I recently went on a three-night and four-day camping trip with Bree, our girls, and another family. Yes, there were tents and sleeping bags involved but we didn’t go without the conveniences of civilization. We had a blast and by the fourth day, I found myself a little lighter and healthier. This was unintentional but welcome. Too often by trying to get healthier, we also get more miserable.

I love camping and there is actually a lot of scientific reasons why a camping trip benefits our health. I have an article coming up on this soon but for here let’s leave it as time outside in fresh air while being attuned to natural light and cycles can really reduce a lot of nagging issues for people.

On this camping trip, we spent two nights at a drive-in campground with plenty of amenities (showers, store, clubhouse, wifi, electricity, etc.). This is not our usual style but it fit into the trip plans. The third night was spent camping in a field with a few thousand other people. The whole trip was geared to see some awesome live music in one of the world’s best outdoor venues, The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington State.

Let me say going to see music you love and taking your kids is a lot of fun and really rewarding. It is a little more complicated than going without the offspring but worth it.

How does one get healthier doing this?

This is what worked for me.

Movement –

By trying to keep up with my kids as they climbed, swam, played on the beach, did a thousand cartwheels and handstands a day, I was constantly burning calories.

By sitting on the ground when I did have a chance to sit and otherwise, setting up, putting away or generally, shifting things around for camping, I was hardly sedentary for four days. Anytime you can avoid this, you’re heading in the right direction as I elaborated on in Move Beyond Exercise.

By listening to live music I love and dancing for a couple hours, sometimes with one of my girls on my shoulders, I had a great workout. The long walk between the amphitheatre and our campsite was a solid warm up and cool down as well.

Rest and Recovery –

By having a limited selection of post-dusk activities, it was early to bed and early to rise (except for the evening of the show). You definitely get healthier when you sleep in the dark and move in the light. I wrote about this in greater details in Natural Light Guides Your Health.

By being away from the demands of daily, city life, stress levels declined and I was more present in the moment. Nagging issues from the past and anxiety about the future seem to disappear when you are immersed in the raw purity of camping with kids.

Nutrition –

This can be tricky but I approached this with forethought and an extensive understanding of nutrition. Just because we don’t have a fridge and kitchen or are on the road doesn’t mean our eating needs to go out the window.

With a little planning and strategy, you can get healthier and have more energy to enjoy your trip more. I consciously avoided a carbohydrate-heavy breakfast (cereal, toast, oatmeal, etc.) and focused on loading up on healthy fats and good protein.

In fact, I was practising a bit of intermittent fasting on this trip and generally avoided breakfast (and even lunch altogether). It’s actually easier not to be thinking about your meals all the time and if you do it right, the cravings and hunger aren’t an issue either.

I’ll revisit IF (intermittent fasting) in a future article as well. By just not loading up on carbs first thing in the day, you stay satiated longer and avoid the rollercoaster ride of hunger that you get with when your blood sugar is regularly being spiked.

Considering the Gorge Amphitheatre is located in desert-like condition, no shade and significant heat, staying hydrated is really important. By focusing on lots of water consumption from waking to calling it a night, I enjoyed a noticeable uptick in health and energy. Many of us are suffering unknowingly from mild dehydration as I discussed in Chronic Dehydration. Consciously “cameling-up” can dramatically improve your well-being.

Get Healthier with Your Favorite Live Music

None of this is rocket science but when you move well, rest well, avoid being sedentary, fuel up right and stay hydrated, a couple days camping leading into a summer concert in a breathtaking venue translates into heightened energy and loads of fun. It is also great for bonding with the family and creating lifelong memories!

Heading home feeling Grateful for the opportunity to share a magical and quintessential summer experience with my family and friends was made even better knowing I was a little bit healthier too.

Don’t let anyone ever tell you live music and improving your health can’t go hand-in-hand.