With the prevalence of obesity in America, many people are looking for ways to stay healthy. One of these groups is truck drivers who spend long hours on the road and have limited access to exercise facilities. This article will outline how you can stay in shape while driving a truck by providing some options for exercises that can be done both inside and outside of your vehicle.
There are a number of ways you can stay in shape as a truck driver:
1. Walk around during your stop at truck stops
It’s important for truckers to get out and stretch their legs, especially when they’ve been sitting in traffic or driving all day. Try walking laps around the parking lot if possible.
2. Try to maintain 75 to 85 percent of max heart rate
This maximizes fat burning and, more important, your time.
3. Work out in your truck
You can do arm workouts, leg exercises, and even abdominal work while you’re on the road – just look for any small space you have to use as a base of operations!
4. Get yourself small equipment
You can exercise with a resistance band when you are on the road. It will help you to get strong. You could also use a rebounder or dumbells, or even a folding bike! There are also systems that allow you to work out in your cab.
5. Get outside every once in a while
Take off with other truckers if they’re available or go by yourself.
6. Exercise 15 minutes every day
You don’t need a gym to keep yourself in a good shape. You can also do small stretches, push-ups, planks, or jumps during the day.
A FUN Fact: 32 laps around your truck equals 1 mile!
7. Find the right balance between healthy eating and exercise
This will give you a sustainable, long-term plan to maintain your trucking lifestyle with fitness as well!
- The best for building muscle is 20 grams of protein eaten within 30 minutes after the workout.
- Try to avoid junk food and focus on healthy snacks.
- Eat three meals a day. This will help you feel fuller, keep your energy up and reduce your hunger and snack cravings.
- Don’t forget to drink plenty of water! Stay hydrated by drinking lots of fluids – even if it’s only a few sips every hour or two.
8 Bonus Tip: Use a Sport Watch
There are lots of different kinds of sports watches and it all depends on your needs. The great benefit of having one is that you have the ability to track how many steps you take, calories burned, your heart rate, sleeping patterns/quality, and much more. Most of them even wake you up according to your sleep cycle so you can wake up refreshed and energized. By tracking an individual’s oxygen levels throughout the night, some of them can even help predict possible health conditions such as allergies, asthma, and sleep apnea.
Staying in shape and leading a healthy lifestyle is not only about what you eat, it’s all about how much of a lifestyle change are you willing to make. Are truck drivers more likely to be healthy if they take care of themselves physically as well as mentally by including fitness in their lives? The answer is yes! Eat a healthy breakfast to fuel up your day. Exercise regularly and find time to take care of yourself by doing something that makes you happy, like going on walks or engaging in light exercise.
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