Trucking Yoga: 5 Moves to Help You Physically and Mentally

Yoga for Truckers

It’s always fun to build a balanced workout with a variety of movements depending on what your cardio focus is. Most people may go from extreme sitting in an office setting to intense exercise causing their body to ache or get a muscle strain. Ouch!

Set your mind and body up for success by incorporating these yoga moves into your daily routine.

Here are 5 moves to help you physically and mentally for better truck driver health.

Here are 5 trucking yoga moves that any driver can do at home or on the go. They are about finding the balance to help you continue to do what you love and enjoy… without the body aches or unnecessary pain.

Move #2: Core Care Rolling Forward Bend

Trucking Yoga: 5 Moves to Help You Physically and Mentally Rolling Forward Bend Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

Who doesn’t like core work? Well, I know many don’t, and that is because they are still being taught outdated sit-ups- YUCK!

If you are in need of combating a tight front body… Good news! This yoga extension move works your core ten times more effectively than flexion. And this fun move will help you liberate your tight spots! I call it a stretch and strengthen combo (the best moves are both).

Here, powerfully release your spine and hip flexors as you fully engage your core from the inside out! You don’t have to have a yoga mat to practice trucking yoga moves.

Find a comfortable hips distance footing.
Exhale, bend the knees, and “fall” into a forward bend with soft (even bent) knees.
Inhale with bent knees begin to roll up the body focusing on getting your pelvis underneath you and then stacking the spine as you rise.
Keeping your knees bent, before the head and shoulders stack, start to glide the pelvis forward.
Imagine the pubic bone hitting a wall to open the hip flexors and extend your spine.
With the arms extending alongside the ears you should feel the core quiver (earthquake) and turn on as you open the entire front line of the body.
Exhale, bend the knees a bit more, and roll back down into a soft flowing forward bend.
Repeat this rolling sequence 5 to 10 times.

Move #2: Sinking Runners Lunge

Trucking Yoga: 5 Moves to Help You Physically and Mentally Sinking Runners Lunge Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

Psoas tightness is a chronic issue and if you are someone who goes from sitting all day to running or biking, you may be finding more pain than gain. Liberate the psoas to help aid the lower back and dissolve possible knee pain and possibly shoulder pain (as the psoas can pull down the shoulder).

This is one move every driver should do daily.

From a runner’s lunge (low lunge) with the feet hips-width and fingertips on the highest level of the block (option to use stools or chairs).
Square the hips forward, tucking the glute of the front leg underneath the body for more stability and a better stretch.
Keeping the spine long, exhale and begin to sink the hip of the back leg down, pressing long through the back heel and up through the crown of the head.
Inhale and rise back up to a comfortable lunge.
Continue this dynamic movement and imagine you were sinking into the front pocket of your jeans. Try finding the areas you normally don’t automatically default to. Try to find the areas that are, otherwise, avoided and sink there.
If the stretch is too intense, just focus on sinking into the hip and let up on extending up through the crown of the head.
Repeat this dynamic movement 10 times, stepping up into standing forward bend in-between.

Move #3 Psoas Release

Another great hip flexor stretch. This pose is meant to help alleviate hip flexor and psoas pain and discomfort. If your back feels stiff after your cardio workout this move is for you! As a bonus, you also aid in releasing quad or knee pain and back stiffness.This is an easy move to do in the sleeper. If you don’t have a yoga block you can use a folded towel or pillow under the hips. Trucking yoga can be easy and can be one move done consistently.

Lying down supine on the mat place a yoga block underneath the sacrum (or just lay flat).
Slowly begin to extend one leg out, down, and away from the body like pushing your heel through sand (do not worry if the leg does not go straight).
Breathing calmly slowly begin to draw the opposite knee in towards the abdomen.
Do not aggressively pull the bent knee in. Slowly and mindfully draw the knee into the place where you first feel a stretch, when that sensation passes, draw the knee in a bit closer.
Work through this process one layer of tension at a time as you continue to reach out, down, and away through the heel of the straight leg.
To be effective with the psoas hold this pose for 3-5 minutes.
If you feel the stretch in the lower back, remove the block.
If unable to clasp the bent knee, use a strap to hold the leg, or place a block under the bent knee’s foot. The tighter the psoas the more likely you may need head support.
Repeat the opposite side.

Watch the video with Hope on how to step by step release that pesky psoas muscle and get your trucking yoga moves to go!

Move #5 Sliding Side Lunge

Trucking Yoga: 5 Moves to Help You Physically and Mentally Sliding Lunge Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

All that stepping, sliding, moving and lunging can create some lines of tension or restriction from foot to hip. Wring out your lower body and leave yourself with happy hips. This is a perfect pose to do with a workout or if you find yourself stiff when you wake up when you get out of the truck or have back pain and can’t fall asleep.

Trucking fitness does not have to be complicated and doesn’t have to mean a gym-style workout. It’s time for out with the old and in with Mother Trucker Yoga.

Begin in a wide straddle with the feet in a parallel position, firmly planted into the mat.
Inhale rise up to the fingertips, and extend the spine out from the hips.
With a strong belly and long lower back exhale and begin to bend one knee and slide your body towards that leg.
Use your elbow, shoulder, or tricep and press into the inner leg to help open the hip.
Do not lift the heel of the bent leg or roll into the arch of the straight leg.
Stay plugged into the feet and engage the quad of the straight leg to help direct the stretch along the inner thigh.
Hold the side lunge for 5 – 10 breaths before you return back to the center and repeat on the opposite side.
If your fingertips do not comfortably, reach the ground, use blocks to assist.

Move #7 Stretch It Out Side Bend with Chair

Think about the direction your lifestyle choices and movements are taking you in? Much of what we do is forward-moving (Sagittal Plane).

Sitting in the driver’s seat.
Walking.
Running.
Sleeping.
Working on X.

All forward-moving (bending).

It is vital that we change up our movement patterns and move in other planes of motion to help reduce pain and tension patterns. For many drivers, trucking fitness can feel like doing moves your body just won’t let you do right now. But with Mother Trucker Yoga and our take on trucking yoga, those moves can be both easily accessible and beneficial- like this chair yoga stretch.

Here release your side body from hip to shoulder in one quick move. All that sticky fascia under your arms will surely get the acknowledgment it deserves. What’s fascia? Well, it’s the catsuit your body is covered in (and every muscle and every fiber of every muscle- but that for another day).

Take a seat on a chair (preferably with no sides).
Open your legs wide to expose the edges of the chair (if able).
If your feet do not comfortably, reach the floor, place blocks under your feet.
Grab hold of the opposite side of the chair with one hand (think right hand to the left side).
Gently rotate your body in the same direction (towards clasping hand).
Extend your free arm up alongside the ear, with the palm and elbow fold facing your head (think external rotation at the shoulder)
Inhale deeply, and now exhale and begin to side bend feeling the clasped arm’s shoulder roll more deeply into the slight rotation.
Relax the shoulders, and anchor the hips.
Keep breathing and work to hold this pose for up to 10 breaths.
To come out, roll your body to the center of the chair and relax for a moment before you roll up and repeat the opposite side.

If you are still on the fence as to yoga is right for you. Look at the five yoga poses above, is there one you can try? Is there one move you can commit to for one week, one month, and then tell me how you feel?

One pose is yoga, one mindful breath is yoga, and when you take a mindful breath in a yoga pose, well you, my friend just took it to a whole new level.

Trucking Yoga Made Easy For Drivers Like You

Have you heard about Mother Trucker Yoga LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART Platform & APP? It’s a subscription-based service that provides you with more than 100 videos, downloads, and lifestyle-focused content made just for drivers.

While everyone else is still taking the traditional route of gym-style exercises and diets, we see the gap and want to help.

You are busy, you are always on the go, and who has time for a long-drawn-out workout?

Come check out Mother Trucker Yoga LIFE STYLE JUMPSTART Platform & APP and see how we can help you feel better one small simple change at a time.

Mother Trucker Yoga is the only place you can get trucking yoga moves from an instructor that has been teaching yoga for more than 20 years and has customized yoga and functional movement (fitness) to a drivers biggest needs.

Mother Trucker Yoga LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART App and platform image

January 21, 2022/0 Comments/by pbeue

Why Yoga Is Ideal For Every Type Of Person

Yoga for Truckers

Whether you are a newbie to yoga in particular or are just looking to get more from your practice, this age-old exercise is packed with a whole plethora of benefits designed to increase your fitness and improve both your mental and physical wellbeing. Yoga is ideal for every type of person. No matter what your fitness level is, whether you are someone who works out regularly or someone looking to get fit, or if you have done yoga lots or never before, it is a workout that will suit you.

Why yoga is ideal for every type of person trucking yoga mother trucker yoga blog

It is something that can be done in pairs, in a group such as at HOTWORX, on your own, or by downloading our new Mother Trucker Yoga app and joining our LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART Platform family, you can always reap incredible benefits from yoga. If you are a truck driver and tight on time and trucking fitness is essential, yoga can be a solution. Here are a few reasons why yoga is ideal for every type of person, no matter your ability or fitness level…

There are many different levels.

One of the best things about yoga is that you will find one suited for you no matter what type of yoga you are looking for. There are many different levels of each type of exercise and movement, meaning that you can start easy and then progress as you get better. This means it’s not too daunting starting, and you can adapt the workout depending on your skill level and need, pushing yourself when you want to or taking it more gently when you wish. And when you work with an instructor that is educated, experienced and understands the environment you are in, yoga or what we call trucking yoga can be easy.

It can improve your strength, flexibility, and balance.

Yoga is one of the best exercises for improving your strength, flexibility, and balance – all essential qualities for keeping your muscles, joints, and body healthy. As a truck driver, it’s easy to become stiff and sore from sitting. Trucking yoga can be a great way to limber up. The slow movements and deep breathing also help increase the blood flow around your body, which in turn warms up your muscles, making them more robust, more flexible, and healthier. Holding poses and building on this can help you become much stronger in yourself and teach you how to balance much better. And remember, trucking fitness doesn’t have to mean push-ups or running. It can be as simple as yoga.

It helps manage stress and relax you.

Life throws us a lot of stress, and unfortunately, it is something that we will all experience every once in a while. If you often suffer from stress, you probably also suffer from other symptoms such as headaches, trouble sleeping, and perhaps dizziness or irritability. This can significantly impact your life, but yoga can help with this. Doing yoga regularly has been found to reduce stress levels and help you feel more relaxed. Yoga encourages mental and physical relaxation, reducing tension in your mind and body, removing muscle knots, and alleviating any pain you might have. It also sends positive endorphins to your brain.

These are just a few reasons why yoga is ideal for every type person. No matter what you are looking to get from your yoga practice, whether helping you when you’re on the road to improve your posture or sorting out any back pain, it can do this. What are some top benefits of yoga you’ve found? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you!

If you want to learn more about yoga and how it can fit into a trucking lifestyle. Read more about Mother Trucker Yoga and our mission >> https://www.mothertruckeryoga.com/about/

January 19, 2022/0 Comments/by pbeue

5 Ways to Feel More Confident When Doing Yoga

Yoga for Truckers

5 Ways to Feel More Confident When Doing Yoga MTY Blog Image 1

Many people, particularly men, would love to try yoga to calm the mind while strengthening the body. Still, they are too afraid to do so because they worry that they will feel uncomfortable in a room full of what they imagine to be svelte twentysomethings who can bend into the most mind-boggling shapes.

This is such a shame because yoga is for everybody, and it is possible to feel completely confident when doing it.

With that in mind, if you want to try yoga but you’re worried about not feeling comfortable, here are a few things you can do to feel completely confident while you’re doing it:

Try an app

These days, there are many excellent yoga apps (check out Mother Trucker Yoga’s app being released soon) that will teach the basics at home. You won’t get the same hands-on instruction you get at the local studio, but you will learn the basic asanas (poses) and some great routines that you can practice until you gain confidence. And as a driver, trucking yoga isn’t scary, it’s easy and can be done from your truck.

Dress comfortably

One thing that can make people feel uncomfortable about yoga is the perceived requirement to dress in figure-hugging lycra. This is something you do not need to worry about because you can wear whatever you’re most comfortable into your yoga class, whether that be yoga shorts for men or a pair of sweat pants and a comfy -shirt. No one will judge you, and you can wear what makes you feel most comfortable and confident for your workout. And when it comes to trucking yoga every movement counts.

Star slow

The great thing about yoga is that it poses to suit all levels and abilities. If you lack confidence, you can start slow with a few o the more accessible asanas and work your way up as and when you feel able to do so, gaining masses of confidence along the way.

Practice mindfulness

One of the great things about yoga is that although it can be a purely physical exercise to build lean muscle and flexibility, it can also be a mental practice. L If you concentrate on your breathing and the movement you are flowing through, mindfulness meditation.

If you lack confidence, focusing on the breath and flow intensely will help to keep you focused on what you are doing in the present moment so you will be less likely to worry about whether others are watching you or if you’re doing it wrong, which means you will naturally be more confident.

Remember, it takes time.

Yoga is a lifelong practice. You should not expect to be immediately good at all aspects of your practice; If you bear this in mind and start with a beginner’s mind and a willingness to learn, you will not feel like a failure if you can’t quite get into that challenging poses. Still, you will embrace the chance to learn and try again, and that is where true confidence lies.

Yoga is an excellent workout for the mind and body, so don’t let a lack of confidence put you off giving it a go!

December 29, 2021/0 Comments/by pbeue

5 Strategies | How To Be Fit Where You Sit?

Trucker Fitness, Yoga for Truckers

How to be fit where you sit?

What if I tell you that I am bringing you some health as a token of respect for your hardships?

We always hear,

Health is wealth!

But in our busy lives, we rarely make time for ourselves. It’s not that we don’t want to, but in the race of survival of the fittest, we fail to manage our lives in a healthy.

Here I am going to give you some tips to stay fit where you sit.

5 Strategies How To Be Fit Where You Sit

1. Hydration

Hydration is vital in physical jobs, but office jobs also hold a hydration standard. No matter what, your body requires 3-4 liter water consumption daily to regulate its physiological functions.

It keeps your mind and body active and makes you more productive. It does detoxification for you while you are doing your work.

2. Ambiance

Keep your surroundings clean and fresh. A pleasant ambiance works as an anti-depressant. The positive vibrations from your space will keep you mentally healthy, and mental health is equally important to physical health, if not more. When is the last time you cleaned your truck or vehicle? Consider using essential oils like lavender, peppermint, or citrus oils to help keep your space smelling great. And watch your stress levels drop too.

3. Lumbar Support

Long sitting hours generally reward you with annoying back pain and muscle cramps. The reason for this unwanted gift is our slouching sitting posture. Using lumbar support can solve this problem efficiently. BackShield is an excellent ergonomic lumbar support that helps you straighten your back, correct your position, and relieve you from bothering pain. It is a portable device you can practically carry anywhere with great ease. Keeping yourself fit isn’t just about exercising. It’s also about how you support your body while you aren’t.

4. Intermittent Breaks

Our bodies tend to get tired and stiff after a certain length of time while sitting. Sensing the tension, our body releases stress hormones called cortisol, which causes mental stress and hampers the body’s biochemical reactions.

Taking intermittent breaks keeps you fresh and energetic, saving a lot of trouble both physically and mentally. It can be tough to be stopping knowing your destination is on the horizon continually. But if you take a few minutes each morning to plan out where you will stop and when this will not only lighten the stress load mentally but help you plan your time accordingly. Worried about traffic and delays? What is your backup plan? Check out TruckerPath App to know where to stop and when!

5. Exercise

It’s so easy for your body to become tense, especially when you spend the majority of your time sitting as a truck driver. Most truck drivers’ fitness is focused on an exercise routine, and I’m here to tell you that it’s much simpler than that. It’s about small micro moves you can add to your day throughout your day, every day.

You can do the following exercises to release any tension or stress in your body:

Neck

Gently flex your neck in all directions (forward, backward, to the left, and the right side) whenever in half an hour.

Shoulders

Bend your arms to place your hands on each shoulder to look like wings. Simultaneously move one arm in a clockwise fashion and the other in a counter-clockwise manner. Make sure your elbows touch when they come forward to face each other. It will release the tension from your shoulders.

Another exercise you can do is shrugging your shoulders. Raise your shoulders towards your ears, then slowly roll them down.

Wrists

If you have a computer job or you clench a steering wheel all day as a trucker, your wrists tend to get stiff and painful. To avoid such circumstances, keep your arms steady and move your wrist ten times in both clockwise and anti-clockwise fashion. Truck driver fitness is about the little things, open one hand pull back each finger one at a time to stretch your joints, and open your hand from a closed-off fist.

Finger Stretches Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

Eyes

Working non-stop can easily affect your vision as the muscles of your eyes get tired doing the job their ass off.

Make sure you blink your eyes more frequently.

Gently massage your eyes and do some vision exercises.

Abdominal Exercises

Long-term sitting leaves your core and back muscles underactive and out of order. This means when you go to use your body your core and back are vulnerable to injury. Do some abdominal and core muscle exercises like chair rollback (sit tall in the chair and gently lean your body back like you are in the reclining dentist chair and then come back up).

Legs

Our legs tend to get numb with prolonged sitting and we can struggle with issues like sciatica and clutch leg when driving manual. To keep the circulation under regulation, do some light walking or stretching of legs. When you are in the driver’s seat regularly roll your ankles and think about marching in the driver’s seat by lifting and lowering your knees without leaning your body back to keep blood flow and circulation up to par.

Want the details on how to do these movements and exercises safely and effectively?

Check out our Mother Trucker Yoga Membership Site.

Easy 3-5 minute videos to get you the relief you need fast! Even while driving!

September 16, 2021/0 Comments/by pbeue

Truck Driver Health: Guided Meditations for A Happy Mind

Lifestyle, Yoga for Truckers

A happy, healthy mind is critical to a driver’s well-being in truck driver health.

The high amount of stress drivers have to deal with day in and day out is often normalized by the industry and never taken seriously. Telling a driver to “exercise” is not a solution and can often lead to more stress, anxiety, and unhealthy practices out on the road.

With the amount of time a driver spends behind the wheel, it only makes sense that they use that time to their advantage.

The entire premise Mother Trucker Yoga is based on is easy three to five-minute moves you can do, strategies you can implement into your day from the cab of your truck. We are the first company to break down fitness and wellness for drivers into bite-size pieces. We have a unique approach to driver wellness because we are not just coming from a fitness, therapy, or exercise background. We are coming from a yoga and functional movement background. Where we focus on the whole person and practical application. And one of those applications is stress relief in the form of guided meditations and relaxation.

Truck Driver Health: Guided Meditations

And while everyone else is compartmentalizing your health, we are integrating it. If you truly want to get healthy, you have to look at the whole self. , Your Body, Your Breath, Your Internal Health, Your External Health, Your Mind, Your Spirit. It would be best if you recognized them all.

The reason yoga played such a big role in my health and wellness journey had nothing to do with a yoga mat and everything to do with what the mat taught me about living and life. And that is what I do with Mother Trucker Yoga.

And when it comes to truck driver health, guided meditation can play a big role in your overall health and happiness.

Because we have to address the mind, or nothing you try to do will ever stick.

We are currently running our 2nd Annual Going the Distance Health Challenge for Truck Drivers and helping support our drivers more during this challenge; I have created several guided breathing, meditation, and relaxation practices to help support the need for mental health mental wellness.

What is Mindfulness?

When you Google the word mindfulness, you get the following:

mind·ful·ness

/ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/

noun

1.

the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.

“their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition”
2.

a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

While driving, there are dozens of distractions, and they all take you away from the present moment of driving. There is a difference between something you need to pay attention to while driving and a distraction. Do you know the difference? Can you tell when you are distracted VS paying attention to something while driving?

Distractions ask you to leave what you are doing and bring your attention elsewhere. They often lead your mind down the rabbit trail of other emotions linked to the past, future, or something outside of what you are doing currently driving.

I created a driving meditation to help support truck driver health. With the time you spend sitting in the driver’s seat, you might as well do something that builds you up, leaves you happy, and supports your health.

A Mindfulness Driving Audio For Truck Drivers

This audio is not meant to distract you or make it more difficult to focus while driving, but the opposite. Give it a try and let us know in the comments what you think.

September 6, 2021/0 Comments/by pbeue

Good Stress, Bad Stress and How to Manage It

Lifestyle, Yoga for Truckers

How to manage stress is not something we are “taught”. But everyday life can be stressful. Good stress, bad stress. Stress, stress STRESS. It’s everywhere.

Job demands, relationships, life events, and social media drama are daily occurrences. Moreover, it can begin to feel like this is just how life is supposed to be, coupled with the stresses of living over-the-road as a truck driver. These things can often have you feeling like you are traveling down a never-ending, bumpy road called LIFE. It’s easy to see how stress can suck you in and not let you go.

good stess bad stress blog post MTY

While stress can help some people perform under pressure, too much bad stress can negatively impact a person’s mental and physical health. It’s common for most people to focus on the negative side of stress, but sometimes stress can be a good thing. Good stress can motivate a person and help them achieve more goals. BUT how can a person tell the difference between good stress and bad stress?

Understanding Good Stress vs. Bad Stress

Good Stress

Good stress, often called eustress, is stress that pushes a person to accomplish more. It helps a person achieve those hard-to-reach goals. Good stress also helps a person learn new things, adapt to change, and engage in creative thinking. In a situation where a person is experiencing good stress, they always have control over the outcome of the issue.

Bad Stress

Bad stress, often referred to chronic stress, can slow a person down and prevent them from doing the things that they need to do. It can often lead us down a winding road of helplessness and despair. Bad stress can be things like staying in an unhealthy relationship long-term, living with a difficult person, continual high paced (stressful) workplace, taking on too many things, and continuously unable to complete them. That is continually saying “yes” when you should be saying “no.” When the body feels like it is under too much bad stress, symptoms such as excessive sweating, anxiety, headaches, and rapid breathing begin to appear.

Managing Stress

As a yoga teacher, I encourage others to live a life where they can stay grounded, focused, balanced, and content. However, sometimes I fail to implement these strategies into my own life. I take on too many things, try to please everyone else, and neglect my health and self-care. It’s a downward spiral, and before I know it, my daily life is fueled by bad stress. Can you relate?

Unfortunately, stress is inevitable. It’s a part of daily life. The good news is that stress IS manageable. To manage the stress in your life, you must relax your body and mind. You must balance the scale and know what your triggers are and what to do to bring yourself back to center.

What is center? Center is when you feel like you are on point when you feel like you are handling life and thriving. When you sleep well and respond to life’s circumstances with ease, most people that meet with anger or hate are dealing with something much more profound—usually, sadness or hurt. And in not dealing with those emotions and challenges brings about bad stress and unwarranted responses that hurt rather than help.

Here are three ways to manage stress so that you can live a healthier, stress-managed life.

1. Take a Break

When I say take a break, I don’t mean a break where you are scrolling through social media or watching videos on your phone. I’m talking about unplugging and walking away from all the distractions in your life. Do something for five to fifteen minutes that requires very little of you other than for you just to be yourself and to be present. Sit outside, take a quick five or ten-minute walk, play a quick game of “Go Fish” with the kids, or engage in meditation. And sometimes that break is to help your body to heal. Make sure you take a time out so your physical body can reset and heal as well. Check out STIFF Mother Trucker Pain Relief Cream to give your body the boost it needs for rapid healing!

Stiff Mother Trucker

2. Put Away Your Electronic Devices

If you think about it, we live in a world where we have immediate access to almost anything we need. Instant information is available to use with the simple touch of an app on our phones or tablets. But at what expense? Being over connected has created a massive epidemic in our world today. An epidemic that has produced anxious stressed and technology-addicted teens and young adults that are not ok with doing nothing or being alone. The only way to break that cycle and bring more Zen into your life is to put the electronic devices down and slowly back away. Have a no-phone rule at the dinner table, limit screen time, keep your device in your pocket or bag when you are out with friends–whatever you need to do to stop looking at your device–do it. You’ll be glad you did.

3. Be Positive

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? If it’s half-empty, it’s time to change your thinking. Keeping a positive attitude, shifting your negative thoughts to positive ones, and keeping your self-talk encouraging are great ways to reduce stress. For example, instead of thinking, “I can’t believe I made the same mistake AGAIN,” think, “Everybody makes mistakes. It’s ok. It is something that I can fix.” Developing an attitude of gratitude toward the people, things, and events in your life is also an excellent way to reduce stress. Write it down or take time to tell the people in your life that you appreciate them–trust me; it goes a long way! Finally, smiling and laughing also helps to reduce stress. I guess laughter is the best medicine.

AND if you are ready to get crystal clear on your life priorities, health needs, and how to achieve your goals, my Practices for a Positive and Productive Life Masterclass is for you! In this sixteen-week program, we cover three key areas: Breath, Body, and Belief. All three of which are necessary for sustainable success!

Utilizing these three tips will help you begin to walk down the path of life a little less stressed and more positivity.

Need a bit more encouragement? Looking for a quick listen to help you manage stress? Check out the Positive Positivity Podcast with guest Hope Zvara

August 23, 2021/0 Comments/by pbeue

Stress Management: HowTo Do Deep Abdominal Breathing

Yoga for Truckers

Stress Management: How to Do Deep Abdominal Breathing

Breathing is one of those things we all do, yet we rarely think about it; when a system like the respiratory works without us having to think about it or make it happen, it’s called “involuntary.” The respiratory system has the unique ability to work all on its own without our help, unlike the muscular system, which works voluntarily.

When we breathe, we get this precious gift called life. We can survive 21 days without food, seven days without water but can only go one to three minutes without oxygen. And at the 60-second mark, brain cells are already dying. Yet after 20 years of teaching yoga (Mother Trucker Yoga’s Membership) to others, there is one thing I have come to find, many do not like to breathe. I would often notice few would appreciate the art of breathing practices (pranayama) in yoga. You could see people start to fidget, become distracted, and even get annoyed at the idea that they weren’t “doing anything” during their yoga class. Yet without the ability to breathe, nothing on the yoga mat would even be possible.

Breathing is a tool. Those that learn to harness the device and tap into its vast abilities to improve, help and even heal the body get to reap the benefits of increased vitality, health, and happiness. But time and time again, I have observed others choose pills, alcohol, and even violence to manage what we all call stress or our emotions rather than tap into this tool we are all born with and have access to us at any given time.

Stress can alter just about any system in the body if we allow it to.

Stress management sign mother trucker yoga blog

Stress can:

Raise our blood pressure
Increase our heart rate
Increase our body temperature
Leave us in physical pain
Can decrease our immune system
Give us stomach discomfort
Make it difficult to sleep
Can affect your libido
Tense your muscles
Cause weight gain
Burden your nervous system
Leave shallow breathing

When is the last time you felt the effects of any of the above and thought you should practice deep breathing?

When my oldest son was small, and he’d get stressed out, the first thing I would have him do is deep breathing. Three deep breaths, I’d say, and we’d do them together. He’s now nearly a teenager, and I have observed him repeatedly defaulting to deep breathing when he is stressed, angry, frustrated, or can’t sleep. He automatically uses this incredible tool we all walk around with every day but rarely tap use voluntarily.

The average American breathes with less than 18% of their lung capacity. That’s what I like to call clavicle breathing. It’s no wonder we are a stressed-out, upset, unhealthy out of touch society. I say these are the very things I have felt before yoga and learning how to tap into my breathing. And the same things I think when I’m not in my body, using my breathing, and feeling grounded in my skin.

How do we breathe?

The average person takes about ten breaths per minute; that’s an average of 22,000-24,000 breaths per day. That’s a lot of breathing. And when we breathe, we inhale necessary oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide and toxins that our body wants to remove. When we breathe, our lungs expand and take in air, and our diaphragm lowers and expands as well, taking in oxygen to then be distributed out to the millions of cells throughout our body that need that fresh oxygen to live.

Dr. James Hoyt, a pulmonologist, says, “Our respiratory muscles don’t have the luxury of being out of shape.” Yet how many people can say with certainty that they use them, work them, build them like their bicep regularly? There is a saying, “use it or lose it,” and it fits here with our breathing.

A recent study in the Journal of Neurophysiology may support this, revealing that several brain regions linked to emotion, attention, and body awareness are activated when we pay attention to our breath.

And, also nearly every system in the body is connected to our respiratory system or breathing.

Our metabolism increases when we practice deep breathing.
Our autonomic nervous system regulates when we deep breathe.
Our digestion can settle and improve when deep breathing.
Our muscles relax and get total oxygen, helping them not to cramp.
Our lymphatic systems become stimulated, hand and hand, with our immune system, both stimulated when we breathe.
Our body is fully oxygenated when we deep breathe.

And one of our deep breathing’s most impressive features is that it stimulates our vegas nerve.

What is the vagus nerve?

The vagus nerve is the longest of the cranial nerves, extending from the brainstem to the abdomen through multiple organs, including the heart, esophagus, and lungs. It controls the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which contains your relaxation response. Most people never breathe deep enough to stimulate this impressive nerve. We need the vagus nerve to be alive and working because the vagus nerve controls your mood, heart rate, digestion, and immune response. Stimulating your vagus nerve can help to regulate many functions in your body.

Vagus nerve stimulation has been linked to treating epilepsy, improving digestive conditions, reducing inflammation, and managing anxiety disorders. The journal Frontiers in Neuroscience reported in 2018 that the poor function of the vagus nerve could lead to mood and anxiety disorders. But most importantly, when you stimulate the vagus nerve, you can reduce anxiety, stress, and mood disorders. All of this can happen when you learn to breathe more deeply and more often.

WAKE UP, PEOPLE! BREATHING IS FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where does your breathing fall?

Clavicle Breathers: Those that breathe only into the upper chest, throat, and shoulders. These breathers often have lifted shoulders and a tense neck.

Chest Breathers: Those that breathe into the center of the chest.

Abdominal Breathers: Those that breathe deep into the belly and feel their lungs and abdomen expand freely.

We have forgotten our unique ability to help and heal ourselves. When you were a baby, no one had to tell you how to breathe, yet there you were, breathing so deeply that your entire torso was expanding and contracting every breath you took. I have listened and watched my children as infants, and now adolescents get upset and even cry only to default to their breathing to calm them down. It’s in you; you have done it; you have just forgotten how to do it.

Deep Abdominal Breathing Technique:

Sitting tall or lying down comfortably, place one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart/chest.
Exhale completely through your mouth and hear your breath move out of your body.
Inhale through your nose and move your breath deeply into your lower hand (belly) and feel it expand. Continue to move your breath up to notice your upper hand (chest) rise.
Exhale slowly move the air out, feeling your belly collapse and your chest lower (in any order).
Soften your jaw and relax your body, focus on fully emptying your belly when you exhale and fully expanding when you inhale.
Work yourself up towards a count of four counts on the inhale and eight on the exhale.
Repeat this for two to five minutes.
Anytime your mind wanders, bring it back to your breathing.
Allow yourself to hear your breath each time you inhale and exhale.

How to do deep abdominal breathing

Continue this practice daily in the morning to wake up, when you are feeling stressed, waiting in traffic (minus the hands-on your body), or before you go to sleep to help you relax.

You have tools to help you breathe, relax, fall asleep. The real question is, are you using them?

Deep Abdominal Breathing Benefits:

Various deep abdominal breathing forms have been linked to cardiovascular benefits, including increased blood flow and improved blood pressure. Deep breathing is also a helpful tool for relaxation and sleep. Taking deep breaths can also help you manage stress and improve cognitive function like brain fog and lack of focus and concentration.

If every tool you are reaching for is outside of yourself, let me ask you, have you tried the tools you were born with? The tools you were given and are the very tools that make this life possible? The tool I am talking about is your breathing.

Try This:

For one week, practice deep abdominal breathing at least one time a day. Work to practice it at the same time each day. Set the alarm on your phone or in your calendar and make it a priority. All too often, we say something doesn’t work or help, and we have never really tried it, let alone given it the attention required to see results.

After seven days, come back and let us know how you did. What changed, what you noticed or found.

Now take a deep breath and start living!

Resources:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_focusing_on_the_breath_does_to_your_brain

https://www.uchealth.org/today/understanding-breathing-and-the-importance-of-taking-a-deep-breath/

https://www.healthline.com/health/facts-about-stress#25.-Past-experiences-can-cause-stress-later-in-life

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.n

https://www.consumerreports.org/mental-health/ways-to-manage-stress/ih.gov/29593576/

April 13, 2021/0 Comments/by pbeue

Tips to Get the Best Results From Your Yoga Session

Yoga for Truckers

Tips To Get The Best Results From Your Yoga Session

Yoga has been gaining popularity over the past decade because it provides a unique form of exercise and relaxation. Studies have also proven that it is a great workout that helps eliminate body aches and pains. The history of this workout style has also shown that yoga is more than exercise and can help you connect with your inner self. As studies have proved and practice has shown, yoga can be very beneficial; and you must gain all those benefits. On that note, here are some tips to help you get the best results from your yoga session.

Yoga Session Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

Know your physical limitations and pay attention to your body

Yoga can get quite intense, and you need to know your physical limitations and pay attention to your body so that you do not push your body past its true limits. For those who have medical conditions, such that they may need to use a posture corrector app or other forms of assistance, you must be cautious when practicing yoga to avoid hurting yourself or aggravating an injury. You should be concerned about how your body reacts to each pose and session. Relax and allow your body to express itself and when it hurts, stop, and take a breather to change your pace.

Have no expectations

Yoga combines exercise with meditation; that is how it works. Having expectations before you begin will throw a spanner in the works, and you could lose your zen. So, it is better to have no expectations when you start a yoga session. Instead, look forward to spending time connecting with yourself. Have an open mind and enjoy the experience.

Create a relaxed atmosphere and avoid distractions

Yoga is centered on relaxation and meditation. So, create the right atmosphere where you can relax and connect with yourself. Yoga is therapeutic, and as such, where you practice must set the mood. It is advisable to dedicate a space solely to practicing yoga to evoke a sense of calm and relaxation. This area must be free of noise and other distractions so that your meditation can proceed uninterrupted. Distractions in this regard are not limited to noise alone. Uncomfortable clothes, taking a break to pee, and devices such as phones that do not contribute to the process all count as distractions. Before you begin a session, be sure you can complete it without getting distracted by anything else.

Breathe

Breathe - Yoga blog Mother Trucker Yoga

Image Credit

This sounds very easy, but often people forget to breathe naturally, as they get so focused on the moment. This is simple and very important. Just continue to breathe naturally, and you will remain composed and balanced. Breathing also helps you to practice within your capacity and allows you to enjoy the experience.

To get the best results from your yoga session, do not just “go through the motions”; relax and enjoy the exercise rather than rushing through. Focus on the experience and dedicate your all when practicing. Also, before you begin or end a session, do not just jump in or out. Take some time to gradually get in the zone and do the same when you finish a session.

March 30, 2021/0 Comments/by pbeue

What is Plantar Fasciitis & What to Do About It

Trucker Fitness, Yoga for Truckers

What is Plantar Fasciitis & What to Do About It

I never had ANY issues with my feet until I was pregnant. Plantar Fasci.. Who? And it was right about that time that I began my journey of diving into the body. Not yoga poses. Not fancy exercises, but how the body moves and why it moves the way it does. How we are an adaptation of our environment over time and things don’t necessarily happen to us, they accumulate within us.

To be honest, you don’t catch plantar fasciitis like you do an airborne virus. Your body moves or doesn’t move, it adapts to the environment you put it in and it responds. When your muscles scream, cramp, tighten, clench, sag, freeze they are responding. The question is, are you listening?

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

But what IS plantar fasciitis? Plantar fasciitis means the inflammation in the muscular band around the sole, which supports the arch. It is the main reason for pain at the bottom of the heel. And that plantar tendon is then connected to your achilles tendon, which then connects in with your calf muscles, to your hamstrings to then your sacrotuberous ligament and so on (that was a mouth full). My point…everything is connected. Our bodies are not separate parts, we are not parts, we are whole. And when we are in pain, like foot pain, we cannot just look at the area screaming. We must step back and look at the entire canvas and how that canvas moves or doesn’t move. If someone was to be holding a gun pointed at another who would be screaming, the shooter or the victim? The victim is the bottom of your foot, the persecutor is the cause of it.

In modern busy lives, one is always on his feet. Our heels are constantly under the pressure of our daily life hustles. This pressure ultimately damages or tears your foot ligaments resulting in pain and stiffness under the sole. And furthermore, the long bouts of sitting, tightening of the calves and hamstrings coupled with extreme fitness shortens and tightens those areas causing a pulling and aggravating pain.

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

During the later months of pregnancy, women carry a lot of weight on their feet and are more at risk for Plantar Fasciitis.

Men and women between the age group of 40-70 years and majorly women among them are at higher risk for Plantar Fasciitis.

Obese individuals, due to high pressure on their heels and repetitive tensile overload from walking, standing, or squatting, are more prone to the inflammation of the muscle band around their heels.

Certain activities or exercises that include running, dancing on heels or ballet dancing, skating, aerobic dance, inadequate stretching, or walking long-distance without a proper pair of shoes, etc.

Pronation (walking in a way that your whole body weight tends to be on the inside of your foot) is one major cause of Plantar Fasciitis.

Long term sitting with minimal bouts of movement, stretching or activity.

People with structural foot abnormality (Foot Mechanics) like flat feet, protruded, or extended heel bone or high arches usually suffer from Plantar Fasciitis. Weak plantar flexor muscles and intrinsic muscles of the foot are the bio-mechanic causes of Plantar Fasciitis.

Certain occupations that involve excessive use of feet or dynamic jobs like teachers, factory workers, police, labor, etc. are at higher risks.

Heel spurs were implicated as one of the causes of Plantar Fasciitis. It was later clarified that this is a very weak association and may not necessarily be a cause of Plantar Fasciitis.

Symptoms

Stabbing pain and tenderness in the heel is the typical symptom of Plantar Fasciitis.

The pain can be triggered by a long period of standing.

The pain generally kicks off after exercise as the pain flares up due to increased irritation or inflammation but doesn’t show any symptoms during exercise.

The nature of pain may vary from person to person. It can be dull or sharp, burning or ache in the heel.

The pain is commonly worse in the morning. You will feel a wave of pain the moment you take your first step out of bed. Climbing stairs would be the last thing you want to do as it aggravates the pain to a higher extent.

Management

Statistically, stretching is believed to give the best long-term results at home.

Calf and arch stretch

Sit on the bed with straight legs.
Take a folded towel (or a strap or belt)
Hold the ends with both hands.
Place the balls of your feet in the middle of the towel and pull back the towel/belt flexing the foot (place the towel over the ball of the foot).
Hold this for 30 seconds with a rest interval of 30 seconds and repeat this 3 times. Or hold until tension passes.

Seated Forward Bend with Strap to Stretch Arches, Calves, and Hamstrings

Downward Facing Dog

Start down on all fours.
Take a deep breath in and lift your knees.
Without walking your hands back, press up through your arms and shoulders.
Exhale and draw your belly in and lift your hips high.
Let your heels sink towards the ground and “walk the dog” by alternating lifting and lowering each heel and bending the opposite knee.
If you are feeling tight, bend the knees (the goal is not to have straight legs, but to feel a stretch).
NOTE: Try Half Downward Dog on the step of your truck. Does your truck step need an upgrade? In need of more grip? >Shop NOW<

Half Down Dog on Truck Step

Downward Facing Dog

Roll the arch on our Massage Roller Stick

Keep a ball or our massage roller stick by your bedside.
Roll your foot on the ball three times for 1 minute with 30 seconds of the rest interval.
Do this exercise after waking up and before going to bed.
NOTE: Your feet may feel tender due to wearing shoes too frequently and not stimulating the muscles in the feet often enough.

mother trucker yoga massage roller feet

Manual Stretch

Before taking your first step out of bed, stretch and massage your feet manually with the help of your fingers.

Treatment

NSAIDs
Stretching
Formal physical therapy
Night splints
Custom orthotics
Corticosteroid injections
Platelet-rich plasma injections
Botulinum toxin injections
Fasciotomy
Topical Pain Relief Cream – STIFF Mother Trucker

Stiff Mother Trucker Pain Relief Cream in Hand

Thank you to BUD & TONY’S TRUCK PARTS for being the sponsor of this blog.

Are you ready to try out Mother Trucker Yoga’s Half Down Dog on the step of your truck but you need an upgrade?

Bud & Tony’s Truck Parts got you covered! They have dozens of selections perfect for your rig!

See what they have waiting for your ride!

September 12, 2020/0 Comments/by pbeue

5 Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief

Trucker Fitness, Yoga for Truckers

Several years ago I had sciatica for nearly a year straight. I was seeking sciatica pain relief in the worst way.

It hurt to bend, it hurt to sit, it hurt to stand, it hurt to sleep, it hurt to do just about everything. I thought to myself “is this how the rest of my life is going to be?” The worst thing was – I was a yoga teacher. Having never had any real physical injuries I began to seek relief and care. During my first visit to a chiropractor, we discovered that my pelvis was not level and probably for quite some time. Trying to put things back into place made for a very angry body.

Sciatica Relief Hope Zvara and Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

As someone early into teaching yoga I vowed to help others dissolve pain because no one should have to live with pain like this on a daily basis. Through improving my posture, building stability in my frame as well as building muscle and staying mobile slowly my sciatica disappeared. But over the years it tries to rear its annoying head and with my toolbox in place, I know exactly what to do to dissolve the symptoms and find relief once again.

If you have ever had it, you know it. That pain that can knock you off your feet. That pain can derail you dead in your tracks. That nerve pain that can be so excruciating that you are flat on the floor praying it will pass.

WHAT IS SCIATICA:

I think it is important to first describe what sciatica is and what it is not. Sciatica is a pain and nerve sensation that can travel through the glute down the leg, past the knee into the calf. Sciatica has a number of causes some of them being injury (to the lower back), ruptured disk, bulging disk, spinal injury, and spinal stenosis. Sciatica is most cases originates from the lower back, and most true sciatica cases are caused by spinal injuries or issues.

WHERE IS THE SCIATIC NERVE:

The sciatic nerve is a nerve that originates in the lower back on either side of the spine. It runs through the buttocks and into the hips before branching down each leg. In some cases, the sciatic nerve runs under or through the piriformis muscle.

This nerve is the longest nerve in the body and provides sensation to the outer leg and foot. Sciatica is nerve pain that runs through the buttocks, down the back of the leg and into the ankle or foot.

WHAT IS PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME:

Piriformis syndrome although it feels similar they are not. Piriformis syndrome often originates from the glute (hip buttocks) area, where sciatica originates from the lower back.

Piriformis syndrome causes sciatica-like symptoms when piriformis muscle pinches down on the sciatic nerve and causes pain just like sciatica: burning, tingling, shooting pain especially when sitting. However piriformis pain often does not travel below the knee, whereas sciatica will.

Both sciatica and piriformis are not a condition as much as they are symptom caused by another problem: a herniated disc, lower back injury, tight piriformis/hip muscles, pelvis or hip pain/injury, or misalignment. While most try to treat the symptoms it is critical to look to the root cause and try to find relief starting there.

Dr. Mark Kovacs, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, adds that the best way to alleviate most sciatica pain is to do “any stretch that can externally rotate the hip to provide some relief.”

5 STRETCHES FOR SCIATICA PAIN RELIEF:

KNEES INTO THE CHEST:

Knees into chest stretch sciatica MTY Blog

FIGURE FOUR STRETCH

Figure Four Stretch Mother Trucker Yoga

FIGURE FOUR STRETCH SEATED

Walking Blog Post Mother Trucker Yoga

COBRA

Cobra MTY BLog Sciatica

STANDING CALF STRETCH

Calf Stretch MTY Blog Sciatica

WHEN TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP:

Sometimes, you’ll need to actively seek the help of a chiropractor for sciatica. But under what circumstances should you do this?

You should see a professional if you have:

Pain that radiates from your lower lumbar spine to your buttocks and down your legs
Pain along your nerve pathways anywhere else
Sharp pains or mild burning pains
Prolonged pain after sitting

Please note that if you have sudden severe sciatic pain, you should visit your doctor.

SCIATICA PAIN RELIEF TREATMENT:

Stiff Mother Trucker Pain Relief Cream is an excellent means for pain relief. Applying three to four times a day over the area of pain for immediate and long-lasting relief. The ingredients in Stiff Mother Trucker Pain Relief Cream specifically target the affected area and provide cooling and warming relief, increased blood flow, and decreased inflammation. (Shop Now)

Stiff Mother Trucker Chart

Chiropractic care can be extremely helpful during a sciatica flare-up. When you find a good chiropractor he or she can help you realign your bones to give space for your body to begin to find relief. However, it is my own experience over the last 20 years working with thousands of people that chiropractic care alone will do very little for most. When the body is tight, stiff, and has created its own patterns in the fascia, resetting a bone using chiropractic practices can feel like a revolving door.

Consider coupling this form of treatment with massage therapy, yoga, stretching, or physical therapy to retrain your body to move, sit, and hold in different ways.

Ice treatments can be helpful immediately after you begin to feel the pain. Icing the glute if it is piriformis syndrome or the lower back and hip area if it is due to a lower back injury causing sciatica. Try 20 minutes of ice on and off for the first three or four days.

Heat is acceptable a few days after the flare-up begins. Using heat immediately may cause more aggravation.

SCIATICA PREVENTION:

Some people are unfortunately nearly 40% of people will end up feeling the effects of sciatica than others, and many it can be reoccurring.

“People who suffer from acute or chronic back pain tend to be more susceptible to sciatica,” says Dr. Jeffrey N. Katz, professor of medicine and orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. “Your risk also rises if you’re obese, if you smoke, or if you’re sedentary.”

An article from Bud and Tony’s Truck Parts on back pain stated that:

Awkward and uncomfortable sitting postures
Lifting
Repetition
Body vibration
Leaning, hunching, and rounding
Prolonged sitting
Poor posture
Lack of physical fitness

It is not always possible to prevent sciatica. However, some lifestyle modifications, increase in regular exercise(s), improving core strength and movements throughout the day can help. In addition, regularly walking, using supportive devices for driving and desk work like BackShield and supportive sleeping can significantly help reduce a person’s risk of experiencing sciatica again.

In general, regular exercise and building a strong core may help prevent sciatica. Additionally maintaining a good posture while sitting and standing is important, and may make people less likely to develop sciatica than people with poor posture. Consider working with Mother Trucker Yoga to learn how to improve posture, exercises you can do directly from the cab and driver’s seat of your rig to help prevent and keep sciatica symptoms at bay. And inside our platform, you’ll get detailed step by step videos of the moves above!

September 1, 2020/0 Comments/by pbeue

Join the Mother Trucker Yoga Newsletter

We Accept: