Healthy RVing doesn’t require a ton of expensive gear or upscale accommodations. All camping trips have built-in health benefits that cost nothing at all but make our life better in many ways.
If you’re like me, and you love getting into nature to go camping, you know that it’s a no-brainer to expend energy planning, packing and hitting the road to get into the wilderness. Whether you camp in your RV, car, van or carry everything on your back, those of us who venture into the woods know there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to enjoying the outdoors. And that is, you feel better after you go camping. Why? Well, there are actual health benefits of RV camping.
5 Healthy RVing Tips for Better Camping
Curious about how RVing can make you feel better and stay healthy? These five reasons why camping improves our lives in unexpected and fun ways can help you stay healthy while RVing.
Camping is a Mood Booster
Being in nature boosts our serotonin levels (a neurotransmitter that enhances our mood). Specifically, sunlight when reflected in our eyes (don’t ever look directly at the sun) helps increase the serotonin our body produces which helps regulate our mood, appetite and sleep. Many biohackers take it one step further, making sure they aren’t wearing contacts or sunglasses that can block certain spectrums of light contacting your eyes. Bottom line; being in natural light surrounded by nature makes us feel better.
Fitness is Built Into Camping
Camping encourages more physical activity without having to convince yourself to carry fitness gear, drive to the gym, or do an early morning yoga routine before work. When you are in nature, taking a walk in the woods is easy, it’s right there! The more we engage in fitness activities, the better we feel and the better our health. Exercise is the #1 thing you can do to enjoy healthy RVing and improve your longevity by 50 percent!
Being in Nature Can Reduce Stress
Getting away from technology reduces our stress. Every email, text, news headline or social media post may deliver a temporary dopamine boost, but these dopamine hits can also lead to a form of addiction, similar to gambling. And an addiction can create the feeling of loss, anxiety or depression when you’re not doing the activity that creates the dopamine hits. Instead, look for easy fitness activities you can do today. For example, take a hike and listen to music for a healthy RVing boost to your dopamine levels.
RV Camping Builds Community
Camping also builds your RVing community and relationship fitness. Strengthening relationships is good for your health and a longevity hack.
Do you know about The Blue Zones? These are geographical areas around the world where there are a disproportionately high number of people who live to 100 years old or older. And what do all of these areas have in common? The centenarians have rich social lives and deep connections with friends and family. Connecting with people around the campfire is literally good for your health.
Camping Helps You Sleep Better
Studies have shown that people sleep better when camping. Our bodies have a circadian rhythm and the sun is what tunes the precision of this clock. To adjust your clock while you’re camping, drink your coffee outside in the early morning light. Morning light reflecting in our eyes tells our bodies to wake up. And when we are outside at sunset, the evening light tells our bodies that bedtime should be coming soon and melatonin production kicks in. An important detail to note: if you are in an RV, avoid artificial blue light in your RV after sunset, instead use amber or red light in the evening, otherwise you may be canceling out the natural light you are exposed to while you are camping.
These are just a few benefits of camping. Watch for more healthy RVing tips, coming soon!
Bottom line: Getting out in nature is good for us. So get out there and do your body good.
