Keeping Your Fitness Routine While Camping

There are few things that are as uplifting as getting into the great outdoors. However, if you’re a diehard gym rat preparing for a camping trip, you might be wondering, “What about my workout?”  

Instead of panicking, look at your upcoming vacation as the perfect opportunity to enhance your overall fitness by shaking up that daily grind. Here’s how to keep up with your exercise routine while camping without missing out on the wonders the outdoors has to offer. 

Pull Your Weight 

Let’s get the weighty question taken care of first: If your gym dedication stems from a desire to shed unwanted pounds, your camping trip will actually be a bonus. Building a fire can burn up to 500 calories an hour, and even standing by the lake fishing burns over 100. The more you contribute to your group’s mission, the bigger your overall calorie-torching. 

Therefore, don’t sit on the tailgate and watch — stay on your feet and help to set up your campsite. Please keep in mind all those good physical form tips you learned in the gym when you do. When lifting rocks to smooth your site or hold down a corner, squat and lift with your legs, not your lower back. You don’t want to pull a muscle and end up injured for your entire vacation and beyond. 

Go Kayaking

Maybe your gym addiction stems from your desire to build biceps worthy of Dwayne Johnson. If so, please hit the water for an unbeatable upper-body workout that will give you killer arms while on your excursion. 

Kayaking takes impressive upper-body strength, because you’re solely responsible for maneuvering your tiny craft through the rapids. The rougher the water, the more you work and sculpt your shoulders, biceps and triceps. 

Take a Hike 

Hiking is a phenomenal form of exercise regardless of how long you’ve dedicated yourself to fitness. Newcomers can find relatively flat, smooth trails to get in their daily walk. Those who are more advanced can tackle steeper and rockier inclines. 

Please ensure you stay hydrated on your trek. Over 600 people pass away each year due to dehydration. Many of them are unfamiliar with the terrain, like first-time visitors to the arid Southwest who don’t fully understand how dry and hot the region is. However, you’ll be fine regardless of your destination as long as you carry your reusable water bottle and sip on it frequently. 

Climb Every Mountain 

Are you determined to get to the top of that peak, even if it takes carabiners and ropes? If so, you can get a glorious, full-body workout along the way. 

While rock climbing, you are using every muscle to pull yourself up the cliff face. If you aren’t into heights, why don’t you give bouldering a go? All you need is a tricky rock and a crash pad. While you don’t go too high, you still get all the workout benefits. 

Bike Around 

Who said you had to leave your bike at home? Cycling is the ideal way to sculpt gorgeous hamstrings and quads, and the trail adds a whole new element of challenge. 

The worst thing that can happen while mountain biking is getting a flat tire. Carry a repair kit with you, or invest in rubber inserts that make your ride impossible to puncture. These devices add weight to your bike, so they aren’t ideal for racing. However, they can save you considerable headaches out in the wild. 

Try Spelunking 

Is there a cave near you? Spelunking offers the full-body workout challenge of climbing while taking you underground. 

If you like getting muddy, you’ll love this adventure. You might have to slither on your belly through tight passages to reach the next cavern — consider it training for your next Tough Mudder race. If you choose this adventure, please go with a competent guide. The darkness in a cave is absolute. 

Go on a Wilderness Scavenger Hunt

You’re on vacation to have fun. Why not invent a wilderness scavenger hunt with your traveling companions? If you have little ones, consider their ages before starting this activity. You might want to form teams, pairing the youngest with the eldest so they don’t get lost. 

Invent an Obstacle Course 

You should always take equipment like ropes with you when you camp. However, you can use them for more than tying down your gear to the top of your car. Why not invent an obstacle course for fitness fun? 

Depending on your destination, you might not have to DIY. Some popular camping locations feature nearby nature obstacle courses where you can climb, jump, swing and dash your way to a sleek, toned body.

Keep Up With Your Exercise Routine While Camping

Even if your camping trip is a vacation, it can still offer the perfect opportunity to accelerate your fitness. Keep up your exercise routine while camping by following a few simple tips!

About the Author

Mia is a health and wellness writer and the editor-in-chief at Body+Mind. She specifically enjoys writing about women’s fitness as well as mental health-related topics. When she’s not writing, Mia can usually be found reading poetry, taking a dance or cardio class, or hiking.