Staying fit on the road

Let’s face it. I’m no Jillian Michaels. And you can bet I’m not going to be gracing the cover of Fitness Magazine anytime in the near future. But, I do truly believe that if you don’t live a healthy lifestyle while on the road you’re not going to be on the road for very long. You’re also going to miss out on some awesome opportunities. Like hiking to the top of Multnomah Falls, take a walk along the Columbia River, or riding a Harley through the Black Hills of South Dakota. All of these things I’ve had the opportunity to do because of our travels.

Staying fit on the road can be a challenge. Walking is always the best option. It’s free, you don’t need any special equipment other than a good pair of tennis shoes which almost everyone has, and you get to sightsee while getting exercise. The only disadvantage can be the weather. For example, it has done nothing but rain since we got to Oregon a week ago. Now this does not seem to be a hindrance to most natives here. I see people out running, walking their dogs (hey Fido’s gotta go rain or shine) and riding their bikes. Let’s just say I’m not a walking in the rain kinda girl. But if this keeps up I may have to invest in a good raincoat.

Some towns have a recreation center available for use and you usually don’t have to be a resident. They generally have monthly and daily rates. In one place we were staying I was fortunate enough to have one right across the street and it was $30 a month. Another time I got a job working at a hotel and they allowed me to use their fitness center when I was off duty. Hood River however does not have a recreation center, surprisingly. They do have a lot of hilly streets and you can get a good workout when it is not raining or snowing. Having a nationwide gym membership, like the one I had at 24 Hour Fitness, is not practical for us because we are always located hours from the closest location. So we just have to work with what is available in each particular situation.

I do carry along certain exercise accessories that I can use when on the road and don’t have access to a gym. When we are driving and I have more room I have my bicycle which is a great source of exercise and transportation. I also bring a balance ball, hand weights and a yoga mat. However, when we have to fly, for obvious reasons those items are impossible to bring. So I have a small mesh bag that I keep resistance bands and a jump rope in. They’re lightweight, don’t take up much room, and you can get a decent workout with them, although I prefer hand weights when I can have access to them. And if I don’t have a yoga mat available a folded up blanket will work for floor exercises. If you have access to a DVD player then fitness videos, such as P90X may be a great option. Although, I haven’t brought myself to spend $120 plus shipping on it. If you have access to the internet, which if you’re reading this I’m pretty sure you do, www.exercisetv.tv has dozens of free full length videos you can watch online. They also have videos you can download onto your computer for a nominal fee. www.fitnessmagazine.com and www.shape.com have workout routines on their websites. They also have a fitness tracker where you can keep track of your consumed calories as well as your activities so you can see how many calories you have burned each day. This is a great tool to utilize. One of my favorite things to do, especially if I’m stuck inside due to inclement weather, is turn my iTunes on my computer up and just dance to some bouncy tunes. Dancing is a great and fun way to get some aerobic activity.

The most important thing is to get moving and not get stuck sitting around watching TV and eating junk food all day. That can be not only detrimental to your physical well being but can also lead to depression. So get up and move that body.

Introduction to my life on the road.

I’ve decided to write a blog about my life on the road with my husband and some of the challenges of living on the road, such as trying to eat healthy, get in exercise, and live with minimal possessions, as well as some of the advantages we experience. He works for a wind energy company and we get transferred…a lot! Sometimes we get as much as 4 days notice, but usually less, which sometimes takes us by surprise when we are on a junket home to Fort Worth, TX. On more than one occasion we have had to fly back to an assigned site only to pack everything and move right to the next one. We have learned to travel light, which keeps us from spending a lot of money on shopping trips because we have nowhere to keep anything. We carry a few clothes and cooking utensils. This last trip to Oregon we were required to fly here and leave our truck and trailer in Texas. That presented a challenge with all the weight limits on what to carry on the plane, especially for an undetermined amount of time and unknown weather conditions. For example, its been raining and cold since the day we got here. Thank goodness I brought some light jackets. So much for all those cute tank tops I bought while I was in Texas. We also could not bring our other provisions and essentials. We were fortunate enough to find a vacation rental considering it’s their peak vacation season. Hood River is claimed to be the Wind Surfing Capital of the World. Though I doubt I see anyone out on the river today. The summer season is more popular for tourists than the winter even though they have great skiing on Mt Hood. I am rather impressed that the kitchen in our rental is well stocked. That is not always the case. Usually you get a pan and two of each: plate, cup, silverware.

There’s no room for gourmet cooking on the road. Cooking healthy is a challenge. We do eat a lot of grilled chicken and fresh veggies. We don’t have much inventory as far as spices; Salt, pepper, and McCormick Perfect Pinch Savory All-Purpose Seasoning. If I’m going to be somewhere for a while, I will get some garlic powder and onion powder at Wal Mart or Dollartree for about $1.00 each. Waterfront Bistro pre-seasoned seafood is a great option. I love their selection. And the fact that they are pre-seasoned is an advantage. Other healthy options we prefer are Uncle Ben’s brown rice in the steamer bag, and Green Giant’s Valley Fresh Steamers. They come in a variety of flavors and the fact that they steam in the bag cuts down on having to have extra bowls to haul around. And we eat a lot of fresh veggies and salads. I like to buy the pre-packaged salads with the dressing including. That way you’re not lugging around a bunch of dressing bottles. I wish they would make some items in smaller containers so I don’t have to buy so much of something. Like butter, sour cream, and mayonnaise. You would not believe how much of these we’ve had to get rid of or throw away only to buy another container at the next location because it either doesn’t travel well or we are flying instead of driving like we did this last trip.

Being in certain locations can be advantageous when it comes to the local Farmer’s Market. When we were in Cheyenne we had access to a variety of local produce and fresh bread at the Farmer’s Market at the Cheyenne Depot Plaza in downtown Cheyenne. I bought lots of fresh peaches and corn when we were there in the fall. Here in Hood River we have access to the “Fruit Loop” which is a loop that goes around the area where all the orchards are located. www.hoodriverfruitloop.com. At certain times of the year you can get fresh apples, pears, raspberries, apricots blueberries strawberries, cherries, chestnuts, etc. Not to mention the wine. There are close to 40 wineries in the Columbia River Gorge area. I may have to write another blog about that.

I just touched on a few items this entry. I will talk more about each subject in more detail in subsequent entries as well as other adventures. This is a blog about my journey and activities. I hope you follow along as I encounter each situation and what I do to overcome the obstacles of living on the road. I encourage you to comment regarding your trials and encounters in your journeys as well.