I thought about doing this thread after reading a post about how much strength it takes to RV. Over the past 4 years, I've lost a lot of strength and Arthritis has taken it's toll on my hands. However, as painful as my hands are in the morning, if I use them, the pain becomes manageable.
Very good question Gary, and I am in the same boat. I was a construction worker for years, pouring cement, doing a lot of shovel work, and long days of pick and sledge hammer. Even after I was years into my LEO career I was still doing the work. As a result, I too have some significant arthritis in both hands and my low back and neck.
The best medicine I have discovered is activity. While aerobic activity is important for heart rate and blood pressure, weight bearing exercises are critical for joint health and bone density. While I do take a supplement of Gloucosimine daily to help with joint flexibility, I also do a weight routine every other day, 3 days a week.
Since I travel in an RV full time, I use lighter weights and an exercise ball for my workouts. I can do them inside or outside the RV, or in the occasional workout room in a RV park (like where I am at now). The exercise ball is for sit ups (low back issues make it difficult to lay on the floor and do them) and the hand weights are used in a variety of arm, shoulder, and chest exercises. The key really isn't the amount of weight, but more the reps and doing them regularly. The days I don't lift, I do aerobic exercise like walking or the occasional jog.
Since I have been doing them regularly my physical issues have reduced 90%. When I lay off because I get distracted with other projects, my aches and pains start to reappear. Diane is the same way, and we always look forward to getting back to our routine.
And for what it's worth, our usual routine is getting up and having coffee while we check the morning mail, then doing the days exercise for 30 to 60 minutes. Then breakfast and whatever the day's plans are.
The work on your place looks great, but projects always come to an end at some time. The routine I have set up is kinda like the commercial business "Curves". It's not about doing crazy weights or extreme aerobic moves. It's just sensible structured strength training/stretching moves done in a simple routine. You would feel a whole lot better after each workout.