By Barb Derian | BRN 10826 | International Membership Chair
Amy Hanus | BRN 5402
One of my biggest challenges while traveling is how to stay on track with my health goals. I was lucky enough to meet a fellow Airstreamer, Amy Hanus (BRN 5402) who has a passion for health and has many ideas to help me achieve my health goals. Over the next few months, I’ll share an interview with Amy on how to keep Healthy-focused while on the road.
This is Part 2.
How do you stay physically active when spending hours on the road in a day?
A healthy body should be a core value for all travelers. Being in a vehicle for many hours a day is challenging for everyone. I focus on two things: walking and stretching. I take advantage of the time, no matter how small, before I load up to hit the road by walking my driveway, in a parking lot, or at the campground where we’re staying. Thankfully, I have a built-in walking partner in Maverick, our miniature schnauzer. If you don’t have a dog, take yourself for a walk. Walking is very underrated. Take in the sounds around you or plug in your headset to call a loved one or listen to your favorite playlist or podcast. No matter how short the walk, it’s a positive step you can take for your health.
Utilize your built-in breaks (food, gas, and restroom) and plan stops (scenic or historic stops, small-town charm places, or touristy spots) to get out of the vehicle to move around and do a few standing stretches. There are a lot of sitting stretches you can Google for your neck, shoulders, arms, back, hips, legs, and feet. The key is movement; our bodies need it.
Are there any stretching exercises we can do in the truck?
If you need stretching visuals, Google “chair stretches” or “desk stretches” for videos and images you can learn from. Personally, my neck and back are usually the areas that cause me issues, so I like to do neck stretches, shoulder shrugs and rolls, trunk rotations, overhead reach, hamstring stretch, and calf stretch.
When you’re camping, how do you stay active?
I find I’m a lot more active while Airstreaming than when I’m at our house. I’ll have to say it is easier because anytime we travel, we focus on what physical activities we can do while on the trip. It could be walking through a town to visit the sites, stores, and restaurants. It could be walking or biking around the campground. It could be looking up a new trail nearby. Or it could be trying an activity we don’t do all the time like kayaking, pickleball, swimming, or biking. We also like to do after-meal strolls at camp to see the grounds and say hello to fellow campers. This year, we spent a week in Angel Fire, New Mexico, and did our first big hike with our dog. It was 6 miles, and the little guy did great for about 4.5 miles of it. He was pleased to use the new backpack for the remainder of the trail. If becoming more physically active is important to you, I encourage you to write down two to three things you could try each trip.
Pickleball is one of the many activities that Amy and Chris Hanus partake in while on the road
Are there any resources that help find activities—both local or online to support exercise?
There are two things I always do to scout out new activities in a new area. First, I use the “Things to Do” section for an area on TripAdvisor. Second, I look at local trails on the AllTrails app.
If you’re wanting more of a gym workout experience, there are two things to consider. First, many gym memberships to a chain company allow you to use other facilities. Second, there are many online workout memberships. We personally use BODi, but there are also free playlist workouts on YouTube that focus on cardio, walking, stretching, strength, yoga, etc. I personally like Yoga With Adriene. I used to teach Zumba and still love it, so I will search for local classes to join in person.
What types of “low-profile” equipment travel well?
You don’t really have to have special equipment to work out when traveling, but if you want to step it up a notch without adding too much weight to your trailer, consider a yoga mat, resistance bands, and of course, good shoes and clothing just for your workout. My husband also likes to bring along his Perfect Pushup Handles.
