Keeping fit makes sense – but working as a professional driver can make it a challenge. You’re behind the wheel, in the same position, for long periods. Life on the road may mean eating at 
truckstops and motorway services – not always offering the healthiest diet options. Shift work can lead to irregular sleep patterns. Tight schedules and traffic hold-ups add to stress.
The great news is, by taking some really simple steps, you can enjoy the many benefits of a healthy lifestyle. We’ve compiled some hints and tips to help you keep yourself fit, with a bit of help from Mark and Steve, two Driver Hire drivers who have successfully built health and fitness into their daily routine.
What the doctors say
Adults are advised to get 150 minutes of exercise a week – that’s around 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Even if you can’t manage thirty, just fifteen minutes exercise per day, whether it’s before, after or during your shift, helps strengthen muscles, reduces the desire to eat and improves your mental health.
Start slowly and build up. If you have any existing health issues, best to check with your doctor before you start an start an exercise programme.
Do you want water with that?
Staying hydrated is an important element of your diet. Advice is to drink around 1.5 litres (6-8 glasses) of water per day, more if it’s hot or when exercising. Dehydration can have a negative impact on your brain function, mood and energy levels. Of course, drinking plenty whilst in the cab might present another problem. But taking regular breaks is all part of your healthy working day.
Putting on some weight
You don’t have to go to the gym to lift some weights – you can do it right next to your vehicle. You may have some weights getting dusty in the corner of your garage or spare room. Make them part of your cab kit. Here are a few simple exercises to try:
Farmer’s walk: a great way to stimulate the whole body. With a dumbbell in each hand, walk the length of your lorry and back, taking short quick steps.
Walking lunges: Good for hip stability, balance and an increased range of motion. Perform a lunge whilst having a dumbbell in each hand, return to a standing position and then repeat with the opposite leg.
Bicep curl: Stand straight up with feet slightly apart, and a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your elbows close to your body, palms facing forward. Curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders, keeping your upper arms steady.
It’s all in the mind
Driving long distances – no matter how much you may love it – can be a lonely job. It can lead to mental health issues: stress, depression and anxiety affect professional drivers along with the rest of the population. So looking after your mental health is very important.
The ZZZZZ factor
In the fitness equation, getting the right amount of sleep is just as important as getting the right amount of exercise. Many accidents on major roads are the result of fatigue. Sleep experts suggest seven to eight hours as a minimum.
To ensure you’re quickly off to sleep and enjoy a good night’s rest it’s best to try and develop a regular pre-bedtime routine. Here are a few suggestions:
Avoid using your phone or tablet before you settle down – they expose you to blue light which can put your body clock out of sync.
Take some of the fizz out of your life by reducing (or even better, cutting out) fizzy drinks, energy drinks and coffee. They all contain caffeine – a known stimulant, which keeps you awake.
Sleep’s all about darkened rooms and shutting out the light. But actually, getting some sunshine during the day helps keep your bodyclock healthy, improves the quality of your sleep and increases daytime energy levels.
Food for thought
Driving is a sedentary job, making it all too easy to pile on the pounds. Independent research (from the UK) has shown that:
• Almost a quarter of professional drivers buy their food from transport cafes, service stations, depots or fast-food outlets. Nearly a third snack on biscuits and more than a fifth on crisps. 70% said that they don’t eat fruit daily and, on average, only eat three of their five a day.
The good news is there’s an easy, healthy and potentially cheaper way to fuel your working day – prepare your own in advance. If you’re not sure what to put in it, recommendations are to add plenty of fresh fruit and veg, whole grains, legumes, nuts and lean meat.
On the move
Here are some ‘fit it into fifteen minutes’ ways of adding some exercise into your working day. When you take a break try:
Stretching:
Keeping your legs tensed, touch your toes and then go over the opposite way and arch your back. Do it more than once because each time, as your muscles stretch, it gets easier.
Walk or jog:
A 15-minute walk or run is great for your cardiovascular system. What’s more, it wakes you up and improves your mood. Even better, if you’ve parked up near a walk or trail you can enjoy some greenspace peace and tranquility.
Cycling:
You could try cycling to work or invest in a folding bike and stow it away in your cab ready for a quick lunchtime spin. It’s an excellent cardio workout and you can travel a bit further in a short space of time.
Skipping:
Ok, maybe not one for the car park at the motorway services! But skipping is easy to do and can be an incredible calorie burner.
Press-ups, sit-ups and squats:
No kit required – just you versus your bodyweight. Press-ups in particular, are a great bodyweight workout.
DISCLAIMER: The details in this resource are for information only. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information, Driver Hire Group Services Ltd, its associated companies accept no liability for any errors or omissions.
