Let’s get something straight. I’m not a sporty gal. I’ve never been sporty. I’d much prefer to stay in the warmth of the indoors with a good book and cup of tea (or, let’s get real, a glass of wine). I actually don’t even enjoy working out, but in the last couple years I’ve been forcing myself to get more exercise. I recognize that I’m not getting any younger and I need to put my health first. But man, it sucks.

I knew that if I even had one excuse to not work out, I’d jump on it. One of the things that most worried me about moving into such a small space is that I’d make that an excuse to not work out. I had been doing the Insanity videos. Yes, I’m the person who fell for that infomercial. But there was no way I could do that much movement in an Airstream. Even though I’ve had to abandon my DVDs, I’ve been managing just fine. I’m still going to the gym a couple of times a week and I’ve actually been branching out to get exercise in more creative ways. Here’s the strategies I’m using to keep fit in small space and how I’ll eventually keep fit on the road.

1. Join a big box gym
I always try to give my money to independent and local businesses. But in this case, I joined a big box gym, so I could go to gyms across the nation. Some smaller gyms will also let you have a trial membership for a short time period. I’ve also had good experiences with YMCAs. In the past, I’ve explained my situation and used their gym a few times for a low fee.

2. Get out of the gym
I love to explore and I’ve recently been exploring local parks and walking trails. I’m not a big runner. Something about running makes me feel like I want to die, but I’m all about being in nature, walking and exploring your own backyard. It’s a great way to get the lay of the land.

3. Prison Workouts
Ok, stay with me here, I’ve also been working out like I’m in jail. My Airstream is way more luxurious than a prison cell, but like prisoners, I’m limited on space and I can’t have a bunch of stuff cluttering up my cell (weights, barbells, etc.). Mark’s Daily Apple has a great intro to prison workouts and there’s a million videos on Youtube about this type of working out. It’s basically using your own bodyweight to get fit.

4. Free Classes
Did you know that some libraries offer free yoga classes? It’s kind of beautiful. Parks and Rec centers will often offer exercise classes too, you just have to look for them. I’ve even been attending hot yoga classes at a donation-based studio. It’s something new and challenging for me and what a stress relief. I sweat it out like Richard Simmons and the oldies are playin’.

5. Diet
I don’t mean the four-letter word type diet, I’m talking about eating clean, real food and keeping my portions in check. I try to not obsess too much about calorie counting or carb counts or anything like that. It’s too depressing! But I do know that diet does play a huge role in getting and staying fit and I try to at least eat consciously.

How have you kept fit in a small space or on the road? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie