Staying Healthy in Your RV

Traveling in your recreational vehicle, whether you’re going on long camping trips or you live in it full-time, means changing up your lifestyle to suit a more mobile existence. You have more limited living space to work with and you’re relegated to whatever is in your rig and whatever amenities you find on the road when it comes to taking care of yourself.

If you neglect your health, however, you can end up fighting some nasty illnesses as your immune system suffers. And no one wants to be sick while they’re traveling! It’s much harder to get medical care, for one thing, and for another, you don’t want to have wasted time and money on a trip you can’t even enjoy. Travel stress leaves you more vulnerable to illness, so it’s important that you be as proactive as possible when it comes to taking care of yourself.

Broadmoor RV, serving the Tri-Cities area, is your Seattle-area RV dealership. We want you to love every minute of your RVing life, so we’ve provided this guide to help you stay healthy in your RV while you’re on the road.

Get Some Exercise

If you’re not already an avid hiker or swimmer, that’s okay. Not everyone can do strenuous daily activities and they prefer to do simpler activities while camping. However, it’s important to get in some exercise every day to stay fit and healthy. Your mood will also improve! Try to take some walks around the RV park or walk to nearby conveniences. If you have mobility issues, you could invest in some strength-training equipment. Investigate whether your campsite has gym facilities you can use, or look for some in the closest town.

Eat A Balanced Diet

You may get into the habit while traveling of picking up fast food or eating convenience snacks like ramen noodles and chips while you’re on the road. While cooking in your RV can be more challenging than it is at home, it’s the best way to ensure you and your family are getting a balanced diet.

Try to substitute fresh fruit and whole grains for those sugary or salty snacks. Prepare simple staples and grilled or roasted meats in bulk so you can mine them for multiple meals. Meal planning will help you determine what you’ll need to cook and when, as well as the ingredients you’ll have to source. 

Steaming some carrots or broccoli or cutting up a crudité tray can help ensure everyone is getting some vegetables in their diet. Simplify where you can—breakfast doesn’t have to be an elaborate affair, for example. You can make simple yogurt and fruit parfaits with granola and never have to turn on the stove!

Rest When You Need It

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. This is as important when you’re on vacation as it is during the work week back at home. But your nightly sleep may not be enough when you’re living the adventurous life. 

Make sure that you schedule in naps or resting periods during the day when you’ve done something strenuous like a long hike. You may think you can simply go from activity to activity without pause, but if your body is sending you pain and fatigue signals, that means you need to take it easy to avoid incurring injury. Don’t try to do more than you know you can handle in a day.

General Health Tips

Sun protection and preventing bug bites are both important. Wear high-SPF sunscreens, UV-blocking sunglasses, lightweight clothing and a wide-brimmed hat when you’re out in the sun. Keep citronella candles at the campsite and apply bug spray before you go into the woods. Ensure that you’re dressing the part for every activity—don’t try to go hiking in flip-flops, for example!

If you’re a heavy drinker, you may want to cut back to a few drinks a week to avoid dehydrating yourself and weakening your immune system. Your focus will improve, too. Cigarette or cigar smoking should be avoided at all costs, so try to cut down and quit if you’re a smoker. Your lung capacity will improve, letting you go on longer hikes, and your heart will thank you for kicking the habit!

Staying active, eating well, resting and reducing toxic habits will all help you to stay healthier on the road. Of course, to get there in the first place, you’ll need the right RV! Visit one of our dealerships to see our full stock of new and used RVs for sale! Broadmoor RV welcomes all our Washington State customers, including those in Spokane and the Seattle metro area.