Truck drivers around the world are facing potentially serious risks in harming their body. Truck driving involves so much time in a chair, that you may feel a lack of motivation to exercise, or you may not even know where to begin. Follow these tips and tricks and get ready for a new beginning!
One way to improve your health is to incorporate exercise snacking in your work day. Exercise snacking is “fun-sized” portions of exercise that fit into a day, opposed to going to the gym and working out for a straight hour or two, exercise snacking is short bursts of exercise that can be done multiple times throughout the day. This would be great for truckers because it can simply be done at a rest stop in two to three minutes. Some exercises you could incorporate include push-ups, sit ups, squats, lunges, sprints, or you could even go the extra mile and install a TRX system outside of your truck to perform more body weight exercises. No matter how you exercise, it is most important to just get your body moving. You would be surprised how these mini exercises not only improve your physical, but mental health as well. Exercising releases serotonin in the brain, resulting in your mood improving, and feeling better about yourself. It also is a good way to stay motivated while on the road. Over time you will see how these small daily changes truly improve your mental and physical health.
One overlooked aspect of trucking that may take a toll on your body overtime is bad posture. Having bad posture along with long hours spent in the driver’s seat can cause lower back pain and sciatica. These conditions can become so severe that they can risk drivers careers or force truckers to rely on potentially addictive painkillers to get by. Some solutions to this common issue is to keep your seat up high, forcing your pelvis in the correct position and avoiding slouching. If you want to go the extra mile, you could invest in a seat with lumbar support. This will help support your lower back, which is a huge problem many truck drivers face. You will also want to keep an internal note to stretch every so often. It may also be helpful to write it down on a sticky note and leave it somewhere you will see it, or set an alarm on your phone for every two hours to remind yourself to stretch. You should also do a full body stretch every time you are able to pull over at a rest stop. Stretching will remind your body to stay in the proper position, while also keeping your back muscles active. Pictured below are some simple but effective stretches you can include in your daily trucking life!
Performing these stretches overtime, along with the rest of the tips mentioned, will overall improve your mental and physical health. Giving your body the care, and exercise that it needs will also give you more energy. You will begin to feel less fatigued, and more motivated to take on your day. It is also proven that starting your day with a form of exercise can uplift your energy and put a positive outlook on the rest of your day. Starting your day out productive can at least put you in the right direction no matter what the rest of your day may entail. It is all about mentality, and doing your best to make small changes everyday that eventually will lead you into a routine where you do not even think about it! It will become a habit. And a healthy one at that!