Health + Fitness: Rally Ho!

If you were to scroll down my Facebook feed, it would take you about ten seconds to pick up on my top interests: RVing and bicycling. Besides the occasional posts I see from cycling pages I follow, the rest of the posts Facebook shows me tend to be from either trip updates from RV friends or RV-related pages, like my own “The Fit RV” page. Facebook totally has me pegged.

I was scrolling mindlessly through my feed recently when a post from the Camping World Facebook page caught my attention. It was a simple question written in a white font in the middle of a big blue rectangle, “Do you prefer solo camping or camping with a group?” RV Magazine ran a similar Twitter thread in The Buzz in the July issue.

By the time I saw that Facebook post, the question already had more than 800 replies. Out of curiosity, I read through them. Here’s a sampling:

“Groups are the best!”
“The more the merrier …”
“Group mostly! We have a great group we camp with.”

The number of comments strongly favoring camping in groups was unexpected. They far outweighed the people who preferred solo trips.

A couple of examples from Team Solo:

“I’m not a fan of people. Dog and a grill, I’m good.”
“Solo. Personally, I hate people.”

My own brain sees our RV camping as synonymous with solitude, so my knee-jerk reaction would be to side with the solos here. But it’s not because I dislike people. RVing, for James and me, is our temporary break from regular life. We like to “check out” in a way, and that’s hard to do in groups. Perhaps that’s my introverted side showing.

Even though there were more people shouting about the joys of group camping over solo camping, the majority of the 800 answers on the Facebook post didn’t choose a side. Most answered with some version of “both.” After thinking about it, that would be where I land, too—even though the majority of our RVing is solitude. I mean solo.

Occasionally throughout the year, James and I do make a point of camping with groups. RV rallies and meetups with friends are a totally different animal from our typical camping trips, and it’s good for us to get out of our solo bubble and interact. There is evidence that having a strong social network boosts overall health. Knowing that keeps us motivated to make sure we’re nurturing relationships with family and friends. Camping in groups is a fun opportunity to do just that.

There’s no way around it: humans need connection.

Science tells us that people with healthy, supportive connections live longer with less risk of mortality from premature causes. In fact, according to BYU professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, being disconnected socially can be compared to other health-risk factors like physical inactivity and air pollution. Put another way, she’s saying we need human connection to stay healthy just as much as we need exercise and clean air.

There are plenty of studies that back her up. From boosting cognitive function to lowering blood pressure to improving one’s mental health, having strong support networks has been shown to have a wide range of health benefits. Your close relationships not only have the power to make your life longer, but they also can make your years healthier.

RV Rallies: A Unique Part of the RV Culture

One of our favorite ways to group camp is at RV rallies. James and I have attended Winnebago’s annual rally since 2015. Each July, Winnebago owners from all over converge on the small town of Forest City, Iowa, park together in a large grassy field, and partake of seminars, entertainment, and other shenanigans.

If you’ve ever attended an RV rally, you know it’s pretty much a cross between summer camp and a family reunion. Each year you go, you make new friends. Each year you return, you have so many more people you’re excited to see again. RV rallies are such a unique and special part of the RV culture, but you certainly aren’t going to “check out” and enjoy solitude at a rally. They revolve around getting social. There’s a lot of idea and inspiration sharing with others who understand RV life.

Whenever we pull out of a rally, I get what I call “rally brain.” It’s a hard-to-explain feeling—equal parts energized, refreshed, and joyful. Science would tell me “rally brain” is actually elevated oxytocin and serotonin levels, which both rise after any especially positive social experience. It’s similar feelings to cuddling a newborn baby. Or watching your favorite fur baby do something cute in their sleep. (Mel my cat, is next to me snoring with his paw curled so cute-like under his chin!)

But there’s an added component. Your thoughts are on all the people you just met, and you project your warm fuzzy feelings their way, wishing them well as they journey on, too. It’s that extra component I only seem to get from group camping. I suspect it’s a feeling well-known to all those people who answered, “Groups are the best!” in response to the Facebook question.

So! If you’re already a social RVer, good for you. You’re doing something healthy for yourself, and you may not even know it! If you’re like James and me, though, and your way of camping is mostly the solo way, perhaps you can give group camping a try; like attending an RV rally. The fast bonds you make with complete strangers over your one common interest—your RVs—are an incredible thing for both natural socializers and the rest of us.

How Socially Fit Are You?

According to Harvard Medical School professor of psychiatry Dr. Bob Waldinger, not only do we need to do regular physical exercise to stay healthy, we also need to do regular social exercise. Here are some things you can do to improve your social fitness:

• Add at least four social events to next month’s calendar. Anything that has you interacting with others goes; coffee with friends, book clubs, or even RV rallies or meetups.
• Reconnect with people you’ve lost contact with: Schedule a phone call with someone you don’t talk to enough. Plan an RV trip to see long-distance loved ones.
• Express your gratitude to someone special. Send a text, letter, or email to someone important in your life telling them how much you value them.