5 Tips for Staying Healthy As A Professional Truck Driver

Professional truck drivers live a very unique lifestyle. This style of living consists of long hours on the road and away from home. As a professional truck driver, you may have noticed how the job can take a toll on your health. In fact, too many truck drivers put their health second to their driving duties. As a result, they suffer from numerous health problems. Taking some time out for jogging won’t kill you. Fortunately, there are methods for living a healthier life. Here are some tips for staying healthy as a professional truck driver.

Find Ways To Exercise Daily

Professional truck drivers often underestimate their chances to exercise regularly. Of course, you spend long hours sitting each day. However, you also make frequent stops along the way. Take advantage of these pit stops. Use the time to move your body. You can do something as simple as performing 20 push-ups outside your truck. There is also the option to get in a quick, 10-minute walk. Other exercise times may include food runs and bathroom stops. Find ways to exercise daily to stay healthy as a professional truck driver.

Set Aside Time To Rest
Another way to stay healthy as a professional truck driver is to allocate time to rest. Truck driving is not a typical 9-5 job. On the contrary, you may be required to begin a shift at 1:00 AM. With this in mind, it can be difficult to get enough sleep. You must set aside at least 8 hours a day for sleep. As a trucker, this is a crucial tip to follow. Without enough rest, you could put your life along with others' lives at risk. According to this Guide to California Truck Accident Laws, you could face consequences like tickets, loss of job or CDL license if found to be at-fault in an accident. To ensure the safety of yourself and others, get the recommended amount of sleep each day. It will keep your mind and body feeling energized. Hence, designating 8 hours for rest is essential to staying healthy.

Eat When You Are Hungry

To stay healthy as a professional truck driver, you must eat when you are hungry. Truck driver or not, waiting until you are starving is abusive to your body. When you wait too long to eat, your body's blood sugar levels drop. Then, your body signals that you are starving. Severe dips in blood sugar could lead to diabetes in the future. Your career can be negatively impacted by such a diagnosis. It can be difficult to keep up with blood sugar checks while on the road. Fortunately, it is preventable. The simple solution is to eat regularly so that you do not starve yourself and mess with your sugar levels.

Grab Healthy On-The-Go Foods

While eating frequently is important, you must fuel your body with healthy foods. You will not benefit from eating when you are hungry if you are eating tons of junk food. Many truck drivers are under the impression that the only on-the-go food options are unhealthy ones. Nowadays, there are plenty of nutritious food options to eat health while traveling. Choose an apple instead of a bag of chips. Purchase unsalted trail mix instead of a bag of M&M's. Simple food swaps will keep your body and mind working properly throughout long shifts. Even if you choose to eat more frequently, healthy food choices will keep you sustained throughout the day.

Exercise Your Mind

You can also maintain a healthy mind through exercise. While driving for several hours per day, your mind can also fall short of activity. Life on the road does not always permit the chance to do a crossword puzzle, read, or solve math equations. Luckily, there are other ways to exercise your brain while on the road. As long as you do not get distracted, you can listen to audiobooks. If this do not sound interesting to you, turn to music. Music can stimulate your brain as well. Start by varying your genre preferences. Open your mind up to new songs and artists. Get creative in exercising your mind to stay mentally healthy and strong as a professional truck driver.

Professional truck driver should follow these tips to take care of their physical and mental health. Contrary to popular belief, it does not have to be difficult to maintain. Firstly, find ways to exercise each day. Allocate enough time for sleep. Eat when you are hungry. When those times come, choose healthy food options. Lastly, ensure your mind gets enough exercise while on the road too. All of these tips will contribute to your health while driving for a living.

This is a guest blog entry.