ankles, and knees will provide additional protection against injury.

Falling is the number one cause of accidental death for people over 65 years old. The risk of death from a fall is enormous by the time you reach 75 years old. Don’t wait until you’re in your high-risk years to start thinking about this. Start your strength training early on so that you can minimize your risks and be proactive!

7. Improve Quality of Life

When we think about growing old and aging, we often think about lifespan. Lifespan relates to the number of years lived. Let’s start to think more in terms of healthspan. Healthspan refers more to the quality of life during your senior years. Healthspan and longevity are our absolute favorite reasons to incorporate strength training.

Good health and mobility equal independence for older adults. Strength training, building muscle, and maintaining physical activity throughout your senior years will keep you healthy and independent. 

Of course, we have the obvious textbook benefits that we have already discussed. Sure, increasing bone health, reducing body fat, and minimizing falls and injuries are obviously important.

Do you want to know what’s exceptionally important that doesn’t get talked about as much? Having independence as a senior to do your own laundry, carry your own groceries, push or pull yourself out of a swimming pool, or lift up your 40-pound grandchild.  These are your real reasons why muscle-strengthening activities are important. 

Mental Health Benefits of Strength Training

When you think about resistance training and mental benefits, you may initially draw a blank altogether. The mental benefits of resistance training are often overlooked, while physical benefits steal the spotlight. Here at Healthy RV Living, we believe the mind, body, and soul all need to be nourished. Luckily, strength training helps the mind too.

8. Improve Self Confidence

Believe it or not, strength training adds a major boost to your self-confidence. Initially, the thought of weight training may make you intimidated. The fears of not using proper technique, designing your own programs, and judgment of peers, can all be paralyzing.

Once you overcome those fears and work towards a goal, you feel an immediate wave of accomplishment. With time, you will see a clear improvement in your strength and physical function. You will have measurable improvements, and you will feel better. Your body image will improve, and you will walk a little taller. It’s a magical thing.

9. Improve Cognitive Function

Your heart, lungs, and muscles aren’t the only things stimulated by exercise. Strength training also benefits the brain. Just like a muscle, your brain has a response to internal and external influences, a miracle known as neuroplasticity.

Strength training exercises have the ability to improve memory and prevent cognitive decline. Those who engage in strength training may have better brain health and protection against age-related cognitive decline.

10. Decrease Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

There is strong evidence that participating in strength training exercises can make you feel happier. Depression lessens, stress melts away, and anxiety lowers. Strength training exercise makes you feel good.

Cortisol is your body’s main stress hormone and acts like a built-in alarm system. It is closely tied to depression and anxiety. Do you want to know what helps lower and balance your cortisone level? Yep, you guessed it… weightlifting. 

Lifting weights is also known to release endorphins, the “feel good” hormone. Strength training can help our bodies maintain hormonal health, and our hormones affect every part of our body, especially our emotions and our mental state of being.

Now is the Time to Start Strength Training

Strength training provides numerous health benefits, such as a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, stronger bones, better brain health and mood, and improved self-esteem. We’ve gone over several good reasons why you should incorporate it into your overall fitness program. 

As a nation, we are under-muscled. We tend to fixate on obesity and fad diets. What if we start to focus more on lifting weights and protecting our longevity? We know that skeletal muscle deterioration in old age has severe health consequences. So why put off resistance training when it is such a powerful investment in your future? 

Keep exercising throughout life. Start now and use what you have, whether it’s your own body weight, weight machines, free weights, suspension equipment, or resistance bands.

Need Help With Resistance Training?

There are plenty of things to worry about as you start out your strength training journey, such as: 

• which resistance exercises should you be doing?
• which order should you do them in?
• how should you group the exercises together to form an effective routine?
• are you using the proper form? 
• how often or how long should you train?

Consider signing up for online fitness coaching with Irene Iron Fitness, and let a pro help you and keep you accountable. Chris is a NASM certified Personal Trainer, Senior Fitness Specialist, and a Precision Nutrition certified nutrition coach.

The post Strength Training Benefits You Need to Know appeared first on Healthy RV Living.

The importance of healthy habits

Did you know that over a third of your activities are actually not determined by you? It’s a habit. Your life today is the sum of your current habits.

Habits are the small decisions that you make every day and the actions that you take from them. We have outlined ten basic healthy habits that will help you live a healthier lifestyle. From improving healthy eating to physical health, these healthy habits stack up.

Living an RV lifestyle can certainly throw a wrench in your routine. Constant relocation and inconsistent daily schedules will keep you on your toes, that’s for sure. On top of that, we RVers tend to treat life like one big vacation. And there is nothing wrong with that! We are out here living our best life. The key to living a balanced RV lifestyle is to incorporate daily practices that improve your overall health and keep you on track with your goals.

Tried and true healthy habits

After coaching hundreds of clients across the country, we have some pretty good experience with helping others live their best lives. We have compiled our top list of the most impactful healthy habits. We personally practice these healthy habits ourselves, every single day, while living full-time in an RV.

1. Resistance train at least 3 times per week

At Healthy RV Living, we are all about resistance training. Skeletal muscle is critical for health, quality of life, and longevity. As a nation, we are severely under-muscled. This makes sense considering that as we age, we naturally lose muscle. If you are over the age of 20, you are likely losing muscle mass as you read this, unless you are actively weight training.

Not only does weight training build lean muscle mass, but it also increases bone density, protects against injuries, improves metabolism, aids with fat loss, increases flexibility and balance, improves posture, minimizes depression and anxiety, prevents cognitive decline, and improves confidence. With all of these benefits, why wouldn’t you start resistance training today?

It doesn’t take much to get you on the right track for building lean muscle. All it takes is a minimum of three training sessions per week, at least 30 minutes per session. We recommend using a wide variety of dumbbell weights or a high-quality set of loop-style resistance bands. Dumbbells and loop-style resistance bands are at the top of our list for essential RV fitness gear. Be sure to follow a program that targets all of your muscle groups for total body strength gains.

2. Get sunshine and fresh air every day

It can be easy to sit inside your RV all day long. This is especially true if you work from home (your RV). Before you know it, it’s dinner time, the sun is going down, and you want to cozy up on the couch. Staying cooped up all day is a bad habit that you can easily break.

Sunlight shares many of the same benefits of exercise. Both exercise and sunlight improve sleep, reduce stress, maintain strong bones, help keep weight gain away, fight depression, and can help you live a longer life.

Additionally, sunlight gives you that needed boost of vitamin D. Vitamin D is critical for your immune system. You can strengthen your immune system with consistent exposure to sunlight. Illness, infections, and some cancers will be less prone to take you down with consistent exposure to sunshine.

Fresh air is energizing and sharpens your mind. It cleans your lungs, helps your digestive system, can lower blood pressure, and strengthens your immune system.

Make sure you are properly prepared to spend time outside all year round. Invest in having a good rain jacket, umbrella, and plenty of cold-weather gear.

So how much time per day is needed to soak up these physical and emotional health benefits? You can reap the rewards with 5 to 30 minutes per day. If you’re ever feeling that afternoon slump, head outside for a dose of good health.

3. Aim to get 7,500 steps a day

Walking is highly underrated. We love it because it is low impact, highly accessible, and gets the body moving. The more steps you take, the more likely you are to get regular movement throughout the day. Humans are not meant to be sedentary. You may have even heard the saying, “Sitting is the new smoking”, and unfortunately it rings true. Excessive sitting has been linked to an increase in back pain, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and diabetes.

The average adult reportedly gets anywhere from 2,000-6,000 steps per day. Suppose you are nowhere near 7,500, target 1,000-2,000 above your current average and start there. Then, after a couple of weeks, ramp it up again. Continue to monitor and set goals for yourself. Of course, if you already are at or above 7,500, continue to do what you are doing, and don’t achieve less.

Getting steps in does take time though. If creating the time needed to get steps in is a problem, you may then want to look at other higher-intensity forms of exercise to get more bang for your buck (being the clock). And if you are really wanting to increase your metabolism or use walking for weight management, you may need to work up to 10,000-15,000 per day.

4. Target 7-9 hours of sleep per night

Sleep deprivation is nothing to joke about. Poor sleep is directly linked to weight gain, weakened immunity, memory issues, mood changes, trouble concentrating, high blood pressure, risk of heart disease, low sex drive, and poor balance.

Consistently getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night can negatively affect your physical and mental health. You’ll feel groggy, tired, and just off.

There are several things that you can do to improve your sleep routine. For starters, try to stay as consistent as possible with your sleep schedule. Minimize electronics before bed. This might mean turning off the TV or shutting down your phone 30 minutes before bed. Try other activities such as reading a book, taking a shower, journaling, deep breathing, or stretching. Limit or avoid daytime naps, reduce alcohol intake, cut off caffeine after noon, and exercise regularly to help get better sleep.

If you’ve ever spent the night at a Walmart or Cracker Barrel, you’ve probably experienced the harsh security lights peeping into your RV. Take a look at the window coverings in your RV. Are they true blackout curtains? If not, consider upgrading to get full blackout coverage. An easier solution is getting an inexpensive eye mask. The eye masks work great to keep the light out. I personally own several of these and wear them every night!

5. Drink more water

Drinking water not only keeps you properly hydrated, but it provides a slew of other health benefits. It carries nutrients to cells, eliminates waste, protects joints and organs, and maintains body temperature.

Beverages like soft drinks and fruit juice can pack on calories, and refined sugar, as well as other artificial flavors. Ditch the sugary drinks and make water your go-to beverage. At the end of the day, water is the best choice for hydration.

The current recommended guidelines for water consumption are 90-120 ounces per day. We recommend drinking this throughout the day, starting the minute you wake up. “Twenty-four before your feet hit the floor” is a motto we use often. Before you even have your morning coffee, get a jump start on your daily water quota.

We have heard from some adults out there who just can’t stand the taste of water. Or lack thereof…If you find yourself in this category, try a few natural add-ins before reaching for artificial sweeteners or sugar-sweetened beverages. Fresh mint, lemon, lime wedges, and sliced cucumber are all healthy choices to enhance your H20.

Rather than wasting money, space, and energy lugging around single-use plastic bottles of water, invest in a long-term drinking solution. There are many filtration systems that you can use in the RV. Easy and affordable solutions are portable filters like the Brita or the Berkey. There are also more advanced in-line filtration systems, such as Clearsource.

6. Cook the majority of your food at home

Processed foods are the number one contributor to chronic diseases. Cooking at home is by far the most powerful way to control your food choices. This should come as great news to RVers since we always have our kitchen with us! 

Processed food, fast food, and even sit-down restaurants are all culprits here. Sure, fast food may be known to have lesser quality ingredients and more fried food. However, sit-down restaurants are just as damaging. According to Time Magazine, “92% of meals from large-chain and local restaurants have more calories than is recommended for the average person”. Restaurant foods are often loaded with excess calories from trans fats and sugars. 

Take control of your ingredients and portions by cooking at home. Food prep does take some extra time on the front end. But with continued practice, it will lead to a healthier life. There are various prepping approaches you can take. One of the most popular methods is the “Sunday ritual”. This involves taking a few hours on Sunday (or any day) and prepping for the entire week. Cook big batches of whole grains, starches, quality protein, and prepped fruits and vegetables. 

Challenge yourself to reach for your home-cooked lunch rather than fast food on your lunch break. Recreate that frozen meal from scratch and connect with the fresh ingredients. And rather than trying to cut out all restaurant food cold turkey, try to gradually decrease your average number of meals out per week. Make this a fun experience and enjoy your time in the kitchen!

7. Prioritize quality protein

Since we have gotten onto the subject of healthy foods, let’s talk about what you’re eating. Protein is highly under-eaten by many adults. And it plays a critical role in your healthy diet, as well as healthy aging.

Protein helps build and maintain skeletal muscle. Remember when we talked about lifting weights to help stay healthy and minimize risk factors? Here we go again with protein. There are two ways to help build and maintain muscle: 1) weight lifting and 2) dietary protein. Why not tackle both?

Protein is also important if you are trying to lose fat and get down to a healthy weight. It is hard work to be in a caloric deficit. Prioritizing protein will help keep you feeling full and satisfied. It will also protect your muscles and steer your body toward burning fat instead of muscle.

So what do we mean by “quality” protein? We are not talking about processed meats (cold cuts, hot dogs, protein bars, or “Beyond Burgers”). We are talking about fresh meats, fish, and eggs that have not been processed. These quality sources offer essential amino acids that are needed to promote muscle protein synthesis.

We like to keep our RV freezer stocked with quality proteins. We purchase our proteins online in bulk from a grass-fed and ethical source. Another cost-saving option to consider is purchasing in bulk from Costco or Sam’s Club. When we bring it home, break it all up and portion it into one-pound servings in Ziploc bags. Having pre-portioned servings in the freezer makes mealtime a breeze. You have less prep, less trash, and a properly portioned quantity to create meals with. Does your RV freezer need an overhaul?

8. Pump up the vegetables

Vegetables should make up half of your plate at every meal. Including breakfast! Yes, we said it! Fruits and vegetables are so nutritious and are the answer to helping prevent chronic diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 1 out of 10 adults get enough fruits or vegetables. This statistic is measured using a modest recommendation of 1 1/2-5 cups per day. We definitely don’t want you to fall into that statistic. So much that we will get a little crazy and up the recommendation, even more, to target 5-10+ cups per day.

First, pay attention to two different types of vegetables: fibrous vs. starchy. While both come loaded with vitamins and nutrients, some key differences exist. Fibrous veggies are packed with, you guessed it, fiber. They are also lower in calories. Some examples of fibrous vegetables are broccoli, leafy greens, green beans, brussel sprouts, asparagus, and tomatoes. Fiber is an excellent way to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, help you feel fuller for longer, and aid with digestion.

Starchy vegetables are the familiar potatoes, corn, legumes, and beets. They have a higher starch and carbohydrate content and higher calories. A majority of your daily carbohydrates should come in the form of vegetables and fruits, rather than refined grains (crackers, bread, etc).

One of our favorite things to do as we travel the country is to visit local farmers’ markets. This is a great way to explore local areas and support local farmers. Spend a couple of hours out and about, being a tourist. Then bring home a haul of fresh ingredients, and create some magic in your RV kitchen!

9. Minimize ultra-processed foods

When it comes to healthy eating, ultra-processed foods are about as unhealthy foods as you can get. When you walk around a standard modern-day grocery store, over 75% of the “food” offerings are processed foods. From processed meats and meat alternatives to chips, crackers, cookies, breakfast cereals, condiments, frozen meals, meal-replacement bars, and more, it can be overwhelming.

Processed foods are mechanically engineered to taste amazing. The companies design these foods to leave you wanting more. As a result, you overeat, and afterward, you’re nutritionally unsatisfied. What a recipe for disaster!

Pay attention to what is on the labels of these foods. An insane amount of money is spent on marketing. They use terms on the packaging that make you “think” these foods are healthy when they are just processed junk food. Terms like: plant-based, heart-healthy, whole grain, vegan, keto, organic, gluten-free, fat-free, low calorie, the list goes on and on.

Next time you go grocery shopping, schedule some extra time to read labels. First, check the ingredients list. Ideally, the ingredients will be about five items or less. More importantly, you will be able to identify and recognize every item in that ingredient list. Second, get comfortable reading the nutrition info. Serving size, calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, sugar, and protein content are all important numbers to pay attention to.

10. Stay focused and consistent

People struggle with the “on and off” mentality when it comes to fitness and nutrition. I think this is a result of decades of fad diets, and the desire to get the most results with as minimal effort as possible. The fad diets and trends will promise fast results, and oftentimes times they come with drastic measures.

These fad diets and other highly marketed nutrition plans are often very restrictive. For example, cutting out entire food groups such as animal products, fruits, carbohydrates, and even vegetables is pretty typical in fad diets such as vegan, keto, and low-carb diets. 

Meanwhile, many fancy (and expensive!) commercial nutrition plans are extremely low-calorie and require you to purchase their packaged food to stay on plan. If you are ever being pressured to purchase food in a package as a solution to good health, I encourage you to run! 

The truth is, that healthy lifestyle habits take time and consistency. Don’t be discouraged when you don’t have a physical transformation in a short time. Be realistic with yourself on what your lifestyle is, day in and day out. I challenge you to practice these healthy habits for six months with 100% commitment. Stay focused and consistent. This is a sustainable approach to a true lifestyle change. 

Time to collect significant health benefits

Hopefully, we have inspired you to incorporate these healthy habits today. Maybe you’re already doing a few of them, or better yet even a majority of them. If there are even just a couple more that you can add to your routine, it’s worth the effort.

Sometimes picking just one thing at a time to add in can be a gentle way to progress. If you tack on too much at once you may find yourself overwhelmed. Pick one habit that you feel most confident that you can consistently perform. Master that habit for a couple of weeks. Once that feels like “normal”, then add in another.

Breaking your goals up into small, achievable steps is extremely effective. Taking slow continuous steps will get you to your end goal much quicker than taking big jumps, then jumping backward. Cheers to healthy habits!

If you are interested in getting more help and accountability on an individual level, check out our online coaching options.

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Have You Ever Done A Walking Tour?

If you’ve never been on a walking tour, we have good news- there are so many options nowadays!  You can join a group led by an expert local guide.  You can download an app and do a self-guided tour at your own pace.  In some cities, they even have maps and markings throughout the city pointing out areas of interest, like the famous “Freedom Trail” in Boston.

Walking Tours for Exercise 

We think walking tours are the best way to combine body movement with sightseeing because you’re on foot! We enjoy the slower speed, being able to soak in the views and learn the history, all while getting our steps in.  You may even find dog-friendly walking tours, so the whole family can get their exercise in.

Walking is an exercise that burns calories, builds muscle, and improves heart health. It’s a great low-impact activity that can be done for long durations.  Therefore it may help you meet your exercise or weight-loss goals.  In addition to all the physical benefits, walking can also contribute to your mental health. Long walks can alleviate depression and improve your mood.

With all these positive reasons to choose walking as a form of exercise, let’s dive into walking tours as a way to explore a new city.

Guided Walking Tours 

There are many paid excursion options for whichever city you’re planning to visit.  We think guided walking tours are the best option if you have the time and flexibility in your schedule to go at the offered times.  Having a live, local expert to ask questions and learn from is worth the cost.  It can be especially great for singles and solo travelers because it’s also a great way to meet fellow travelers.  

Below are some of our favorite places to find guided walking tours:

Airbnb Experiences offers walking tours in many cities.  This will allow you to connect with a local community member and learn about their city or neighborhood from their experience.

Get Your Guide offers walking tours around the world (and we often select a biking tour if we want to see more areas of a larger city). 

Tours By Locals offers mostly walking tours.  These tours allow you to connect with local residents and learn about their town through their eyes.

We’ve also found walking ghost tours to be a great way to explore a new town, with a little extra thrill!  Whatever the flavor of your chosen walking tour, expect them to last about 90 minutes to 2.5 hours, and wear your walking shoes.  You’ll probably walk somewhere between 1.5- 3 miles on the average guided walking tour.

Walking Tours for Free 

Sometimes your schedule doesn’t match the guided tour times, or maybe you don’t feel like exploring with a group.  There are also self-guided tours you can do with a free (or cheap) app on your phone.  We like GPSmyCity with over 1,000 cities worldwide.  They offer free app-guided walking tours around the world.  

Try web searching for “self-guided walking tour in ‘name of city’” if you don’t find your destination on GPSmyCity.  There are lots of local versions of self-guided walking tour apps.  Often the city, county, or chamber of commerce will build a simple free app to help visitors explore their city.

Another free tour option is called Free Tours By Foot. This organization coordinates a local guide, and as the guest, you can pay what you want at the end of the tour.  So it’s more of a tip-based system, and not technically “free” but still a good and cheap option. This is our personal favorite. We used Free Tours by Foot in both Savannah and Charleston.

Are You Headed to Visit a New City Soon? 

We hope you’re inspired to consider a walking tour if you’re headed to visit a new town or city.  A good walking tour is a perfect example of how to keep up your fitness on the road.  Keeping up with your fitness on the go doesn’t have to be hard, make smart choices about the way you get out to explore.  Use human power whenever possible.  And add a city walking tour to your RV workout routine, for a win-win!

The post Walking Tours to Sightsee appeared first on Healthy RV Living.

Nationwide gym memberships have many benefits. Heck, maybe you’re a vanlifer that just wants a good shower! Let’s take a look at the many things to compare when researching a nationwide gym membership.

Nationwide Gyms With Showers

No one wants to work out without regular showers, especially for many days in a row.  So don’t let showers be something that keeps you from working out while on the road full-time. Many RVers and vanlifers opt for public showers, gym showers, or aquatic facilities to stay fresh regularly without worrying about water consumption or tank space. A gym membership will at least give you this option to use some of the time, and it’s a nice option to have. 

Below are some gyms we like with showers at all clubs, including access limitations: 

• LA Fitness – open 5 am-10 pm at most clubs, most days, with reduced hours on weekends.  Private showers, lockers, and additional amenities like soap and shampoo are provided.
  
• Planet Fitness – most clubs are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Clean showers at every club, but no towels or toiletries are provided. 
  
• Anytime Fitness – provides 24/7 access and has private showers. Not all locations have lockers, though.
  
• 24-Hour Fitness – not all clubs are open 24 hours (ironically). All clubs offer showers during their open hours, but no toiletries are provided.
  
• Orange Theory – As these are small studios, they have small shower facilities.  Many studios have a shower sign-up sheet at the front desk, so a shower that fits your schedule is not guaranteed. Studios are only open during class times.
  
• Snap Fitness – all clubs are open 24/7 with private showers and towel service. 

• YMCA – all locations have showers available, but not all are private, and you’ll want to bring your own toiletries and towel. Average hours are 5 am-8 pm on weekdays, with reduced hours on the weekends.

What Gym Has The Most Locations Nationwide?

Many gym franchises are regional or have locations clustered in one region.  So, it’s important to consider if you travel frequently to one area, to certain states, a specific region, or even to different countries, in order to determine which membership is right for you. This consideration may have the most weight when you ultimately choose which gym membership is best for travelers.

Below are the number of locations per franchise, including some notes about the coverage area: 

• Anytime Fitness – 3,000 locations in the US. Top coverage states are Texas, Florida, and Minnesota, with more clubs in the eastern half of the country, but still decent coverage on the West Coast and mountain-west major cities. 
  
• YMCA – 2,700 locations in the US, including all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 77% of the US population lives within 10 miles of a YMCA.
  
• Planet Fitness – 2,000+ gyms nationwide. More popular and a higher concentration of clubs east of the Mississippi. 

• Orange Theory – 1,314 locations in the US, with studios in 827 cities across all 50 states. 
  
• Snap Fitness – 597 locations in 505 cities across 46 states in the US. Top coverage states include Minnesota, Texas, and Michigan.  There is no coverage in Hawaii, Alaska, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, or Washington DC.

• LA Fitness – 497 clubs in the US across 20 states.  They have the most gyms in CA, TX, and FL, as well as major cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle. 

• 24-Hour Fitness – 287 gyms in 11 states. A fairly limited coverage map compared to some of the larger franchises above. 

What Gym Franchise Has The Lowest Membership Fees?

The all-important question, how much is this going to cost me?  For our purposes, we researched a low to a mid-range selection of nationwide memberships, but it’s worth noting there are some smaller, regional sports clubs that offer incredible amenities (we’re talking rooftop pools in New York City) for a much higher fee (check out Equinox all-access for over $3,000/year) if that’s in your budget.

• Planet Fitness – $22.99/mo for their black card membership which provides access to all locations nationwide.  This membership allows you to bring a guest every time, so it works well for couples living on the road together.  However, there’s a limit of 10 visits per month at non-home locations, and costs $5 per visit thereafter. 
  
• 24-Hour Fitness – $20.22/mo current offer with 1-year prepaid membership, plus a $50 annual fee and a $50 initiation fee.  They offer a 3-day free trial pass. 
  
• LA Fitness – $34.99/mo per adult + $99.99 initial fee for unlimited club access nationwide.  We think LA Fitness is a great mid-range gym option with lots of amenities and value for the money, including private showers, many have a pool, sauna, steam room, etc. 
  
• Snap Fitness – $36.95/mo per adult + $49.95 initiation fee per person, plus a $20 access card fee, and free cancellations.  Offers guest passes and a 7-day free trial. 
  
• Anytime Fitness – Starting at $44/mo per adult, with a current special of only $1 to get started.  Plus, they always offer a 7-day free trial.
  
• YMCA – $48/mo average for one adult, or $66/mo for a two-adult household. Nationwide membership comes at no additional cost, but you must use your home gym 50% of the time.  This may work better for part-time RVers or travelers, but not for full-timers who have no home base.
  
• Orange Theory – Starting at $69/mo for 4 classes. You basically pay per class with their style of all guided workouts. Unlimited classes will cost you up to $159/mo.  The first class is free. 

In all of our research, we also found an interesting alternative to choosing just one franchise and sticking to their network.  Class Pass might be better than a nationwide gym membership, with more than 30,000 studios are the world, in 2,500 cities in the US and abroad.  So if classes are your preferred style of workout, you might consider Class Pass with its ten times more studios than any of the franchises we’ve reviewed.

So What Is The Best Gym Membership For Travelers?

After taking a close look at the best nationwide gyms, we have determined one best gym membership for travelers: Anytime Fitness.  Anytime takes the top spot for fitness on the go because of their coverage map, they have the most locations of any franchise.  They’re also open 24/7/365 which means a workout and a private shower anytime you need it.  Plus, the price is still reasonable.  Despite being our top choice without considering the price, they’re still not the most expensive option. So if you’re looking to keep exercising with RVing, maybe Anytime Fitness is your answer! 

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Health Benefits of RVing with Dogs

Do dogs improve your health? Yes! There are so many benefits of having a dog at home. It is scientifically proven that overall, dogs help lower stress levels, ease depression, and even lower blood pressure. 

In addition to the physical health benefits of dog ownership, there are some mental health benefits of having a dog too. Interacting with our canine companions produces cortisol which is a feel-good, stress-relieving chemical our body releases, which creates a mood boost.  Today’s good mood, courtesy of your dog. 

Beyond just being in a better mood, there are some true psychological benefits of having a dog.  Sometimes if we’re alone or feeling isolated while struggling with our own mental health, it can be helpful to step outside of ourselves and our own challenges.  Having a pet to care for, from feeding and grooming them, to exercising and playing with them, can provide purpose and take your attention off yourself.  Maybe you’ll even meet a new friend when you’re out walking the dog! 

Fitness Benefits of RVing with Dogs

Dogs get you out walking, there’s no doubt about that.  Most dogs don’t care if it’s raining or snowing, they’ll still get you off the couch and out for a stroll.  And that’s a good thing!  There are many health benefits of walking your dog. 

A more active lifestyle 

It’s not yet proven that pets cause lower cholesterol levels in humans, but people with pets do tend to have better cholesterol levels, which likely can be attributed to pet owners having a generally more active lifestyle than those without.

Regular exercise

Fitness while traveling can be tough. You might miss the gym one day, but your dog won’t let you take a day off.  There are definite health benefits of walking your dog every day.  It’s the frequency and reliability of the habit that adds up to some major exercise minutes. 

Stronger bones

Of the many walking health benefits, stronger bones are one.  Walking is considered a weight-bearing exercise and therefore helps build and maintain strong bones.

Coordination

Walking also improves balance and coordination which can help prevent falls. 

Fresh air and sunshine

Fido probably wants to go out first thing every morning.  Rather than grumble about him waking you up, be grateful that he’s helping get your day started on the right foot.  The benefits of walking your dog in the morning are two-fold:  you don’t sleep in or push snooze, and you start your day with fresh air and movement which creates momentum to keep you moving more all day long. 

So what do you think-  is RVing with dogs good for your health? 

If they’re well-trained and well-behaved, we think the answer is yes.  If your dog is not well-behaved or not friendly, it may not be the best RV dog. Of course, there are times when having a dog can be stressful if they are sick or injured.  And it may take some extra logistical coordination, especially in RV life.  But if your dog is well-behaved enough to enjoy your many adventures with you, having them along for the ride is certainly a net-positive to your health. 

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Where to Start with RV Meal Planning

RV meal planning involves some RV-specific considerations to set your plan up for success. Unlike being in a traditional home, your kitchen setup and access may change week to week in RV life.  When you get ready to create your menu for the week ahead, be sure to consider whether you’ll be at an RV resort or campground with hookups, or if you’ll be off-grid boondocking somewhere instead.  This may affect which appliances you can use, and even the tools or ingredients you have on hand.  And if you’re a part-time RVer or just going away for the week, you may need to pack your kitchen supplies from the house, according to your meal plan.  Make sure you have the appliances, equipment, and ingredients you need in the RV. 

Tally up the Amount of Weekly Meals

The typical meal plan is for one week, some people plan only for the five-day workweek, while others will plan a full seven days.  Consider how many meals you may be dining out while on the road (including travel days) and subtract those from your plan.  Determine the number of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners you’ll need for the week ahead.  And how many people are your prepping for?  Who will be eating these meals with you?  Multiply your number of diners at each meal to get a sense of how much to cook for each meal, and that becomes the outline for your RV meals for a week.

Slot in Recipes and Ingredients

Next up is the actual menu, this is the fun part!  Determine which RV recipes you want to prepare for each meal, and fill in your outline as you go.  Consider overlapping some ingredients across meals so as to simplify your shopping list. Be sure to include at least one meal that you’re excited about and will look forward to, and maybe also one easy meal that doesn’t take a lot of RV meal prep or cooking effort.  Then, you can use this plan to create a list of ingredients that will become your shopping list.

RVer Pro Tip: try to keep your recipes simple, and the ingredients basic so you can find them easily at any grocery store on the road.  

Build Your Shopping List:

Organize your healthy RV food shopping list in order from the beginning of the week to the end.  Make note of any ingredients that are needed for the latter half of the week, will they keep for a week or should you wait to purchase them until mid-week?  Also, only buy what you need.  If you’re only cooking RV meals for two people, you may only need a small amount of an ingredient.  Shop the bulk section or the salad bar, to buy only the amount you need to eliminate waste. Don’t forget the healthy RV snacks for in-between meals and travel day sustenance. And be sure to check the pantry to confirm any staples you may not have in the RV before you head off to the grocery store. 

RV Food Storage:

Especially when it comes to RV meal planning, having the right RV food storage containers on hand is important.  You’ll want to have an assortment of sizes, and containers that stack and use space wisely in your cupboards and fridge.  Plus, you want an air-tight seal to maintain freshness and keep out any pests. 

One RV Cooking Recipe to Inspire Your Meal Planning-

The foil packet dinner is designed to be cooked over a campfire and is one of our favorites because cleanup is so easy.

• Tear off a piece of aluminum foil and set it out on the counter as your dinner canvas. 
• Add a protein and as many veggies as you like, then season with your favorite spices.
• Create an envelope around your ingredients, with some room for them to breathe.
• Cook over the campfire (or grill) and have some tongs ready to remove and open.
  

With time and practice, the meal planning process will get easier and quicker.  Over time, you will identify some go-to staple meals or themes that will show up in your weekly rotation regularly. Play around with different RV cooking ideas, and explore new RV meals on the go to keep things fun. Or maybe shop local and try some RV meals that reflect the destination you’re visiting. Just remember to keep it simple enough so you can stick with the plan.  Bon appetite!

The post RV Meal Planning appeared first on Healthy RV Living.

RV Snowbirding in Arizona, Location Options:

California, Arizona, and Florida are the Top 3 Winter RV destinations. First, Arizona is certainly cheaper and less crowded than both California and Florida.  Plus, there’s a great mix of camping options. Ranging from RV parks near Phoenix (posh city living) to RV camping in Quartzsite Arizona (free public land, remote, desert life). There’s a variety of terrain to keep you entertained across Arizona. It does lack the ocean- giving a major plus in the California and Florida columns. 

Building RV Community

And last but not least, it’s easy to host RV meetups in Arizona.  If you’re looking for a community on the road, Arizona might be a great winter home base for you.  From the Quartzsite Big Tent to the Xscapers Annual Bash in Lake Havasu, there will be plenty of RVers looking to meet up across Arizona all winter. It’s also an easy time and place to plan your own specialized RV meetup. Meetups can focus on a specific topic of interest, or just bring your group of friends together. These meetup events are always happening and building little Arizona snowbird RV communities around the state. It’s pretty special. 

Healthy RV Food

The Winter Arizona weather supports the availability of fresh local produce when other areas are too cold for growing.  There are many delicious foods that are seasonal in Arizona’s winter. Seasonal produce makes it easy to cook healthy RV food using arugula, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, carrots, sweet potatoes, and even strawberries! And of course, Arizona is known for its citrus fruit. Winter is its peak citrus season for clementines, grapefruit, lemons, and oranges. These citrus fruits are so plentiful that you can find them on the roadside for sale in many places- from roadside fruit stands to people’s front yards. It’s easy to access all of this fresh local produce because Arizona has Winter farmer’s markets all across the state.

Exercising While RVing

Warm weather and longer days allow for more comfortable, enjoyable outdoor exercise in the Arizona Winter, compared to the cold temperatures, snow, and darkness of a more northern Winter. The mild climate means you won’t have to be exercising in an RV, the great outdoors can be your gym.  The warm sunshine and daylight will elevate your mood and make it easier for you to keep up with your fitness on the go throughout the Winter. Heck, just knowing that you’re not shoveling snow is enough to put a smile on many RVers’ faces.

Sunshine for Mood

The average Arizona winter temperature is 65 degrees for the daytime high.  And in many of the top RV snowbirding destinations, it’s even warmer. Yuma, for example, rarely sees daytime highs below 70 degrees. Many people in the Arizona snowbird population are simply skipping the cold, dark, depressive weather of more northern destinations.  But there are so many additional sun benefits for your body.  Sunshine is good for your bones, reduces stress, and provides natural Vitamin D (Vitamin D benefits: increases motivation and decreases depression, both good for your fitness on the road). So if you’re looking to keep up with your RV workout routine this Winter, Arizona may be a good choice for you.

RV Snowbirding in Arizona, an Easy Decision

So whether you’re looking to Arizona for Winter RV living or just planning Winter Arizona vacations, the Grand Canyon State will certainly support you and your health during the winter months.  Maybe RVing in Arizona in the Winter will be a key to maintaining your healthy RV lifestyle and overall health efforts all year long! 

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