The Ever Present Danger Of Poor Health In Trucking

Trucking will take its toll on your body, mind, and spirit.  There's an uncompensated part of the job which will never be adequately addressed.  Even the most dedicated physical fitness buff can be overtaken by the lack of sleep, poor diet, and lack of time needed to exercise.

There are many fitness experts out there who tout all sorts of remedies, but I have only found one that works.  And here it is:

1st   Keep the calories down
2nd  Eat foods that provide the best energy and body replenishment
3rd   Do at least an hour of exercise every day, be it running, aerobics, or lifting weights
4th   Get proper rest
5th   Make it interesting

What I've found is that being a team operation does make it harder to take regular time off to pursue these daily activities than a solo.  You have to fit it in whenever you can.  There have been numerous recommendations written for solos, but for teams, not so much.  There is a difference.

Teams have more miles to drive continuously and do so while sleeping in a moving truck.  Solos never sleep in a moving truck.  There is a difference in the quality of sleep that you get in a stopped vehicle versus a moving one.  Also since the teams are moving continuously,  their time tables get all screwed up compared to a solo.

Many years ago, I was living in Corpus Christi, TX where I spent my days off windsurfing and exercising.  It was easy because I knew my schedule.  I worked a week and a half and then I had about 3 or 4 days off.  I would pack up my van and spend those days on the beach, honing my windsurfing skills.

I was pretty good at it too, and I was arguably in the best shape of my life.  Fast forward 14 years, of which many of them were spent running a business and supporting all those involved and my health is in a completely different category.  Sure I am older, but regardless of how old you are, fitness is achievable.  This year I have a goal to reclaim those lost fitness standards of which I have spent most of my life in pursuit of.  And although Tucson has miles upon miles of beach, there is no ocean to go with it, so windsurfing is out for the time being.

There are some helpful guides out there as I've said, but they don't take into account the specific needs of teams.  If there are some fitness guides pointed directly at teams, I'd sure be interested to see them.

We do have bicycles which we have been using every chance we get, but that is only one form of exercise and its not exactly easy to do in the winter.  We are able to do things like jumping rope, using resistance stretch bands, running, and doing stretches.

This is a sample diet for truckers that I know for a fact works:

Breakfast:  Fruit (oranges, bananas, apples), nuts, and oatmeal (instant non flavored)

Lunch: Tuna fish, small can of vegetables, crackers, water, and fig newtons

Dinner: Soup, crackers, and water

This diet requires about 1 liter of water a day and the more fresh vegetables the better, but canned will do just fine, just try to limit sodium intake.

This diet is cheap, simple, quick to make, and will help you lose weight.  It is low on calories, high on protein, and maybe even delicious if you like tuna, which I could eat every day.  The other thing about this diet is that it will give you enough energy to recuperate after a workout. 

I can say from direct experience as an OTR solo trucker that this diet plus daily exercise will help you lose weight and build muscle tone.

The workout routine that needs to be adopted is simple as well.  The important thing is variation and working out the different parts of your body.  Of course you should consult with a doctor before doing any of this.   Here is a sample workout strategy:

Monday:      Running 2 miles and doing stretches afterwards

Tuesday:      Lifting weights or using resistance stretch bands on your upper body

Wednesday: Run 1 mile and do 15 minutes of aerobics

Thursday:     Lift weights or use resistance bands on your lower body

Friday:         Run 2 miles and stretch

Saturday:     Do aerobics for 45 minutes, or basic calisthenics such as jumping rope

Sunday:        Rest Day

I would take one rest day a week, but you should take more if you need it.  I highly recommend a heart monitor that straps around your chest for aerobics.  You should find your target heart rate and work towards staying in that heart rate range for as long as possible during your aerobic and anaerobic exercises.  There are many target heart rate calculators online, so go ahead and find your favorite.  

And after you find your favorite, use common sense to determine what your resting heart rate is and what your peak active heart rate is.  You shouldn't be grasping your chest during your routine.  You should be able to maintain a steady rate and keep it there for about 5 to 10 minutes, but usually when you are starting out, over weight, and out of muscular shape, you need to take it easy and work your way up slowly to minimize injuries.  

The end result here is to be able to run a few miles, do some jumping jacks for awhile, and all while lowering your resting heart rate.  Building muscle tone is very important because muscle burns fat even while you aren't working out.  So build that muscle, eat that good food, and lose the weight.  

Don't let trucking defeat your health and well being.  You only have one body and if you don't take care of it, no one else will.  I also recommend starting a blog.  It's good for the brain.

Finding Your Path

     The best places to get in some exercise on the road is a place that is truck friendly and safe.  Ideally you want a place to park where you have access to a long flat road or a trail.  The Travel Centers of America has been putting trails in at some of their locations.

     You can simply settle for an area that has good sidewalks.  This is easy and there are usually truck friendly commercial areas in most cities since, when you are in the country, you shouldn't have to worry about it as there are good places to park in the countryside on average.  Your main concerns are safety and legality.  Of course you also have to worry about load theft depending on what kind of equipment you are using and loads you are hauling.

     I never advise parking on on-ramps or exit ramps as this is usually illegal and it is very unsafe.  You also don't want to go for a walk on any interstate or major highway as this is not only unpleasant, but very unsafe.  It is best to find a large parking lot that you can get your truck into and stay within sight of the truck while you are doing your exercise.

Going From The Sleeper Bunk To Being Able To Walk A 5K

     So you want to keep on truckin' and you have to lose weight to keep your heart and diabetes under control or your sleep apnea is flaring up.  It is time to get a routine of health.  Walking is the best practice.  Start by getting some decent walking shoes.  It doesn't really matter what you wear because you are just starting out.  I would recommend daily casual wear and a stroll around a trail or local sidewalk.

     Lets start with 15 minutes a day.  Just walk for 15 minutes and you are done.  Don't stop during the walk and be sure to maintain a pace that you are comfortable with.  At the end of the walk, stretch your legs for at least 15 seconds a leg Do this twice for each leg one at a time and then repeat.  You are done!

      You should do this once every day, but every other day if you can't do it every day.  Don't hurt yourself.  If you can only go ten minutes, then that is all you can do, but try to do it every day.  You may not notice a difference right away, but after a few weeks of this, your heart rate should improve and you should notice that you are developing stamina and endurance.  

Staying Fit On The Road

     When I first started driving a truck, I was 21.  I couldn't gain weight if had to.  I had been driving about 5 years and started noticing some weight gain.  As I neared 30, I gained considerable weight.  I had put on about 40 lbs. since I first started driving.

     I bought two jack stands for use as a barbell workout stand.  Keeping my barbell weights in a milk crate behind one of the seats came in handy as I had easy access to the exercise equipment.  In addition to my bench press set up, I had a forearm bar which I used with a rope.  The forearm workout combined with the triceps exercise and bench press was a very good multiple purpose exercise routine.

     I ran for 45 minutes a day, did aerobics for 30 minutes, and lifted weights for an hour.  I did these exercises alternately on different days.  One day I would run, do aerobics, and do bench press, then the next day I would do triceps, run and aerobics.  Everyday I would alternate everything and do different exercises every day.  I did this for a year and lost the 40 lbs. that I had put on and then some.  Exercising in the trucking world is not natural.  You must work out whenever you can and wherever you can.  You have to get it where you can.  If your time off is in the morning, then that is when you work out.  If it is in the evening, then that is when you workout.

     Diet is also important.  You need to drink lots of water, eat lots of vegetables, and lean meats.  You should mix it up and throw in some healthy energy bars and healthy snacks during the day.  Good healthy snacks include nuts, fruits, sweet peppers.  I would try to eat small meals spread out over the day.