Truckers spend so much time on the road that it can be difficult to get exercise in. However, experienced truckers know that exercise is possible by knowing the right exercises and creatively scheduling. There are also truck-stop gyms and in-cab workout systems cropping up nowadays that help keep truckers in shape.
Here are a few exercises and steps that truck drivers can take to stay in shape despite their 300 days per year on the road.
Take Advantage of What’s Around
Are there trails nearby your stop? Or some other place where you can run? What about truck-stop gyms? If there’s something around you that helps you exercise, take full advantage—especially those gyms! Even if it’s just a simple nearby park, run a few laps.
Keep Healthy Snacks
Don’t fill up your cab with Snickers, Doritos, soda, and candy. Your job is not a permanent road trip. By keeping only healthy snacks within arm’s reach, you’ll only be able to eat healthy things. The last thing you want to do is pour empty calories into your body.
Grab Some Small Equipment
There are plenty of types of exercise equipment small enough to travel with you—yet also very effective. Things like suspension cables, a kettlebell, a resistance exercise band, a rebounder, dumbells, or even a folding bike can do wonders for you to help you exercise on the road. There are also systems that allow you to work out in your cab, such as the FIT system:
15 Minutes, No Matter What
No matter what, try to exercise vigorously for 15 minutes a day. It could be as simple as push-ups, planks, or crunches on the ground. Those 15 minutes add up to hours per week. Your body will be able to tell the difference.
Work Out While Driving
You can do a few exercises while driving. One of them is an abdominal crunch. Squeeze your abs and hold it for the length of a song—or at least two minutes. Repeat this move at every red light. Another thing you can do are shoulder shrugs. This is a great relief of tension that can build up around your neck after all that time driving. Shoulder shrugs can also be done at red lights if you want. Lift your shoulders up to your ears (like you’re shrugging), and hold them there for a few seconds, then slowly release. Do this 15 times in a row whenever you feel tension building in that area of your body.
Eat Three Meals
Don’t skip a meal. This could cause you to binge-eat later in the day, which makes it harder to keep weight off. By eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you’ll keep hunger cravings down and snacking to a minimum.
Log Your Exercise And Nutrition
By keeping a daily journal of what you’ve eaten and how you worked out, you’ll be able to easily spot what unhealthy food patterns you may have, or what makes you skip your workout.
The truck driving lifestyle can be challenging, but it’s also very rewarding. If you’re considering training to be a truck driver and getting your CDL, contact LA Truck Driving School to learn about their Class A and Class B truck driving training programs.
This post originally appeared on latruckdriving.com.