Some say laughter is the best medicine. But another remedy might be as effective, according to professional fitness instructor Wayne Hunt.

“Exercise is as powerful as any medicine they have out there,” he said. “It’s strong medicine for diabetes, cancers, high blood pressure, all kinds of maladies. So why would you want to miss out on it?”

To teach RVers how to exercise properly, in 1998 Wayne and his wife, Dahelia, began conducting fitness seminars at FMCA conventions. “We felt RVers weren’t getting good information about what to do about their health and fitness while on the road,” Wayne said. “We try to show things that RVers can do to make them feel better.”

Exercise is a "strong medicine," according to
fitness educators Dahelia and Wayne Hunt.

Wayne and Dahelia are program directors at Professional Fitness Instructor Training (PFIT). The Houston, Texas-based program offers a Personal Fitness Trainer Course & Certification program for personal fitness trainers, group fitness instructors and rehabilitative exercise specialists. They teach topics such as Anatomy, Kinesio-Dynamics, Musculoskeletal Principles, Injury Prevention and Control, Nutrition and Health Considerations for Special Populations..

Together, these FMCA members (F235156), both age 60 (or so), have more than 48 years of fitness training experience.  Wayne carries multiple personal training certifications along with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Science & Technology and a Masters in Education.  Dahelia also carries a number of personal training certifications and a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education and a Masters in Education.

Finding the time, a place for beneficial exercise programs is one of the constant quests for both Dahelia and Wayne.

Despite today’s roomier floor plans and slide-outs that expand the living area, motor homes do not provide the best environment for exercise. And storing and setting up bulky exercise equipment inside the vehicle isn’t always feasible or safe.

“It’s really easy in a motor home not to exercise,” Wayne said.

Especially when motor-homing activities all too often center on food. “Many motor-homing people plan activities where they’re going to be and where they’re going to eat. If all you do is travel, eat, sit and talk, you may look and feel like that's what you do.”

What are motor home travelers left to do? The most important thing is to get out of the motor home and walk, Wayne said. But he admitted that it’s hard for motor homers to stop and exercise when driving all day, eager to get to the next destination.

“Many are more concerned about their motor  home engine than their own engine – their body. And they’re quick to take a pill rather than try to see how the body responds to healthful eating and regular exercise.”

For example: One experienced traveler wisely went to the doctor after experiencing chest pain. "Would an aspirin a day solve the problem?"  "Yes" answered the the doctor.  Like any medication, there is, however, a specific protocol adherence to for a positive outcome."  He handed him an aspirin and said, “Put this aspirin between your thumb and fore finger.
Now, take it for a 30-minute walk every day.  When you get home, both of you should feel better."

The message, said Wayne, a U.S. Navy veteran, is: “Take control of your own life. You’ve got to run it.”

The Hunts, on their motor home trips, make it a point to stop at truck stops and get out of their coach to walk around. “During our day, no matter where we are, we schedule exercise,” Wayne said. “If we don’t do it, it’s like we’re missing a meal.”

Wayne and Dahelia’s exercise also includes cycling and resistance training three or four days a week.

TravelFit seminars

In their TravelFit seminars at FMCA conventions, the Hunts recommend moderate exercise – regularly – and eating foods in moderation. They advise to always consult with a physician before starting an exercise program.

Rubberized resistance tubing exercises

The Hunts present various seminars on knees, shoulders, backs, arthritis, diabetes, etc.  Dahelia says, "We do anything we can to educate people about making better health and wellness decisions.”

Through lectures, demonstrations and active participation, the Hunts show motor-homers how to improve posture while driving, and offer tips for moving in and around the RV.

Common tasks associated with the motor-homing lifestyle can be made easier through exercises designed to improve stability, strength and flexibility, Wayne said. “For instance, squatting to load a 50-amp power cord takes a lot of balance and strength. I’ve seen a lot of older folks have trouble with that.”

In a separate seminar, called Group Fitness, participants learn low-impact aerobics, rubberized resistance training and stretching exercises. The Hunts also teach fitness walking techniques.

Simple and inexpensive equipment are used for the participants.

At their seminars at FMCA conventions, the Hunts show that neither expensive, complicated equipment nor a big, open space is needed to exercise.

The exercise sessions are a demonstration and application of information presented at FMCA.

Using a rubber exercise band

He exercises his shoulders, quadriceps and hamstrings using the tubing. He attaches the handles to the grab handles of the motor home, to the awning frame or to the back of a chair. “You can do all sorts of exercises. That can be your entire gym.”

The Hunts also demonstrate the Resist-A-Ball, a 55- or 65-centimeter (diameter) sphere used to perform various exercises to develop core muscle strength and stabilization.

On the road again.

The Hunts have been traveling by motor home since the 1980s, and full-timing since 1995. “We have an incredibly small house and a huge yard,” Wayne said. “When we started traveling a whole lot, we decided motor homing was the way to go.”

Wayne and Dahelia set up PFIT fitness training classes around the country, at places where they would like to visit. “On a recent trip to California, we spent 12 days teaching, and the rest of the time sightseeing,” said Wayne.

They have owned four motor homes. Their current coach is a 40-foot Monaco Signature diesel pusher. “It has plenty of room and storage compartments for books and papers and exercise equipment. It’s comfortable for us. It's home.”

It’s not surprising that two people who promote physical activity are on the move six months out of the year. At the next convention, they’ll have plenty of FMCA members “on the move” as well.

The Hunts can be reached at (800) 899-7348 or by e-mail: TravelFit@pfit.org

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