The RV lifestyle is one synonymous with a laid-back attitude. And why not? When you live on the road, there is no need for a ton of deadlines or places you absolutely have to be. On the other hand, there is a peculiar risk that goes along with living the chilled-out life: sitting for too long. Believe it or not, too much sitting is not good for your health.
Full-time RVers are especially susceptible to excessive sitting. They spend long hours driving from one destination to the next. And once they arrive, they enjoy visiting with neighbors, sitting around the campfire, and other activities known to encourage resting on the posterior.
Some amount of sitting is not bad. In fact, standing too much can be bad for your health as well. The key is finding the right balance between the two. RV owners may struggle with that because their lifestyles offer so many opportunities to sit.
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Health Effects of Too Much Sitting
There is no specific disease associated with spending too much time in your seat. However, studies have shown that too much sitting does negatively impact human health. According to the Mayo Clinic, excessive sitting can contribute to:
- obesity
- excess body fat around the waist
- abnormal cholesterol levels
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- excessive blood sugar.
Prolonged periods of sitting also seem to be linked to a higher risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, the Mayo Clinic cites a group of thirteen studies suggesting that people who sit for more than eight hours a day and do not exercise have a death risk similar to smokers and obese people.
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Get Up and Move
So what is the solution if you are an RV owner who sits too much? It’s simple: get up and move. You obviously cannot stand up while you’re driving. That’s a given. But whenever you are parked, make a point of getting on your feet every single day.
The Mayo Clinic suggests getting up from your chair at least once every 30 minutes. They suggest standing while you are talking on the phone or watching TV. Of course, any type of exercise that involves moving in an upright position is also a good idea. You can try walking, jogging, jumping rope, or whatever.
Even getting work done on your feet helps. You know that AirSkirts RV skirting you put on your rig every time you set up camp? The time you spend on your feet deploying the skirts is good for you. So is the time you spend washing your RV, hanging laundry on the line, and standing at the grill while you cook steaks.
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It Doesn’t Have to Be a Workout
The important thing to remember about getting up and moving around is that what you do doesn’t have to constitute a workout. You are simply trying to counter the amount of time you spend sitting. If you can spend as much time standing as you do sitting, you’ll be golden. But even if you cannot achieve a 50-50 split, whatever amount of time you can spend on your feet will be beneficial to your health.
The RV lifestyle is rather conducive to sitting. That is not a bad thing as long as you make a point to get up and moving. If you don’t, know that spending too much time in a sitting position can ultimately be detrimental to your health. The lifestyle you love so much could be more unhealthy than it should be because you are sitting too much. Do not let that be the case.
