Without conscious effort at staying healthy, the truck driver’s work life can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and excessive fat around the waist. Left unchecked, these problems can lead to heart failure, stroke, and diabetes. These problems are caused by the sedentary nature of trucking, stress, and easy access to unhealthy food. While sedentary office workers can exercise and eat healthy food every day at home, long distance truck drivers are often away from home for weeks at a time. Although a healthy lifestyle is less convenient on the road, it’s not impossible. Here are five suggestions on doing this:
- Stop smoking. Smoking is both an addictive habit and a way of coping with stress. While quitting is not easy, it’s the single most important way of improving your health. Why? Because smoking is the main cause of preventable death in the United States.
- Get enough sleep. Getting plenty of sleep improves your mental focus and therefore your safety while driving. It’s not always easy to sleep well in a motel or in your commercial or owner operator truck. However, you can do things with your sleeper cab to improve your quality of sleep. Get a white noise machine and/or ear plugs to reduce the noise, and shades and/or a sleep mask to block out light. Make your sleeper cab as comfortable as possible with a good mattress and pillow.
- Limit your caffeine intake. Drinking coffee out of habit builds up your tolerance to its stimulant effect and makes it less useful when you really need it to get to your rest stop at the end of the day. A caffeine habit also interferes with your sleep.
- Eat a healthy diet. This will require buying your food in a grocery store and preparing it in your commercial or owner operator truck. Small refrigerators and stoves are available for trucks. Electric stoves are safer than gas burning stoves. Eat foods high in protein and low in fat. Include grains, nuts, fruit, and vegetables. Stay hydrated but avoid soda and sugary drinks. An added benefit is the money you save from not eating out at fast food joints and greasy diners.
- Exercise. Brisk walking at rest stops is an excellent form of aerobic exercise. When the weather doesn’t cooperate, running in place or jump rope exercise inside your rig are good aerobic substitutes. Do calisthenics for muscle fitness.
Enjoy a healthier and safer life on the road with these tips. If you have questions about rig insurance in Florida, we at J.E.B. Insurance Services, LLC are happy to answer them. Contact us today.
