Health tips for truck drivers. Part 1

Life on the road can become an all consuming lifestyle. Sadly, this lifestyle often reflects a lack of care for one’s own health. Truck drivers on average, due to their lifestyle, statistically have more health problems and shorter life spans than people in other careers.

The very nature of this job is quite sedentary and staying healthy can be a big challenge for many drivers. Fortunately, it is possible for drivers who live on the road to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you want to be a healthy trucker, keep these tips in mind.

• Drink plenty of water – it is recommended to consume ½ your body weight in ounces. So if you weight around 180 pounds, you have to consume at least 90 ounces of water on a daily basis.
• Quit smoking – as a truck driver, it is very easy to start smoking and turn it into a habit. Many truckers lose track of the number of cigarettes they smoke on a daily basis. Obviously, this is a very unhealthy habit and if you haven’t quit smoking already, consider starting now.

• Eat fruits & vegetables. Eat as many as you’re able throughout the course of EVERY day. Not only do they contain lots of great vitamins and minerals for overall health, they help digestion, too. 5-10 per day is good, more is better.
• Get plenty of sleep – sleep is important. Different studies will say how must rest you need based on your age and such. But all experts agree on two things. The first is to get between 6 and 8 hours of uninterrupted rest. The second is limit outside noise and light as much as possible.
• Avoid stimulants - Stimulants can range from coffee to energy drinks to cocaine. Avoid these substances.  Their function is to give your mind and body short term artificial boosts of energy and alertness.  Your body knows when rest is needed. Don’t try to bypass that need of rest with stimulants.
• Establish an exercise routine – if you are a driver, you can’t go to the local gym and exercise. Fortunately, there are some exercise you can do when you rest from driving that doesn’t require expensive equipment. Making exercise a part of your daily routine will improve the quality of your trucker lifestyle.

• Do not skip breakfast – breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It doesn’t need to be the first thing that you do in the morning. You can even perform a little exercise first. In this case breakfast should be protein meal like eggs, yoghurt, fiber cereal, etc. Just try to consume as much protein as you can.
• Reduce the sugar – soft drinks can contain a lot of sugar. Sugar is known for causing many health problems. It can help you get overweight, which can cause heart problems. Try to avoid sugar in your daily diet at any cost.

These are the basic tips to maintain healthy trucker lifestyle, but if you want some advanced tips, read the next part.