Giving an excuse is easy, but getting into action is tough. Life of a trucker is very complicated as he is always occupied with the task of driving. He rarely gets time for himself. In this haphazard, one is not able to live a healthy life. Trucking involves long hours of driving and hence no physical activity. Exercising for truckers is more important than a normal human being. They spend upto 12 hours, sitting in the same position and hence their body needs a stretch out. Moreover, unhealthy food habits add fuel to the fire. Less or no physical activity may result in many chronic diseases.
A busy schedule can be the biggest excuse a trucker may give for not exercising. But sparing just 30 minutes of your day can do miracle to your body. We are not talking about any strenuous exercises that require a lot of strength. Even some light exercise and stretching may do the needful. So we decided to list out some easy workouts which does not require a gym and can be done anywhere you want, even outside your truck.
Brisk Walking
This is the most basic workout one can do anytime. Every Time you take a break from driving, take a few steps instead of sitting at one place. This would also digest the last meal you ate. Start with slow walking and then increase your pace. Gradually convert your walk into jogging, fast enough to get your heart rate up. On a contrary, whenever you park your truck at a truck spot, always choose the farthest parking spot from the door. This way you would have to walk every time you need to go to the truck.
Push-ups
It is one of those exercises which can be done at any place and any time. There is no need of any equipment as it uses your body weight as a resistance. You just need a small space where you can stretch back your legs and keep your arms in the width of your shoulders. A few push-ups can go a long way. Moreover, it doesn’t take much time and can be easily done between breaks.
Stretching
Truckers usually spend around 12 hours of their day in driving. As a result, their hands and legs may start feeling painful and stiff. Few minutes of stretching can help you in long way. Just rotate your wrist and legs in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction for few minutes. This would loosen up your muscles and you would feel more relaxed. It would also reduce the risk of any chronic illness related to joints. So next time when you are stuck in traffic, do some stretching.
Planks
This exercise can also be performed anytime within a small space. If you have a sleeper cabin that it can be done in the truck itself. All you have to do is lie down on the ground with your hands and forearms on the ground along with the toes. The rest of your body should maintain a straight line without touching the ground. You would have to hold this position for at least 30 minutes and then continue with more sets after taking breaks. This exercise would help you to strengthen your back and arms along with the leg muscles.
Sit ups
Sit ups would help to strengthen your core by working on your abdominal and hips. It requires a small amount of space and no equipments. You have to start by lying down on your back with knees bent and whole feet touching the ground. Place your fingers behind the ears and pull your shoulders backwards. Now raise your body upwards towards your knees and then roll back to your starting position. During the exercise, you should always keep your head straight and the chin should not rest on your chest.
Dips
This exercise can be done in the truck itself. Just sit on the edge of your seat with both the legs together. Keep your hands on the edge near your thigh and bend the elbows at 90 degree. While bending, push yourself towards the floor and then come up again by straightening the arms. During this exercise, your feet should be kept flat at the floor. Repeat it for at least 10 times and then take a break to continue with another set.
Resistance band exercises
Resistance band can prove to be a blessing for truckers. It would help to vanish the back discomfort which is very common among truckers. Moreover, it is very cheap to buy and comes handy. There are many exercises which can be performed through resistance bands targeting many areas like abs, chest, shoulders, arms, biceps, triceps, legs etc. You just have to hook it to any part of the truck and you are good to go. There are many resistance band exercises available online which you can choose from.
Dumbbells
Dumbbells are the most versatile exercise equipment’s which can be carried in trucks easily. With this equipment you can work on every muscle in your body. Start off with light weights and then increase the weight gradually. There are also some dumbbells available online which have a locking mechanism and you can easily adjust the weight according to your need. When the weights start feeling lighter, it is time to increase the repetitions or weight of the dumbbell.
Kettlebell
Just like dumbbell, kettlebell is also a unique exercise equipment. It is just more versatile to use. The workout would involve swinging the kettlebell in a particular way to create additional force. You can combine its exercises with cardio moves or leg workouts. There are a lot of possibilities that you can look out for.
Now we think that you have no reason left to make an excuse for workouts. Mentioned above are some easy exercises which you can inculcate in your daily routine. Just 30 minutes of workout would help you in a long way.