A career in truck driving can provide you with a wealth of exciting benefits and opportunities, but the long hours behind the wheel can make finding ways to stay healthy a bit tricky. Thankfully, there are plenty of exercises for truck drivers that can improve health and wellness, promote productivity, and generally improve their life on the road.
To help you stay healthy and energized, here are some of the best exercises for truck drivers that can make a world of difference in your quality of life:
How to Emphasize Truck Driver Health and Wellness
With the trucking and logistics industry eager to hire new drivers, companies across the country are finding ways to promote truck driver health and wellness better. There are plenty of initiatives underway “to help truckers get in better shape, including truck stop gyms and in-cab workout systems.” And thanks to the flexibility of the truck driver schedule, it doesn’t have to be hard to set aside time each day to get a quick, but effective, workout in.
If you have a smartphone, then you already have access to a quick and easy workout program. Siphiwe Baleka—a Yale grad, Ironman triathlete, swimming champion, former truck driver, and now a driver fitness coach—created the “Active Trucker” app for this purpose. With the app’s two-phase program, Baleka has made it easier than ever for truck drivers and their employers to prioritize health and wellness on the road.
Trucking companies also benefit when their drivers are healthier,” Trucking Info says. “By implementing driver-oriented wellness programs, fleets are likely to see accident rates drop, which lowers operating costs and liability exposure. And driver satisfaction goes up, which cuts turnover and attracts new hires.”
Invest in Some Truck Driver Exercise Equipment
When it comes to the exercise itself, drivers have plenty of options to choose from. If you don’t have any exercise equipment (more on that soon), then there are plenty of aerobic exercises you can do at truck stops across the country. Some truck stops have gyms on-site, but if they don’t, you can go for a jog around the grounds, do some stretches, or get some of your fellow drivers to play a game of basketball.
However, it’s often worth it to invest in some truck driver exercise equipment. Things like dumbbells, jump ropes, or even a foldable bicycle can dramatically expand your exercise options and make your workouts more dynamic and fun. And since these tools are reasonably compact, you can easily keep them in the cab of your truck.
For example, AllTrucking.com says that suspension cables can be one of the best pieces of truck driver exercise equipment you have. They say that “You can attach the suspension cables to the bottom of your rig or any stable surface. The main benefit of this exercise is its flexibility. You can get a full-body workout, train one part of your body and call it a day, or speed up the reps to break a sweat.”
Exercises for Truck Drivers Can Be Easy and Fun
Truck drivers play a vital role in our country. They carry the success of countless industries on their shoulders, and as such, we must emphasize truck driver health in as many ways as we can. Exercise doesn’t have to be a burden on the road. Instead, it’s an opportunity for physical activity that can dramatically revitalize a driver before and after they hit the road.
