As a truck driver, do you find it hard to live a healthy and active lifestyle? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. According to a recent U.S. Transportation Research Board report, and qualified doctors and online doctors, truckers are at an increased risk than average Americans for a variety of health problems. Some of these health problems include obesity, sleep apnea, chronic back problems, and tobacco usage. Not to mention, a recent issue of Trucker News noted that when a trucker is depressed, 5% could be directly related to lack of exercise.
If you really think about it, it is not hard to imagine why such statistics occur. After all, the last thing you feel like doing after driving for 10 hours straight on the road is to get up and exercise. And the fast food restaurants and diners don’t exactly help the old figure, either. Not many could argue against the fact that truck stops are designed without the truckers’ health in mind.
Even with all of this, there are ways to stay hopeful about your health. There are ways to be a trucker and stay fit and healthy. And these changes all start with you and your motivation to achieve that status. Getting and staying motivated will likely be your biggest hurdle in your quest for optimal health.
Once you have that motivation, it is important to set a daily routine, considering the time you will be on and off the road. In this routine, incorporate both exercise habits and healthier food choices.
Exercise Tips
To help you get started, here is a list of 4 quick walking tips you can use to get some added benefits from a short work out. As a trucker, your time to exercise is limited, but with even a short workout you are doing both your body and mind a lot of good! Using the following techniques promotes wellness and will make you feel refreshed after a long haul.
1. Warm up and stretch out your arms, legs, and neck. Gently ease your body into doing a couple of lunges to really stretch out and prepare your muscles for walking.
2. Continuing the warm up, walk for just seven to ten minutes, timing it if you need to. A simple way to do this while on the road is pulling into a rest stop and walking around the area. You can also optimize your exercise time and use it to do an inspection on your truck. For example, you can do some squats and bends while inspecting under the truck and trailer; and while checking lights and fittings.
3. As you walk, take short and quick steps, as opposed to long strides, which will help you to work your gluteus muscles (in your buttocks).
4. Point your head up slightly, tilt your shoulders back and lead the walking with your chest. Do this to put yourself into a perfect posture position. Improving your posture will do wonders for your back while driving. Pay special mind to your posture each and every time you walk.
5. After your walk, do some cool down stretches.
Other exercise ideas include working out in the motel or hotel where you may stay for work purposes (many of these have pools and/or fitness rooms); as well as fitting exercise into your regime when you are home and off of the road. Although this may be daunting because you want your time off the road spent to relax and decompress; keep in mind that exercising will rejuvenate you and give you more energy and stamina to keep up with what you do day after day.
Lastly, you can exercise even while you drive and/or while in your cab:
1. Press hands together or pull them apart with fingers locked.
2. Press inward on the steering wheel with both hands.
3. Do butt clenches while sitting.
4. Push backs of your feet on the floor and your back on the seat (remember posture is key!)
5. Do twists and flexes; and arm stretches (keeping one hand on the wheel at all times!) while driving.
Diet Tips
A trucker could live off fast food if he or she wanted. But we all know this is not the healthiest or wisest choice. Here are some tips to keep in mind when it comes to eating on the road:
1. If you must eat fast food, choose the healthier options offered, such as salads, grilled chicken, potatoes (not fries!), and wraps (no or light on the mayo/dressing.)
2. Put together a stash of healthy snacks in your truck – organic bread, almonds, walnuts, dried fruit, tuna, dark chocolate, energy bars, and trail mix.
3. If it’s possible to park your truck there, choose to stop at a grocery store or food mart as opposed to a fast food restaurant or diner. There are much healthier food options there, with a great variety from which to choose.
4. Or – go grocery shopping before you leave on a trip. Pack your meals and snacks in a cooler so they will not spoil in warm weather.
5. Choose nutrient-dense foods – think high fiber, low sugar carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats for your meals and snack. These will keep you feeling fuller longer and aid in controlling portion sizes at meal time.
Do know that as a truck driver, support is out there for you. At KoolDocs.com, we have ways to assist you with all of your health and dietary needs through quality online medical consultations, prescriptions, printable doctors’ excuses, health tips, and more. We specialize in treating those always away from home and on the road, such as truckers, and are the simple, convenient, affordable choice for when you need health advice or treatment on the go. You can reach us online at www.kooldocs.com or by calling us at 1-888-348-2413 today.
