Exercises For Truck Drivers
Truck drivers can develop a number of health conditions over the years. This is understandable, considering that their job requires them to be sitting in a car for long periods of time, sometimes more than ten hours. According to the Center for Disease Control, long-haul truckers are more likely to be overweight, develop diabetes and high blood pressure, and are generally less physically active than other American workers.
Whether you are just beginning your trucking career or are a long-time veteran, integrating some of these truck driver exercises into your life could make a whole world of difference. We understand that they may seem tedious, but with the help of some of your favorite music, eBooks, and podcasts, these trucker workouts can actually be quite enjoyable. Let’s dive in!
What Should These Trucker Workouts Do?
First off, we should identify what makes this truck driver exercises so effective. Due to the typical lifestyle of an American trucker, the workouts should be those that achieve the following results:
- Strengthen the heart and muscles
- Improve your memory
- Increases blood flow
- Decreases stress
- Boosts the immune system
- Pump oxygen throughout the body
Next up, let’s talk about the best exercises for truck drivers that can meet all these needs.
Trucker Workout: A Walk Around The Block
One of the best exercises for truck drivers is just to get your blood flowing and some fresh air, either by going on a walk or with a folding bike. These two activities can also help with trucker back pain, as they remove a lot of the pressure from that area of the body and allow your muscles to stretch out a bit.
Truck Driver Exercises In Your Cabin
Not everyone wants to bring dumbbells and weights with them on the road. Thankfully, there are tons of exercises that you can do in the comfort of your cabin or motel room. These would be push-ups, planks, sit-ups, tricep dips, and wall-sits.
Stretches For Truck Drivers
Truck drivers should also be regularly stretching their muscles. Luckily, these can be easily done in traffic or at stoplights, in 15 to 30-second increments. The best stretches for truck drivers, based on their driving practices, are shoulder, hand, and leg stretches.
No matter how sleepy you are, you should always dedicate a minimum of 15 minutes to working out and stretching each day. Along with all of these exercises and stretches that we listed above, truckers should be mindful of what you eat. Fruits, vegetables, and protein are important parts of your diet and should be present in each of your three daily meals.
We understand that, as truckers, you may be faced with certain exercise limitations in terms of your location, the weather, and the resources available to you. But with the determination to maintain your health, and your family and friends in mind, you can always find time for these truck driver exercises.
At Truck Driver Academy, we teach our students, not only the fundamental skills and practices of truck driving, but also ways to stay healthy on the road. We are about our students and that is what has made them so successful. When you’re ready to start your commercial truck driving career, call Truck Driver Academy!