10 Health Tips for Commercial Truck Drivers To Stay Fit On The Road

Driving a commercial truck is quite hectic and being a commercial truck driver is one of the most difficult jobs you can find today. It makes you to spend days or even weeks travelling on the road. Continuing in this state of isolation can have harmful mental and physical effects on a driver's health and general wellbeing. Below are some useful health tips that can fight the negative of commercial truck driving. 

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10 Health Tips For Commercial Drivers To StaySafe

1. Join a wellness program

Enrolling yourself in a wellness program is a proven method of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in general. Programs such as health coaching, biomedical screenings, nutritionists, and smoking cessation counseling, all provide structure and support for truck drivers to adopt a healthy habits or reduce the effects of chronic illnesses. You can negotiate with your employer or insurance company to confirm if a wellness program is available for you to join. Services like the ones offered by Pittsburgh truck accident lawyer is also advisable for every commercial truck drivers.

2. Set specific and realistic goals

Are you trying to shed off some few pounds? Or you are trying to control a chronic illness through proper diet and exercise? As a commercial truck driver, it is important to start by setting a realistic and measurable goal that checkmates your activity level and diet. it is also very important to avoid vague goals and be specific in what exactly you want to achieve. Pursuing a plan to lose about 25 pounds in 6 month is more realistic and specific than having a goal to just lose weight.

Must read: 7 Weight loss tips to lose belly fat in just one month without exercise

3. Explore fitness options

Driving on the road for multiple hours provides little or no opportunity of eating and engaging in exercise, this makes it difficult to commit to a consistent plan. Some trucking companies have realised this fact, and they have started adding walking trails and fitness centers at their terminals. Some truck drivers have bought bicycles to take the advantage of "ride and roll" areas where they can park for some minutes and get some exercise.

4. Look for a workout partner

keeping a good working routine is quite difficult for someone who does not drive for 10 hours in a day, talk less of a commercial truck driver. However, having a workout partner provides a good structure and competition. A workout buddy can help you as a truck driver to stick to a daily exercise routine. Your workout partner may not be right there with you, but virtual encouragement and accountability can be a better motivation if you need a push in the right direction.

Must read: 9 Tips to help you quit excuses and get back to the gym

5. Plan your meal while driving on the road

Meal planning is one effective way to stay on track with your calorie intake. Most commercial truck drivers eat while on the road, this can make meal planning really difficult. It is actually not possible to prepare every meal you need on your truck, but stocking healthy snacks gives you energy can help reduce cravings for junk foods.

6. Track your progress

After setting  your realistic goals, the next thing is to track your progress. Start taking note of your workout sessions, caloric intake and mood for a day. Tracking your progress can be a source of inspiration, and it keeps you going towards your ultimate goal of a healthier lifestyle.

7. Keep appointments with your doctor

There are relationships between driving for a long period of time and chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases or seasonal illness like flu. By always keeping in touch with your doctor, you may be able to fight against all this sicknesses before they manifest. Taking vaccines annually can also help you to prevent an illness from affecting you while driving on the road.

8. Have a nice sleep schedule

Studies have proven that sleep deprivation have result to almost 100,000 vehicle accidents and 1,560 deaths a year. Your body needs about 7 to 8 hours of good rest in a day, this is the main reason why sleeping is very important to your overall health and wellbeing. Depriving yourself from sleep can also affect your cognitive abilities and emotions. It this act persists, it can lower your immune system and make you vulnerable to chronic diseases. Sleep deprivation is also a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension and sleep apnea.

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9. Increase mental stimulation

Truck driving does not give a commercial truck driver an opportunity for an educational pursuit, but mental stimulation is just as important to the body as physical fitness. Listening to audio books, podcasts, or learning a new language are example of ways you can keep your brain waves moving while you are driving.

10. Socialize with family and friends

Commercial truck driving cam keep you away for days, weeks or even months from your family and friends. Truck drivers are advised to maintain good contact with their family and friends to reduce the feeling of loneliness and isolation.

With these few tips, you are sure to maintain your overall health and wellness even as a commercial truck driver. If you find this tip helpful, you can easily share the information with someone who might be needing it.