Loneliness and mental health issues are predominant concerns for many long-haul truckers today. While on the road, truck drivers have to deal with long periods of isolation. This happens to impact truckers that are not prepared to deal with the mental and physical toll of the trucking lifestyle. Read more to learn about how truckers can stay mentally and physically healthy on the road.
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The Nature of the Job
Truck driving is profession that is loved by many, however, it also contributes to a sedentary lifestyle and weight gain and physical health issues. According to research, bad physical health can not only cause mental health problems, but also worsen them.
Additionally, a survey on Australian truck drivers revealed that around 30% of drivers had three or more diagnosed health conditions. The health setbacks of truck drivers are very alarming. This is because truckers driving around with compromised health are a risk to public safety.
The profession also requires you to constantly be away from your loved ones and this can often times be very depressing for truckers as well. In this instance, if truckers do not make necessary changes to their diet and habits when driving, they can fall victim to life-threatening ailments such as diabetes and other heart conditions.
Exercise Options
Truck drivers need to manage time for exercising, even if the nature of their profession makes it difficult for them. One good way to get some exercise in is by parking further away from rest stops. This allows them to break some sweat before they stop for a meal or some errands.
Moreover, truckers can also shift their focus to meditation, yoga or other types of stretching. Exercises such as pushups and pull ups are great compound movements that a trucker can incorporate in their daily routine.
Other great exercise option for truckers involve getting some resistant bands which are easy to use in a small confined environment as well. All of these things are relatively simple to implement and they go a long way in improving your health.
Nutrition Options
When it comes to meals, they can be the sole contributor to a trucker’s bad physical and mental health. When long haul trucking, the driver will usually resort to junk foods and sugary snacks to stay up while they are on the road.