Question about trucker health and fitnes

I am assuming you are talking OTR driving? Get a pair of 35 or 40 pound dumbells for the truck. Get some insulated leather gloves so you can do pushups in the snow.

Learn EVERY TA/Petro that has a workout room and use them. I could often get in 3 workouts a week just by planning ahead about where I would stop for the night or take my 30 minute break.

Get in the habit of taking long walks before you sleep at night.

Dont eat out more than once a week.

Hope this helps.

 

When eating at the buffet only use one plate at a time, that way you'll get plenty of exercise walking back and forth. Also don't sit to close to the buffet, pick a table at the other end of the restaurant to give you a little more walking distance. If you pick the right buffet you'll get rid of lots of calories by running from the truck to the bathroom, it's a double bonus because you'll burn calories by running and dump a lot more when you get there.



Just kidding. You probably already have 90% of it figured out just by being concerned about it. Where there's a will, there's a way. Walking and reduced calorie intake will be the two biggest items to focus on. From there you will be able to work on menu choices (both what you bring along and what you select at the restaurants).

 

It's a challenge staying in shape on the road. A lot of your off duty time is spent in a truckstop which btw is a choice. But it's like trying to live out of a convenience store if you don't do something about it. With time restraints many grab and go. A bag a chips here, a candy bar there it adds up. Plus fighting boredom some will snack away while driving. Then there are times it takes hours to get loaded and unloaded. What do you do?

Newer drivers usually don't have the convenience of an APU and/or inverter so they can have appliances to cook with. But if you can doing the Walmart thing is the way to go. Buy your food there and cut out all the fat, sugar and sodium.

It's much easier for a young person because they have a higher metabolism. Old age and driving can creep up on you. That's why the majority of overweight OTR drivers are 40+. Use as much of your free time staying active and get out of the truck. Use that parking space in the back of the lot.

You can see a pattern and trap in the industry. It's like a 5 year process of weight gain. It's like a hole in a jet sucking people out. You have to hold on tight to win. Make smart decisions. It's easier to stay on top then trying to make a comeback.

 

If you have access to a microwave, you can get a veggie steamer thing for like $6 from walmart. Fill your cooler up with veggies you like (broccoli, asparagus, and brussel sprouts for me) steam for ~4 minutes and add a dash of butter and some lemon pepper = delicious.

 

I get the grilled chicken salads at Mc Donalds. +1 on the ta Pietro. Get beef jerky and nuts from aldis to eat. I would get out and walk every threes hours, but with paper log its easy. Hopefully you won't end up looking like a pear.

 

I run flats and for the most part I don't feel its very physical. yeah chaining strapping tarping requires a little activity but its not back breaking labor imo. i have a hard time believing that little activity is enough to keep the lbs off. in the summer maybe with the gallons of sweat lost, but in these colder months im starting to feel like a fatty. i have been falling off the heath wagon though, slipped up and had some rotten ronnies the other day and who can resist the cheeseburger dogs at the pilot? i guess ill go vegetarian for the winter so i don't look like a pear come spring time!!

 

Coleman cooler, microwave, electric skillet, slow cooker. I make most of my meals. I walk 2 miles a day around the truckstop when finished. I use the Lose it App too monitor my food intake. Over the last 2 months I've lost 30 pounds. Stay away from the fast food joints

 

I never felt flats were overly physical either. More than van, sure, but not something to rely on for your fitness needs. I worked on the Couch-to-5k Program last time I drove. Just be sure to wear bright colors if you are going to be running around a lot of traffic. I use workouts from a site called NerdFitness too. Lots of free information about bodyweight fitness and tips for healthy eating.

 

I am amazed that more truckstops do not have fitness centers. If I owned a large company there would be a fitness center in it. When you look at the cost of running a large truckstop( a bazillion dollars) a 900 sq ft room with $5K worth of equipment( it can be very minimal and still be effective) is a drop in thebucket and will pull in more drivers to offset expense very quickly.
Just venting. We live in a world of food blisters.

 

First thing that comes to mind is that this is work that you make like it is. Meaning that if you want to sit on the seat for 12 hours and then sit in the sleeper for 12 more, than that's what you are going to do beside getting fat.

But if you take some initiative and do something more than sitting around, then you will be fine.

Just getting into a good habit of a good pre-trip and post trip can start/end the day off with some activity, the same goes with not getting too used to no-touch freight or doing something that takes a lot of physical activity.

The BS you hear is not the truth, it isn't hard to be active and watch what you eat, getting away from the buffet is actually easy when you think about who makes the food, who puts it in the buffet line and who eats it - yuk. Once you get food poisoning once or twice or know someone who has, then it cures you of the truck stop food problem.