Exercise and healthy eating for the OTR truck driver

For one who is about to start driving OTR, this information is priceless. Kind of a re-training, too. I used to be a nut about health and nutrition. It's all about the mind-set. Thank you, hotsauce.

 

That's EXACTLY the right attitude for anyone wanting to see gains, health, and longevity. I don't feel like hitting the gym about half the time, but I know once I get started, the endorphins will kick in and I'll enjoy the training. As it says under many of my avatars, "I do because I can. I can because I do."

 

Any serious cyclists reading this thread? I'm trying to figure out a quicklock/quickrelease system for my dream machine titanium frame road bike. So far, I've hung it vertically with bungee cords from the empty Qualcom braket, flat against the back of the sleeper, and safely away from the reefer. I want this luxury vehicle to ride in comfort on the sleeper, not on the catwalk or trailer, but the bungee cord and lock system takes a long time to undo and then rehang after the ride. Also, I have to scale up the wind fairing and load-lock bracket to reach the Qualcomm unit, which is kind of dangerous, and then haul the cycle up to where the bungees are. Given the time demanding aspect of cycling, I'm sometimes forced to forego the ride because of the hassle in removing and replacing the bike. How do you mount the bicycle on the back of the sleeper cab?

And, yes I do also subscribe to the belief that only a fool drives all day and then eats before he simply climbs into the sleeper berth, believing he's "too busy" to exercise. Life is too short for someone that busy. I want to be healthy for international travel when I retire, not getting ready for the grave. The feeling of being "tired" at the end of a long driving day is mostly an illusion fostered by eyes made red by staring at the road for 11 hours. A short hike away from the cab, before eating, proves a quick second wind. I actually believe that aerobic exercise--walking, jogging, cycling, swimming--is healthier than hanging around the gym, although I'll acknowledge that diesel particulates and fumes do compromise good lung function.

My cycling thigh muscles are big, but my upperbody is mostly just toned, not developed. I prefer a road bike with conventional down-turned bars and skinny tires, over popular hybrid or mountain bikes, because I like quiet speed and distance, and because I find mostly asphalt and concrete within a couple hour pedaling range away from my truck. I use my iPhone GPS to navigate toward the urban core, to loop around to a suburban bicycle trail, or along a some scenic route outside of town and away from the noise of the truckstop. In any case, in a 14 hr day, I try to use those extra 3 hours of non-driving time for exploration and health improvement. I don't always get the dream ride done, but a brisk 30 minute walk is always possible and certainly worthwhile.

 

My New years resolution was to quit smoking and start exercising. Well the secret was to start at the begining of December. That was in 1994 and have been exercising ever since. Like weight lifting, running on the treadmill, swimming, bike riding and of course taking the border collie for a walk/run. Exercise is resistance training not resistance to training

 

Ha! That's a really good one! Should go on a T-shirt along with mine.

 

I just signed up and I'm glad to see that there's a place to get advice on this topic. It's difficult to stay motivated preparing meals 6 days a week, however it keeps you actively involved in good health. I definitely agree about eating 5 or six meals every few hours. It's a small price to pay feeling good.
Nice job....keep it comin

 

First of all thank you, i have gained 30 pounds in 2 1/2 years driving. when i started i told myself this wouldnt happen and here i am. any help in regards to dieting is appreciated, i have lifted weights most my life untill driving and hate to see whats happening to me

 

I only got to page 10 of this thread - I plan to read the rest but I wanted to ask what are suggestions for the drivers that are not just a lil overweight, but obese. Like 300 - 400lbs.
What are some easy exercises the easily winded can do.
Also, what is the best of the worst at truck stop restaurants. If you have to eat there, what's the best choices?
Keep in mind the best choices for a meat and potatoes kind of guy....

 

instead of eating all that sugar encrusted junk, a good health projection would be to eat fruits vegetables, and i'm not talking caned stuff, in my truck hangs two, sometimes three bags, fish net type, of fresh fruits, any and all sorts, best to keep a good portion of bananas, during the time periods where you can't get to fresh fruits, keep some unsweeten cereals around, like life cereal, it has it's own sweet, but not to sweet, candy is fine for the quick picker upper, but, to eat too much of it has a tendency to grow around the waste, keep it put away for the times you want a little pick me up feeling, coffee raises your blood pressure, not a good idea, breakfast, fine, all the time, no, it's true as to what they say about red meat, it's n o t good for you all the time, a vegetable dish is better for your heart and blood stream, and that all time great benefit to your good health, besides healthy juice drinks, is a walk around the truck stop parking lot, 2, 3, or 4 passes through the lot will benefit the circulation, i do it, makes me feel 100% better, when i have the time of course. Remember, family at home don't want you coming home looking or acting like a blimp.. Exercise and good eating habits will improve you, besides making you feel better.

 

I stay away from anything white and processed, like white bread, pasta, cakes, cereals crap like that, the more natural the food the better it is for you, our bodies were not meant to eat man made garbage. I don't really like to eat too much bread as our wheat has been so genetically modified that there is a lot more gluten in it now than there was before,

I eat a lot of vegetables, natural yogurt (I can't stand anything that has artificial flavours) and I put my own fruit in it, I stay away from fruit juice as they mostly have a lot of sugar, I stick to water and tea instead of coffee.

I eat a ton of eggs and canned salmon and tuna, I hardboil the eggs and bring them with me and I eat them like that or make egg salad. Also I like canned vegetable soup which is a quick easy meal when I have time to make it.

I exercise all the time when I am home on weekends, you feel so much better eating healthy on the road instead of eating fast food and garbage. If I eat fast food I feel bloated afterwards