Exercise and healthy eating for the OTR truck driver

I've been extremely busy for the last few days but I have been checking out some of the threads here in the health corner and some of the health issues that many of my fellow truckdrivers are struggling with, and yes it saddens me because it does'nt have to be that way.

How would you like an easy button to guarantee that you would'nt suffer premature heart attack or stroke? That high cholesterol woud'nt be a problem? That you could get lean and stay there effortlessly and that people will consistantly underestimate your age? Well I can't give you that easy button, but eating a clean diet is the next best thing and is the only way to maximize health, fatloss and emotional well being in the shortest amount of time possible. Even happiness and self-esteem boil down to diet/eating clean. If I say it a thousand times it can't be said enough"YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT", plain and simple.
I often wonder why it is that some people will do things that they know are bad for their health? Is it because it taste good, makes them feel good or is it that they really don't care about their health and they just want to be left alone to live their lifes anyway that they choose until they die? Most people don't really think about their health until a doctor tells them that they must eat a certain way to live or that they have a disease or ailment that restricts them from working or doing the things that they like to do or that a major surgery is required to avoid a premature death and thats sad.
Good health is the most precious gift that any of us will ever have. Millions of dallars is nice, but with poor health you will never be able to enjoy it. Good health instantly improves the quality of life whether you are rich or poor, black or white, short or tall,fat or skinny. Making a consious decision and putting forth effort to improve your health will instantly improve your quality of life. You will feel better,look better and have more self-esteem.
Eating clean/diet does'nt mean that you have to starve yourself, quite the opposite. When you are eating properly you should be consuming a minimum of 5 to 6 good meals a day along with alot of water. So many times I hear of people eating only one meal a day, bad mistake as this slows your metabolism to a crawl, sends your body into survival mode and tells your body to hoard fat along with lowering your hormone levels and detroying your immune system slowly. It also allows your body to consume precious muscle for the protien and nutrients it needs to survive and makes you more insulin sensitive which is a precursor to diabetes. Skipping breakfast in the morning does much of the same, just on a smaller scale. At the beginning of this thread I list some of the foods that you should be eating and the ones to stay away from.
Eating a good clean healthy diet is the only way to ensure that you will be as healthy as humanly possible, there are no short cuts. Eating clean is a start and is the foundation of any good fitness and nutritional plan. Exercise without proper diet and nutrition is a waste, diet and nutrition without exercise will improve the state of your overall health, but add a good exercise regimen along with eating a good clean diet and it will send your health plan to the stratosphere.
I know that most of you that read this will never understand the importance of a good clean diet and how what you eat affects every aspect of your life. It's hard for most people to conceive a notion that they've been doing something wrong all of these years and "oh it was good enough for those that raised me and I suspect its good enough for me" mentality or the " I'm going to do/eat/smoke/drink whatever I want too,#### we all gotta die one day attitude. I've heard all of the excuses and at the end of the day, they mean absolutely nothing. Out of all that will veiw this thread, if it helps one person to realize that there is a better way to live and just 1 person decides that it's time to get serious about his or her health and makes a change, than it was all worth it. See I learned a long time ago that you can't force a person into a healthy lifestyle, but there are many out there in search of a better way to live. Those are the ones that I want to reach. Good luck

 

Resistance bands are fine, the whole point behind is that you are thinking about and doing something towards bettering your health. When the resistance bands are not enough get yourself some light weight dumbells and use them in addition to the bands. Good luck and watch that diet also.

 

Whenever you are beginning a new exercise regimen, always be sure to stretch the muscles that you are working and always start out slow. A little soreness is normal, sharp pains are not. You did the right thing by going to the doctor to be safe. Sounds like to me you had some mild cramping or possibly a spasm.

When you resume your workouts, try to stretch before you began and walk first to warm the muscle and get the blood flowing before going into your resistance training. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

Re-occurring pain in that knee tells me that you've got some light tendinitis in that knee. The fact that pain cameback during a movement that involved bending the knee more than normal supports this. Take it easy for a few days as the pain subsides, do some slow knee bends while lying on your back.
Began by slowly bending the knee as far as you can before the pain starts. Repeat this movement several times daily until you can bend your knee fully. The whole purpose for lying on your back is to take all of the weight off of the knee. It's going to take some time so be patient.

What ever the movements that you were doing with the resistance bands prior to the injury should not be continued when the knee is better. Find an easier more knee friendly exercise for your legs like walking or cycling until build more strength in your legs. Hope you feel better soon.

 

Hey Brownbear,
I'm not a physician, I'm a licensed personal trainer and the advice that I give to you or anyone else here is from what I've learned from school and years of weight training, fitness,diet and nutritional studies. Studies which I've had to basically learn about every bone and muscle in the body and their functions. I don't know it all and I continue to learn everyday, but this is my field of expertize.
Sense you had already seen your physician about your knee and he found nothing to be alarmed about(bone damage or external inflammation) mild tendinitis is a pretty fair analysis. Am I 100% sure that thats whats occured with your knee? No, but I've had the very same symptoms that you desribed in my elbows and knees, and It's a common injury in the sport of weight training and bodybuilding.

I apologize If I came off sounding like a doctor. After reading Cybergal's thread on giving medical advice, I felt that I needed to clarify this before it got out of hand. I'm only here to help people in search of better health and advice on diet and exercise, no more no less.