We’re all in on the same secret: travelling Australia in a caravan with a young family is an incredible adventure. But let’s be real, it’s not all sun-drenched beaches and perfect campfires. A lot of it is long hours behind the wheel, trying to keep little ones entertained, and sitting that leaves you feeling stiff and more like a stale pretzel than a person.
As a personal trainer living this life myself, I’ve seen firsthand how those hours of sitting can take a serious toll on our bodies. Your hips get tight, and your back starts to ache. A surefire way to zap your energy for the next hike or family activity.
The good news? You don’t need a gym to fix it. With a simple resistance band and a few minutes a day, you can counteract the effects of the open road, avoid feeling stiff, and feel strong, mobile, and ready for whatever adventure comes next.
Hip Hinges & Transverse Movements
When you’re sitting, your core and your posterior chain is “switched off”. Thus, your body’s natural movement patterns go into hibernation. We need to wake it up:
Hip Hinges: Waking Up Your Powerhouse
Think of your hips as the engine for walking, running, and even just picking up your kids’ toys. Sitting turns this engine off. Hip hinges—like a deadlift—retrain your body to use your glutes and hamstrings, protecting your lower back and building a strong, stable foundation.
The Banded Romanian Deadlift: Stand on a resistance band with both feet (or one if you need to increase the difficulty) and hold the ends in your hands. Hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back flat, until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Squeeze your glutes to stand back up. This is pure posterior chain power, and it can be done right next to the van.
Transverse Movements: Reclaiming Your Twist
The body is made to move in all directions. But, as we get older, we tend to do a lot less of all other directions but forwards. Transverse movements are all about rotation—the kind of movement you’d make reaching for something in the back of the car, or turning to look at that epic view. These movements improve your spinal mobility and core stability.
The Woodchopper: Loop a resistance band around a stable object (like a caravan drawbar, car bullbar or a tree). Stand sideways to the anchor point, holding the band with both hands out in front of you. Twist your torso away from the anchor point, keeping your arms straight and engaging your core. Twist back with control.
Your Daily Mobility Check-in
Beyond these strength movements, make these simple mobility exercises a daily ritual at your rest stops or campsite. Just a few minutes can make a world of difference:
Cat-Cow: On all fours, gently arch and round your spine to release stiffness.
Deep Squat: Spend a minute in a deep squat rocking from left to right to open up your hips and ankles.
Thread the Needle: A great stretch for your back and shoulders. To do the stretch, you “thread” one arm underneath your body and across to the opposite side, rotating your torso and letting your shoulder and head rest on the floor. This creates a twisting motion that helps release tension and stiffness in the upper body.
The open road is an incredible opportunity for family bonding and adventure. Don’t let feeling stiff or tired hold you back. Grab your band, take a few minutes each day, and make sure your body is as ready for the journey as your spirit is.
