“Driver Fitness? How ‘bout I try fittin’ this burger in my mouth.”
If you have ever spent some serious time out on the road you have an understanding on just how hard it can be to stay healthy and fit. Recent reporting shows about 70% of truckers are overweight or obese. It is much easier to grab a truck-stop meal on the go then it is to plan out meals.
Due to the current regulations drivers feel pressured to log as many miles and many drivers feel they simply do not have the time to take care of themselves. According to Fueloyal, 65% of drivers feel eating right is one of the most difficult parts of life on the road.
As part of our upcoming new driver health content series, Healthy Driver, we are going to take a look at what it really takes to be healthy on the road and some steps you can take to improve your well-being with exercises, fitness discounts, articles and training videos.
To kick off this series we are going to look at five things you can do right now to better yourself.
- If at all possible, bring healthy food with you and invest in a portable grill or even a microwave and cut out the fast food.
- Get out and walk. When on your resets, lace up those dusty running shoes and get out of the truck and walk, or run. Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.
- Turn off that TV. Sleep is indispensable to good health, so sleep. Invest in some earplugs in case you get a noisy refrigerator neighbor for the night.
- Listen to audio books, the Freight Broker Live podcasts or anything else that can keep you alert and focused on driving.
- Talk to family and friends or do something just for you. Just relax. In America, 1.5% of the population suffers from depression. In comparison, 13.6% of truck drivers suffer from some level of depression, a drastic difference from the rest of the population.
