excersise while on the road....

A few Ideas to follow, but first things. It is very good that you are concerned about this, it is unfortunate for many that they aren't as concerned, but it's not my place to judge any of them. Regular exercise while on the road will assist you in staying alert behind the wheel, and aid in your sleep. While strength training and learning proper lifting techniques will help you tremendously in not injuring yourself, do not overlook the cardio. There is something called the kreb cycle. I probably spelled this wrong. It was discovered through research that if you can elevate your heart rate to that 80-85% range and hold it there for 25 minutes, it will continue to boost your metabolism for the next 8-10 hours. Wow..that's great. But more important is stretching. As a low-back painer myself, I can attest to how important stretching is.

Low back pain is one of those really serious issues that has plagued the trucking industry for a long time. When I injured my lower back in the military, I was given stretching instructions by one of the base hospital nurses. The stretches help. Here's what I do:

Do each stretch 2 times per morning (or evening but before starting work) and hold for 30 seconds each. First, start by laying on your back. place keep your left leg straight down and bring your right foot up to where your left knee is. With your arms straight out to the side on the ground(or mattress) slowly stretch your back by rotating that right knee over towards the ground on your left side. Keep that right foot as close to the left knee as you can. Once you get to where you can't go any further w/o pain, stop and hold it for about 30 secs. Switch legs and do it on the other side.
Second - do a modified "hurdlers" stretch. sit up w/1 leg straight out in front on the ground. Bend the other leg and put the foot in the knee of the straight leg. Put the bent knee on the ground. Reach for your toes as far as you can and hold it for 30. Switch sides.
Third - Lie on your back. Bend your right knee and try to pull it up to your chest. Reach across with your left hand and grab the knee. Try to pull it up across your left shoulder. Hold it when it hurts for 30 secs. Switch.
Last - similar to the way you see a ballerina stretching, get out of the truck an lift a foot up on to the fuel tanks or tires or something that you can manage. Keep the leg straight while standing on the other and stretch down the leg until it hurts. Hold it for 30 and switch.

Do all of these 2 times in the morning. It helps me keep the back pain from coming on.
Stretching should be done SLOWLY and w/o bouncing.

While on the topic of low back pain, do some situps or crunches. The muscles in our backs are so much stronger than our abs they will cause you problems if you don't find a way to counter them. Abs are the muscle group you can work constantly so do a few here and a few there. Knock a couple out every time you get in the sleeper.

Cardio - - -
Find a couple of milk crates to carry around. Flip them upside down and use as stair steps, up and down, up and down.
Get a folding bicycle, you can find these cheap now days (be careful though, if you are at a truck stop, chances are a lot of the guys driving around are sleepy...make sure you are visible, and as always, watch out for yourself.)
Jump Ropes - cheep, effective
Exercise bands - pilates bands - lightweight, compact, can find them at big 5 for about 10 bucks. They come with rollers that you clip to the doors or some other surface. you can get a good cardio workout with these.
Regular calisthenics - Jumping jacks, squat thrusts, situps, pushups, etc...

Weight training - - -
You can get all of those cool gadgets, or use isometrics. Use the body as its own weights.
Dips, as explained above from your bunk.
Do pushups whenever you can. Pushups don't have to involve getting down on the ground either. You can knock out a few while you are fueling. Step back a few paces from your tanks and lean forward onto them. Do 20-30 really quick. then 10 really slowly - as slowly as you can. Even though you aren't getting as much weight as on the ground, you can still get a good workout.
Crunches.
Weight bands.
leg lifts.

Just a few ideas. Many of these can be done in or very near to the truck if modesty is your thing. But whatever you do, do everyone a favor. Do your workout before your shower.

Good luck.

 

Ok, the Kreb cycle has to do with fat metabolism, yes. However, I wouldn't really be concerned with it so much as I would just exercising...period. Unless you're Lance Armstrong, or some person who runs 26 miles. Ya know, think about it: why were cars invented if people are going to run 26 miles? Isn't that WHY cars were invented???....=-) Anyways, the benefits of exercising, ie, strength training, EATING HEALTHY & SMART EVERYDAY, rest, flexibility, cardio, lead to better health, and a healthier heart, all known and common sense, for most.

I agree, too, that flexibility is probably more important than strength training...this coming from a strength & conditioning coach. Range of motion (ROM) around a joint is immeasurable, especially when seated in the same position for many hours at a time, ala, truck driving. If you have an opportunity, take or are thinking about yoga, do it! I know some will say you can't do it while driving trucks, its too hard. Lame excuse. There are movements one can do and practice when at a rest stop. Its an active stretch. You're not just sitting in a position and holding. You are moving the entire time. AND, increasing joint flexibility. Don't listen to Oprah & Madonna....the muscle isn't going to "lengthen". It will, they just come up with some BS, rediculous beyond belief that women just eat up. Yes, the muscle will lengthen, but it returns to its normal, resting position. If you practice yoga, your muscles will be more flexible allowing for better body movement, relief of pain (back pain) and just be very helpful to your overall long-term health.

Back to EATING SMART & HEALTHY EVERYDAY....that is key to proper use of your body's fuel...fat & carbs. You can workout, but if you don't eat right, or healthy, its pointless. Think about it, you workout maybe 1 - 2 hrs a day, which really, 2 hrs is not necessary. Less when working out, 30 mins to 1 hr, is succifient, and allows for better recovery. Like I always say, whatever a bodybuilder does, says or tells you to do....do the opposite. Anyways, with another 23 hrs left in the day, thats when nutrition becomes your friend, or your enemy. When out on the road, you can make healthy food choices....if you want to. If you sit for hours, don't workout, and eat fast-food, junk or whatever, of course logic dictates you will blow up like a balloon. Workout, eat right, practice flexibility, and get rest...make living healthy part of your daily routine. Regardless if you sit in a truck all day or not.

I tend to babble and ramble, so if you have any questions, message me.

 

Oh, speaking of gadgets for strength training. I read about truckers carrying dumbbells. Bowflex is well known because of the commercials. They are also JUNK. Check out Power Blocks (Google...Power Blocks, you can find them on Ebay, too). They are somewhat expensive, but well worth the investment. Especially if you are into strength training, and can't make it to a gym all the time. They are much sturdier, longer lasting, NOT all plastic like a Bowflex. You may want to pick up some medicine balls, and a good Physioball, some call them Swiss balls, is invaluable. The exercises that you can perform on a Physioball concentrating on that famous buzzword all the infomercials are capitalizing on, but in our field, we've known about for years.....the Core. More importantly, FUNCTIONAL movements. Thats what the Core is. So, when you see some dude with his shirt off doing an infomercial touting the "Core", just remember, its all FUNCTIONAL movements that apply to everyday.

Remember, as always, kids....whatever a bodybuilder says, does, you read about...DO THE OPPOSITE!....

 

There's been some good advice given so far. The underlying theme ... think about what you are doing and if that is going to get you the results you want.

I park as far away as I can at truckstops. If I know I am going to be delayed at a dock then I get out and go for a walk. I have a condo sleeper and I have converted the lower bunk to an exercise/office area; I took out the mattress and replaced it with a blue camping 1/2" thick foamy (I was going to get a yoga mat, but this thing was $5 at Wally-world vs. about $20 for virtually the same thing). Now I have a nice flat exercise surface.

I made a small fold-down desk that is attached to the sleeper wall on the driver's side and I use a Pilates ball for a chair. This helps with the lower back due to the constant, minute, muscle movement required. There are also other exercises and stretching movements centered aroud the ball. I am probably going to get a yoga DVD and/or book as there is no question as to the health benefits associated with it.

I also have a copy of 5BX (5 Basic Exercises), which you can download for free - just Google it. This was a book written by Bill Orban in the 1950s. It was commissioned by the RCAF when they discovered an alarming proportion of their pilots were not physically fit due to being stationed at remote bases with no access to gym facilities or any related equipment. It is an excellent resource for drivers because of this parallel and it is designed to be completed in 11 minutes per day (this aspect has its detractors in the exercise world, but the results proved otherwise). In fact, I can tell you first-hand that it works very well!

Sometimes simpler is better. Many years ago I was into kickboxing and my trainer was a world-champion. We did very basic exercises; situps, crunches, pushups, running, skipping rope, but we did them by the hundreds - every session. Not only could I bounce a quarter off my abs, I could make change in the process.

 

First, realize that I'm only a student at this point. I've been reading lots of the threads on this site and others. I've pretty much decide I'm going OTR for a bunch of reasons. But reading the posts about exercise, healthy eating, etc. has really changed my mind about drivers. I sort of figured that I'd hit the road and try to eat good and exercise but I didn't think I'd see a lot of truckers out there doing the same thing. This is great! Maybe we need to come up with a CB channel for "Let's run a few miles at the next stop." Maybe there already is one. Folks, I'm looking forward to being on the road more and more as I read these posts. Thanks!

 

P-Ranger...I will a student soon, too. I'm making a career change, and the one thing that has been on my mind alot is staying in shape while out on the road. I look at it as a challenge because you'll read posts of drivers claiming working out is almost impossible. They are most likely the drivers who have been driving for years and years, and have become used to, and accepted just being fat, out of shape...given up. I will make time to take care of myself.

As for "Let's run a few miles at the next stop". Uhhhh, no. I'll skateboard, ride a bike, do sprints, but if you're looking to keep lean mass...running miles won't work. Just look at a Lance Armstrong type, or marathoner...they are skinny. Lean mass, muscle, helps keep the metabolism running higher at rest. Allowing for more calorie burning, and one can get away with eating crappy food every now and then. I'll stick with the strength & conditioning aspect, with the conditioning being, for me, skateboard, biking, or sprints....

Let's keep in touch, though. Be nice to know there are truckers out there who want to be and stay in shape.

 

The best cardio workout you will get is cheap and easy to carry. A jump-rope, It is good enough for boxers, if you don't believe me try doing this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVkYjp4mqnc

 

I've been off the road for two years, and in the first year after I got off the truck I dropped 70lbs just because I got a job that had me on my feet moving around a lot for 10 hours a day. I'm going back on the road in a couple of weeks, and I don't want to put all that weight back on - in fact, I'd love to lose another 40lbs.
I'm going to try to get into the habit of getting out of the truck and exercising regularly, but that's easier said than done (especially when you drive team and the truck rarely stops).
Thanks for all of the suggestions here. I'm gonna try the jump-rope idea.

 

I coulda swore I replied to this already....



maybe it got rejected by mods....


Google "truckercise". or wait for me to tell you how I like the video in a couple weeks. I bought it because I'd like to lose a few lbs IN the cab before I go outside and do my measly 14 jump rope revolutions and fall down and die.