Like many seniors at this time of year you may be dreaming about the open road and traveling to those bucket-list locations you have never seen. You may want to see San Diego for the first time, or the Grand Canyon, or Maine’s fish and wild life, the Minnesota Lakes, or even the art world of Taos, New Mexico. Maybe you just want to find a place on the ocean, a lake, or on a river bank and just sit there and enjoy retirement; read some books and maybe play a harmonica like you have always wanted to do. There are so many places you can go to in your new spinning wheels, your new, or used, RV. You just can’t wait. The world is as big as your dreams.

But, if you are new to this pastime there are some hints that may be helpful. You may believe you can just get in and drive. There are things to do and consider. First of all you are retired from work, and that is good. You have the time and probably the funds to go have fun, which is fine. These things are positives. There are other considerations to make your trip more enjoyable.

Most important of all, what kind of physical shape are you in? Have you spent your life at a desk in front of a computer or phone doing nothing but 8oz. curls with the receiver or a mouse? That is not a good way to keep the muscles toned up. It is hoped that you have hit the gym once in a while. Why, you may ask? What if you have to climb up that ladder that runs up the back of most RVs to adjust the TV antenna or put stuff in the storage box on top? Can you do it without falling off or straining a muscle? Are you in good enough shape? What if you have to change a flat tire? Can you jack up the RV, take off the flat, and then carry that very large spare tire from the back to the front of the RV to bolt it on? Can you even bend over to open the drains to empty the waste-water tanks?

Getting in physical shape is as necessary as a lube job for your new motor home. Hitting the gym or even stretching and playing with some dumb bells in front of the TV can go a long way, or go even further and walk a mile or two a day.

Now, you may be thinking you are too old to hit the gym. Think again. You won’t be alone. You won’t look stupid, especially if you dress for the gym and not a night at the opera. Modern gyms are littered with not-getting-any-younger bodies trying to reverse the biological clock. Of course, some are racing against a sun dial, and some are keeping pace with a digital alarm.

Some say, exercise alone provides psychological and physical benefits, while others say it’s a waste of a limited supply of heartbeats … your choice. You do not want your heart beats to pound too hard on that ladder up the back. You just want those muscles you carry around to be sufficiently strong and flexible enough to do the ordinary things expected of a land traveler on the open highways or back roads. You are on your own out there and it is best to be prepared.