Maintaining a fitness routine while on the road in your RV presents a unique challenge for travelers who are constantly changing locations and environments.

When you’re surrounded by new landscapes, local cuisine, and the freedom of highway travel, exercise might be the last thing on your mind.

But health doesn’t take a vacation, which is why we were curious about how our RV community balances wellness with wanderlust.

In our recent newsletter poll, we asked readers about their fitness habits during their travels. If you haven’t participated in our polls yet, we encourage you to vote in upcoming newsletters—your input helps shape our content and provides valuable insights into the RV lifestyle community.

The Results Were Surprisingly Lopsided

  • A whopping 96% of respondents admitted they don’t maintain a fitness routine while traveling in their RV.
  • With just 4% reporting they do keep up with regular exercise on the road.

The “Roll With It” Mentality

It seems most RVers subscribe to what we might call the “roll with it” fitness philosophy—as in, the only rolling happening is that of their tires down the highway. When your home has wheels, apparently your dumbbells don’t!

Many RVers likely find that after a day of driving, setting up camp, and exploring new locations, the thought of squeezing in a workout feels about as appealing as discovering your black water tank has a leak.

Storage Woes: Where Exactly Would You Put a Treadmill?

Let’s be honest—RV living is all about maximizing limited space. When you’re deciding between packing that extra blanket for chilly nights or your collection of resistance bands, the blanket wins every time.

One can only imagine the creative storage solutions needed for fitness equipment. “Yes, honey, I think the kettlebell would make an excellent doorstop! And those yoga mats? Perfect insulation for the windows during winter!”

The Great Outdoors: Nature’s Gym Membership

Perhaps our poll respondents don’t need formal fitness routines because they’re getting their exercise naturally. Hiking to scenic vistas, swimming in lakes, and the Olympic-level sport of maneuvering your RV into a tight camping spot all burn calories.

Not to mention the arm workout involved in repeatedly telling campground neighbors, “No, I don’t know why the Wi-Fi isn’t working.”

RV Fitness Myths and Realities

For the brave 4% who do maintain fitness routines, we salute you! These road warriors have likely mastered the art of the campsite workout—using picnic tables for step-ups, tree branches for pull-ups, and perfecting the “how many grocery bags can I carry from the store to the RV in one trip” strength training program.

Why the Results Don’t Surprise Us

In conclusion, the overwhelming 96% “no” response likely reflects the reality of RV living rather than a lack of health consciousness among travelers.

The nomadic lifestyle presents legitimate obstacles to consistent exercise: limited space for equipment, constantly changing environments, irregular schedules, and the physical demands of travel itself. When your day already includes driving hours, setting up and breaking down camp, and exploring new destinations on foot, formal exercise may seem redundant.

Additionally, many RVers are embracing their travels as a break from rigid routines that defined their pre-RV lives. The freedom to wake up without alarm clocks and explore without schedules is, after all, one of the primary attractions of this lifestyle. Perhaps for many, the mental health benefits of this freedom outweigh concerns about maintaining strict fitness regimens.

That said, our poll opens up an interesting conversation about how RVers might incorporate more movement into their travels without sacrificing the spontaneity and joy that make the lifestyle so appealing.

Whether it’s a simple morning stretch routine or parking strategically to encourage more walking, there’s likely a happy medium between abandoning fitness altogether and trying to squeeze a full gym into your rig!