RV fitness

One of the biggest downfalls I've noticed in the past year is the weight I've gained since we purchased the RV. I love to cook and the weekends that we're camping I was guilty of lazing around by the RV reading magazines and just relaxing.

My goal this year is to get out of that gravity chair and hit the trail! I've got a FitBit and my new rule of thumb is that I don't get to read or relax until I get to 10,000 steps. So far, by following this rule and by eating a lot healthier, I've lost 8 pounds (still need to lose about 15 to be ready for those pools this summer).

Here are some tips for getting exercise while you're camping:

• Get active early in the day so you can have time to veg later in the day around the fire.
• Bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes and some workout clothes and walk around the campground. You'll be amazed at the campsites you're able to scope out as you walk each and every loop. Next time you're at the campground, you'll be an expert in which site you want to reserve!
• Buy a pedometer. It doesn't have to be expensive. Anything that will tell you how many steps you've taken. 10,000 steps is about 4.5 miles for me.
• Get the entire family to have a contest for the most steps in a day. My kids love this and it helps get them out of the RV even on cold days when they'd rather veg and play their DS games.
• Use your campsite to do a bevy of exercises that don't require equipment. Think back to your gym classes in school. Do jumping jacks, push ups, sit ups, lunges, etc.

Exercise is only half the battle. Watching what you barbecue is the other half! We all love s'mores, but those extra calories are waist killers for sure! Those ribs are delicious, but watch your serving sizes and make sure if you're eating more, that you're exercising to burn those extra calories.

Remember to pack healthy and low-calorie food options like fruits and veggies. Peppers and onions are delicious on the grill as are asparagus and red potatoes. Serve these with a boneless chicken breast or a small 3-ounce portion of steak and you have a really easy and low calorie meal option. Roasted brussel sprouts are really easy to do as well!

The only other advice I'm going to follow is to also try to abstain from having more than one glass of wine or bottle of beer as I sit around the campfire. Really, I'm not a big drinker anyway, but every calorie counts and I might as well save them for the s'mores!

Until next time.