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4 Quick and Simple Exercises with the Good-N-Tight Ratchet Strap Tightening Handle 

4 Quick and Simple Exercises with the Good-N-Tight Ratchet Strap Tightening Handle 

When you are a truck driver, time is of the essence. And either you have a lot of time, or you have none. But there are moments throughout your day where you can sneak in a few quick moves to help you feel better, wherever you are with your Good-N-Tight Ratched Strap Tightening Handle handy. The Good-N-Tight is amazing when you don’t want to throw out your shoulder or back tieing down a load and gives you three times the leverage. And as my husband always says, “work smarter not harder”. This is one tool you definitely want to get and have handy anytime you need to use a ratchet strap.

But this blog isn’t about how to use this tool for securing your load. It’s about how to double down and use this tool to help you feel better, whenever you are with small simple moves you can do it anytime, anywhere. These four simple moves are perfect for those in-between moments when to help reduce stiffness, bring a little energy back into your body, stretch, and strengthen so you don’t throw your back out getting in and out of the truck (it happens).

Here are 4 Quick and Simple Moves You Can Do With The Good-N-Tight:

  • Good-N-Tight Oblique Side Bend 

This is a great move to help tone your waist and both stretch and strengthen your lower back, hips, and obliques. 

  • Step your feet wider than hips-width apart. 
  • Point your toes forward and square your hips.
  • With your Good-N-Tight in hand reach your arms up overhead. 
  • Relax your shoulders down and soften your front rib cage down as well. 
  • Take a deep breath in and gently slide your hips to the right as you lean your upper body and arms to the left. 
  • Press your arms straight and reach through the Good-N-Tight, like you were to stamp it on the wall next to you. 

VERSION 1:

  • Hold this for 5 breaths, and on the exhale come back to center and repeat the opposite side. 

VERSION 2:

  • Inhale press your hips to the right and tip your upper body and arms to the left. 
  • Exhale return to center, pulling your hips back first and your upper body to sit on top. 
  • Repeat the opposite side: Inhale to lean, exhale to return. 
  • 5-10 times on each side. 

Oblique Stretch Tightening Handle

  • Good-N-Tight Triceps Stretch 

This is a wonderful stretch to combat all that drive time opening your chest, toning your upper back, and releasing your shoulders. 

  • Standing tall grab the Good-N-Tight with your right hand and extend your arm up overhead. 
  • Bend your top elbow and tuck your hand behind your head, laying the Good-N-Tight down your spine. 
  • Roll the top tricep inward towards your head, turning your triceps to face forward (this may be difficult, especially if your shoulders are tight or bulky).
  • Tuck your left hand behind you to grab the bottom of the Good-N-Tight and work to roll your left shoulder open, feeling the shoulder blade press inward towards the spine. 
  • Stand even taller and breathe calmly for 5 to 10 breaths. 
  • Repeat the opposite side. 

Good-N-Tight 1 Minute Moves Tricep Stretch - Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

  • Good-N-Tight Chest Expander

Slouching, leaning, hunching, driving, and carrying often leave our body hunched forward and frozen in place. This quick move gives your body a break and counterposes all that rounding forward. Breathe easy and feel your chest, pecs, and shoulders open as your core gets a little wake-up call. 

Standing tall with your feet at a comfortable distance grab your Good-N-Tight.

Tuck your hands behind you and grab hold of either side of your new exercise equipment. 

Roll your shoulders in towards your spine as you drop them down away from your neck. 

Inhale drive your hips and pelvis forward as you pull your arms down and back. 

Gently look up and stretch! 

Hold this for 5 breaths, and repeat 3 to 5 times. 

Chest Expander Good-N-Tight Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

  • Good-N-Tight Calf Stretch 

Your calf is the hydraulic pump for your lower body to get blood flow back up the heart. Restricted calves inhibit the calf to do its job, making the heart have to work harder. Tight calves also cause knee and back pain. Let’s give the body some relief with a quick stretch! 

  • Place the Good-N-Tight on the ground.
  • Standing tall, place the ball of one foot up on the lip of your new exercise equipment, keeping your heel on the ground. 
  • Square your hips and slowly inch your free foot forward until you feel a stretch in your calf. 
  • Stand even taller and press down into your stretching heel as you hold the stretch for 5 to 10 breaths.
    Repeat the opposite side and do this stretch 1-3 times each day. 

Calf Stretch Good-N-Tight Mother Trucker Yoga BLog

Pushing yourself in a quick workout is important, but you should never allow yourself to just sit there because you think you need fancy equipment. Make sure you’re choosing quality over quantity. And look around your truck, what do you have laying around. What could be multi-purpose? And remember instead of thinking you need all sorts of crazy fitness in your life, think movement, where can I get more movement in? Along with your new Good-N-Tight moves get out and walk for an added boost to your body, mind, and spirit. Happy moving!

This blog post is in partnership with Bud and Tony’s Truck Parts! Bud and Tony are on a mission to give back to the trucking community and by teaming up with Mother Trucker Yoga, they are doing it, one move at a time. Check out more about Bud and Tony over on their site: www.BudAndTonysTruckParts.com

bud and tony's truck parts logo

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6 Rules for Over the Road Fitness

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6 Rules for Over the Road Fitness

 

The idea of over the road fitness is not the norm for some. And for others, they think of it only as taking their traditional workout with them. And that is great. But for the rest of us, being smart and looking at how you can add movement, fitness, health into your day, even while doing what you always do is what I call over the road fitness. And fitness in your everyday life!

 

Long drives can trigger multiple health issues! Old News!

We can pull through the long-distance travels effortlessly!

Good News!

Let us take look at

“How can we avoid backache on the way?” Back pain is not new news, but the reality is there is a large group of people who have back pain, or any pain and it doesn’t bother them enough to make a change. There is a story that a mentor told me some years ago. 

 

There was a cat laying on a nail crying meow. 

And the owner’s friend asked, “why is the cat meowing?” 

And the owner said, “oh, she’s laying on a nail”. 

And the friend said, “well, why doesn’t she just get off the nail?” 

The owner said, “Because it doesn’t hurt that bad”. 

 

The moral of the cat story is some people’s pain is only bad enough to complain about it. They don’t actually want to do something about it. Where is your pain? Where is your desire for being healthy and improving your fitness? We won’t change anything we don’t want to change. Here are a few road rules to help you stay healthy, fit, and happy while traveling, driving, rolling down the open road. 

 

Forestall the trigger

Each time you enter your car or any vehicle, open your door wide. Use your hand to hold the seat, keep your back straight, bend your knees, and take your seat at your near edge of the seat while facing the vehicle. Then, in one move, lift and swing your legs together and place them on the car’s foot-mat.

 

Adjust your seat accordingly.

You just can’t fix your seat where you can see everything clearly to feel like a boss on the road and let your back handle all the discomfort in the world.

Setting your seat at a height that your hips lie in the same height as of your knees is more befitting.

Are you in need of a new truck seat? Many drivers think they can’t afford a supportive truck seat. But can you afford years of pain, spinal damage, and discomfort from years of driving? Invest in yourself before things breakdown- that includes your body! Check out the AIR CHIEF STANDARD STYLE ON-HIGHWAY TRUCK SEAT from Bud and Tony’s Truck Parts.

Standard Features to this seat include:

Air Chief Seat Mother Trucker Yoga blog

  • 20” Wide Soft Seat Cushion
  • Height Adjustable Headrest (can be removed)
  • Fully Reclining Backrest
  • Triple Chamber Air-Lumbar Support System
  • 3-Position Seat Cushion Extension & Tilt Adjustment
  • Fore & Aft Slides (7 Inch Tracks)
  • Poly-Dynamic Air-Suspension™
  • Integrated Isolator
  • ICP -moves with Suspension & Isolator
  • Bellow

 

 

Relax Your Body

Easy Stretches for Travel with Mother Trucker YogaDo not sit like a statue and try checking regularly, reminding yourself to relax your arms or legs while driving. Not only will it trigger back problems but will also hamper with blood circulation. Muscle cramps and stiffness. Let’s be honest, we get lazy and even though we can move while driving, we don’t. So make it a point to move more while driving. Need help getting creative with movements? Check out Mother Trucker Yoga’s Audio Easy Stretching for Travel: Safe Yoga While Driving Download.

 

 

Arms position and pedal distance

Your arms should be bent at 20-30 degree angles while your legs should bend at a 45-degree angle. It will prevent you from slouching and support your spine. Look for your sweet spot and commit your driving for a lifetime to it. This may require you to purchase additional support tools for your truck or vehicle. 

 

Lumbar Support

This invention is no less than a blessing for people suffering from backache—use quality lumbar support to keep your back in a right and comfortable position. BackShield is lumbar support designed for a comforting cushioning effect to your back and improves your posture. It is conveniently portable and can nicely fit in cars, trucks, and R.V.s. Purchasing yourself a BackShield is a profitable investment for your lifetime. Use our code at checkout: MTY10

In case you don’t want to buy lumbar support, you can roll a towel and place it in the back near the lumbar vertebrae. But take it from me, it won’t work like a BackShield. 

BackShield for RV Driving

Mirror Positioning

Position your mirror at the right angles to avoid unnecessary twisting and turning of your neck and back. And when you look out at your mirrors use your whole body, look at that mirror peek as a movement for your body too. 

 

Other Important Points

Take small intervals

If you travel a long distance, it will help your body relax from stiffness in your muscles. Stretch your body, walk for a few minutes, and restart your journey.

Hydration

Keep yourself hydrated on your way. Generally, our mind and body are on autopilot mode while driving, and our blood pressure tends to lower down a bit, and we start to feel off. To maintain your blood pressure, you need to hydrate your body frequently to stay in a conscious state and a good mood.

Music Therapy

Listen to your favorite music album. It will help your nerves to calm down and relax your entire body.

Fuel your body

Don’t let your stomach starve. Give it proper nutritious food because, “When the tummy is happy, nothing is crappy!” when you are in a good mood, it will fight the stress hormone released in your body.

Drive Safely

Last but not least,

“Drive Cautiously”

“Follow the traffic rules.”

“Don’t get a ticket for speeding.”

 

Being fit is not an overnight change. And in my mind, it’s not based on weight, size, or gender. It’s based on how you feel. So ask yourself: “how do I feel?” And don’t be afraid to answer. So many people deny that they need to work harder, improve themselves, and pay more attention to their fit-ness in life. These road rules are meant to help you see the options available. You probably noticed that the rules above are not based on squats or hundreds of push-ups daily or running a couch to 5k. These are rules to help you improve the quality of your life! 

 

  • See more clearly where the road is taking you. 
  • See more clearly where it is you want to go. 
  • See more clearly how easy it can be to change lanes in your fitness and health. 

 

This post is sponsored by:

Bud and Tony's Truck Parts

Bud and Tony have known each other for over 50 years (brothers – from another mother you could say) and have been in business together for over 30 years. They have always believed in our economy thriving and work hard to make sure it continues upward. They both know the trucking industry has and will continue to be the backbone of our economy. With this in mind, they came together to be a part of this ever-growing, ever-changing but steadfast, and traditional business that will always keep moving American and the world forward.

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