If you have an average desk job, the chances are you are seated for a good portion of the day. If you’re a long-haul trucker, you work longer hours than that, even when you stick to the guidelines established by the federal government limiting the number of hours truckers can keep their wheels turning. To put it mildly, it is a sedentary occupation.
Uncle Sam Needs You (To Be Healthy)
At the same time their hours are monitored, truckers also have to keep their cardiovascular health at a certain high level, so says the Federal Motor Safety Commission. Their reasoning is that medical issues like diabetes, hypertension and high blood pressure can all lead to an impaired ability to operate a motor vehicle on a commercial basis. To make things even more difficult it’s extremely hard to follow basic good nutrition advice for optimal health when you have to eat most of your meals on the road, away from the conveniences of home.
Taking Care of the Body on the Road
The usual bromides about a healthy (and reduced-calorie) diet apply here, but an exercise regimen has to be schedule-friendly. Taking a brisk 10-minute walk during a rest stop is helpful, and while stopping to hit the gym isn’t conducive to on-time delivery, a trucker can always keep a couple of dumb-bell weights in his (or her) rig.
Such activities will also serve to stretch the legs and increase circulation. As with “frequent flyers”, truck drivers are susceptible to thrombosis in the legs from remaining in the seated position for long periods of time. In all walks of life, we’re all finding there’s more to good health Brussels sprouts and muscle tone.
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