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Driver Fitness: Building Up Strength without Push-Ups

In our twenties, we typically feel invincible, like we can do anything and are unbreakable. Then in our thirties, we may feel minor wear and tear, but we are at the peak of our lives for the most part. But by age forty, fifty, and sixty, the ability to carry loads of life the way we used to start shows signs of weakness both mentally and physically.

Yet for many when it comes to the idea of strength and truckers, the idea of a trucker workout or driver fitness is often push-ups, cardio, and extreme fitness. Building strength woman or man does not have to be this and in my opinion, is an outdated way of taking back your health.  

Life can often get busier; we have more responsibilities and more things pulling at our focus. Being assertive is an inner game just as it is an outer game, and the two often play off each other. They sacrifice exercise, movement, and mental wellness to meet many of the additional needs’ demands. 

If you feel exhausted, mentally spent, short-tempered, distracted, lacking excitement for life, even showing signs of depression, you don’t need more rest; what you need is to feel strong again. 

Whether you are a truck driver, someone who sits at a computer all day, or on your feet doing every task known to man, when you don’t physically feel strong, it impacts how you feel mentally. Which in turn affects how you live your life.

Many think yoga is just stretching or meditating. Still, yoga is a total body experience that many do not fully understand until they participate in the first, second, and even tenth time. 

The Importance of Building Up Strength? 

Why focus on exercises and movements that build muscle? As we age, we lose three to five percent of our muscle mass each decade after age thirty. But if you aren’t doing anything to maintain what you have, that number only grows, and your body loses muscle, that is. It’s a misconception to build muscles. It would help if you lifted heavyweights. Research has proven that after age thirty, switching to lighter weights or focusing on resistance training has a more powerful impact on your physical body and decreases the chances of getting injured. And building up strength without push-ups doesn’t have to be complicated and can be easy and fun. There are more ways than heavyweights to build your strength back up. 

Don’t forget the impact of feeling physically strong has back on your mental state. Even if t weight feels heavy or the Plank feels shaky, the effect it has on your brain, thoughts, feelings, and outlook on life is nothing short of transformative. Working out regularly for just 20 minutes can boost long-term memory by 10%. It also improves cognitive function by increasing blood flow to the brain and slowing down dementia.

What is Strength Training/Exercise?

Strength training, typically known as weight or resistance training, is an anaerobic exercise that includes the breakdown of glucose (sugar) for energy without oxygen to consider free-loads, weight machines, or resistance training. Weight training can be utilized to reinforce and build up significant muscles, like the legs, back, glutes, chest, shoulders, arms, and midsection. These muscles are all needed in daily tasks and help reduce pain. Stretching allows our body to release tightness, pulling, and snags in our tissues that could be causing pain and discomfort. But building strength also allows us to reduce pain and discomfort by ensuring the muscles in our body supporting us are at peak performance and up for the job. 

Benefits

I believe taking care of your body is about balance. Not that fancy balance where life is a walk in the park talk. But balance where you give your body a little bit of everything. A few stretches, a dash of cardio-like walking, or even stepping up and down off your step while you are parked all count. But let’s not forget the need to build and maintain your strength. 

When we focus on building up strength and toning our muscles we:

  • Make the muscles of the whole body more substantial.
  • Stimulate bone growth.
  • Lower blood sugar level
  • Help in maintaining weight.
  • Improve posture and balance.
  • Reduce mental fatigue.
  • Improve memory.
  • Improve oxygen to the brain through more regular breathing.

 Driver Fitness: Building Up Strength without Push-Ups

There are many ways to build up strength no matter your age, and when you live over the road as a truck driver, you often have to use what you ha e. Not every driver has to time, means, or ability to pull over and park near Planet Fitness or have a total weight or gym set up in their truck. Many carrying around dumbbells or fancy equipment is not first on their necessity list when packing their vehicle for their next trip.

1.Planks on the step of your truck  

Throw on a pair of gloves and use your truck steps or your frame steps on your trailer to set your body up for these quick moves. Driver fitness doesn’t have to be complicated or take a lot of time.

Your body weight is an excellent way to maintain strength and it up as well  Plus moves like this require no extra equipment to travel with, but if you did have the equipment, make sure you have a secure toolbox to store it in on your truck. Try adding in a side plank, leg lifts, and arm lifts while in a plank- you’ll feel it. 

Driver Fitness: Building Up Strength without Push-Ups mother Trucker yoga blog plank

2.Bicep Curls, Tricep Extensions, and Shoulder Overhead Press

You don’t need a zillion moves for a healthy dose of driver fitness, just a few good ones to keep you moving powerfully. If you are traveling and tight on space, swap out an actual hand-weight for two wrenches or something heavy inside your truck. No one said fancy is necessary and when it comes to building up strength without push-ups, don’t stress, there are more ways to skin a cat.

Try to do ten reps of each move one to three times a day. With all that sitting at the wheel, posture and upper body strength and tone can begin to fade. Ensure you have a supportive seat and your steering wheel at the proper height not to cause shoulder or neck pain, But when you aren’t driving, you snuck in a few quick strength-building moves that you can do anywhere in under five minutes. 

Driver Fitness: Building Up Strength without Push-Ups overhead extension mother trucker yoga blog

3.Resistance Band Training 

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There are all sorts of fancy resistance band kits available for purchase, but you don’t need them. For best success, purchase a six to eight-foot physical therapy grade resistance band, a door loop, and a loop band to get the job done. 

Try incorporating moves with a loop band for great leg toning and resistance training. The great thing about resistance training when it comes to driver fitness is that you can easily travel with this equipment and practice the driver fitness moves anywhere.

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Next time you are at the track, stop threading your resistance band through the door loop, close the door, grab each side, and pull down. Get creative, try using one arm and pull, or create a combo and as you pull on the resistance band, add a squat. You can quickly build hip and leg strength with a loop band by placing it around your ankles and walking ten paces forward and back or doing a lap around your truck.

Adding in resistance band work a few times a week, even just five minutes, you will notice a difference in posture, strength, and a reduction in joint pain. And remember it’s easy to build up strength without push-ups and resistance bands can help you with that. Now that you have a few strategies to build up strength without push-ups I can’t wait to hear how your next truck driver workout goes. 

 

No matter what type of strength training you choose to incorporate into your day as a driver, the most important thing is that you add it in. Paying attention to your physical strength and feeding your physical body what it needs will also benefit how you feel mentally. If you want to improve your mental wellness and mental strength, consider adding a few moves to build up your physical strength first. Before you know it, your mind and body will feel like they are twenty again but with the wisdom of a forty, fifty, or sixty years old. 

Happy Moving!

 

It’s time to take care of yourself. Here at Mother Trucker Yoga, we believe in the small simple changes that lead to the big results, so that you can feel good again. Join our family and enroll in our Mother Trucker Yoga LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART Membership Platform & APP use the code: MTY30 for a FREE 30 DAYS!

 

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Sportswear Is The Ideal Summer OOTD Every Day

The summertime brings hot and uncomfortable weather. Some of the materials you have in the winter are too heavy and designed to keep the heat in. While flowing dresses and lightweight linens are a great choice, the right sportswear can make you comfortable, cool, and sweat-free all summer. 

 

Activewear is typically stretchy and has a range of other perks designed for those who are going to be active and sweat. By choosing the right activewear (outside of regular cotton legging and a t-shirt), you might find this summer much easier to deal with – along with some healthier food options and plenty of water. 

 

Is cotton the best summertime wear?

Cotton has a range of skin-friendly benefits; it might not be the best option for you throughout the summer. 

 

Let’s say you have to run errands all day, it’s already hot at 6 am, and you have a day filled with school drop-off and pick-up, groceries, picking up the gifts for a party at the weekend – and that’s just the start of it. 

 

Those cotton clothes, even if they are leggings and a tank top, will go through a lot. One of the downsides of using cotton clothing for sweltering days is that it isn’t moisture-wicking. Cotton holds onto the sweat and keeps it close to the skin. 

 

Suppose the cotton clothing is damp but isn’t well fitted. In that case, it can cause heat rash, rub the skin, and be uncomfortable. Shop active clothing made with some of the suggested materials below to avoid this. 

 

So how do you choose the right sportswear? 

Fit

Depending on your confidence levels, you might often choose clothing that isn’t well-fitting, which will mean you might be uncomfortable throughout the day. As you sweat, you are more likely to have an issue with chaffing and becoming uncomfortable in the heat. 

 

Sportswear is designed from fabrics that offer some stretch but are mostly tightly fitted to the body. This means you can move comfortably and are less likely to have chaffing. 

 

Versatility 

No matter what you are doing, there are colors and fabrics to complement your day. The softer materials designed for busy days but just as easy are ideal for yoga, can be quickly layered and are versatile enough to last your whole day. 

 

To make your wardrobe even more versatile, try to choose colors that work well together, so when you need to leave at speed, you can put on what you need and head out for your day. 

 

For the base layer, try to choose a moisture-wicking layer to remove any sweat from the skin. A looser cotton jumper is excellent for areas where the evenings get a little chilly. 

 

Comfort 

If you struggle to feel comfortable in the heat, the last thing you need is material that isn’t soft and comfortable. Fabrics that are made up of plastics or have any rubber aren’t breathable, which means that you will sweat a little bit more than usual, and it will not be able to escape the body. 

 

These materials also increase your body temperature, causing you to sweat more and become more quickly dehydrated. Choose lightweight fabrics that mention they are breathable in the description. 

 

Wicking

You might’ve seen the words moisture-wicking on some clothing descriptions. That means that the moisture you produce will be removed from the body when you sweat. Nothing is worse than having to wear sweat-soaked clothing all day when you are busy and have things to do. 

 

Moisture-wicking fabrics work in two ways. First, they quickly move moisture away from the body, which is the wicking part. The second part of the process is that the fabric’s outer surface dries quickly, so the wearer never gets wet and the material doesn’t become saturated. 

 

Anti-odor

If you are prone to sweating a lot but know you won’t be able to head home to change your clothing until the evening, it is best to choose an anti-odor fabric. While sweat itself doesn’t smell, it doesn’t take long for multiple layers of sweat to happen. Our sweat feeds our skin bacteria, which rubs back onto our clothing, which causes the smell. 

 

Gym clothing also has other benefits, like antibacterial, ultra-breathable, and support areas. Performance activewear often has a combination of the above great features. 

 

And those are just a few reasons sportswear makes the ideal summertime clothing! Of course, once you have your activewear on, you might as well fit in a workout too! 

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7 Essential Stretches for Truck Drivers

7 Essential stretches as a truck driver.

You are expected to sit in uncomfortable durations as a truck driver. On the surface, comfort is what you seem to be sacrificing, but it runs deeper than that. Constant sitting with minimal mt or exercise can be quite detrimental to your health. You must include a trucker workout in your daily routine to fix eight. This article tells you 8 essential stretches for a truck driver workout regime!

Essential Stretches to Practice

1. Shoulder Pull

Shoulder pulls are effective for the tension in your shoulders. When you feel stress gathering in your shoulders from sitting upright while driving, place one arm straight across your chest and pull it with your other arm.

7 essential stretches for truck drivers blog shoulder pull image

2. Neck Rotation

Before your neck is so stiff you can barely move it, try including neck rotations in your trucker workout. You can start by taking your hand over your head and holding the opposite ear gently, pulling it towards the shoulder. This releases tension in your upper shoulder and neck, regions that quickly strain due to extended driving hours. 

7 essential stretches for truck drivers neck release image mother trucker yoga blog

3. Wrist Bend

Wrist bend is the most accessible form of stretching you can do right in your driving seat and enjoy its effectiveness. It can help you relax your forearms and your wrists. Wrap your fingers on the steering wheel and move your wrists forward and backward. And if you are outside your rig, try placing your palm on the side of the truck with your fingers pointing down and stretch your wrist while you fill up with fuel.

7 essential stretches for truck drivers wrist bend image mother trucker yoga blog

4. Classic Lunges

Lunges are known for being a great exercise option regardless of the goal. If your goal is to stretch, lunges can be your best friend. Take a giant step with one leg and bend that knee as long as you are comfortable. You must maintain a symmetrical position and not extend the knee from the toe. Repeat this slowly with the other leg. Doing so will show you drastic improvements in your overall flexibility and muscle retention.

Try this on the step of your truck, and don’t forget you can use support like a chair or even the side of your truck for better balance.

PRO TIP: If you have sore knees and lunging is hard, try knee lifts instead. Standing tall, use support as needed, and try to lift one leg in front of you to belly height. As you lift, do not round your torso; feel your glutes contract.

7 essential stretches for truck drivers lunge image mother trucker yoga blog

5. Chest Pull Neck Stretch

Press both hands on your chest and move your head away from your wardrobe. This exercise feels like a relaxant as you enjoy a stretch in your neck and chest regions. Chest pulls are great for unwinding before bed after a long day of driving. And work amazingly well for keeping the elasticity in your neck as you age. Plus, if you have upper back pain, you need to do this stretch. 

7 essential stretches for truck drivers chest and neck stretch image mother trucker yoga blog

6. Arm Rotation

Arm rotations should be part of a truck driver workout regime that can be done whenever you step out of your vehicle. Placing one palm straight on your truck side, rotate yourself away from the truck with a slightly bent arm. Repeat this with the other arm. 

If you are inside the truck, sit on your bed and reach up overhead and as you lean to the right and reach to the right, press into your left hip to create a deep stretch in the underarm to help improve shoulder mobility. And don’t forget to focus on rotating your arm inward towards your face from the shoulder socket to enhance the stretch.

7 essential stretches for truck drivers arm rotation image mother trucker yoga blog

7. Quad Stretch

Stand straight for a quad stretch and watch it erase any muscular tension in your body. Raise one leg behind yourself and reach to grab that leg right above the ankle, and pull it towards your middle body. Hold yourself in that position and repeat with the other leg.

PRO TIP: If it is difficult to clasp the ankle behind you, try looping a belt or a towel around the ankle and pull up. Or place the top of the foot onto a chair and stand tall.

7 essential stretches for truck drivers quad stretch image mother trucker yoga blog

Conclusion

Taking time off the road to provide your body with its necessary movement is essential for your wellbeing. Take the time to practice these stretches as a truck driver workout regime when you spend time away from the driver’s seat. With this trucker workout, you can engage your entire body in exercise and stay far from life-altering medical conditions.

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Truck Driver Fitness: Know the 4 Different Types of Exercise & Benefits

Different Types of Exercises and Its Benefits

Before knowing the types of exercises, the first and significant question here is “What is an Exercise?”

An exercise is the intentional, habitual, and structural movement of the body or a part of the body to maintain or restore the body’s healthy functioning.

Talking about its benefits, we cannot estimate enough of them because they are vast. On a brief note, Exercise improves one’s mental, physical, emotional, and even spiritual well-being.

Whether people participate in light exercises, like taking a walk, or focused energy exercises, for instance, challenging cycling or weight lifting, customary Exercise gives a colossal scope of advantages for the body and brain. And as a truck driver, it is essential that you find time to fit in trucking fitness and get a wide variety of movement styles throughout the day and week. As a trucking fitness company, and more than 20 years of teaching fitness and wellness to people in pain, I get it, long drawn out workouts are difficult to keep up with and leave people quitting before they even begin to see results. That doesn’t have to be your story. 

Truck Driver Fitness: Know the 4 Different Types of Exercise & Benefits mother trucker yoga blog exercise image

Partaking in Exercise of any intensity each day is fundamental for forestalling many illnesses and other health problems.

Here I will explain four different & necessary exercises and their benefits for a healthy functioning body.

 

  1.   Aerobic Exercise
  2.   Strength Exercise
  3.   Stretching Exercise
  4.   Balance Exercise

 

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic Exercise speeds up your heart rate and breathing rate. These exercises help keep you fit, improve your wellness, and assist you with playing out the physical and mental tasks you need to do each day. Aerobic Exercise intends to improve how the body utilizes oxygen. Most aerobic Exercise happens at a sustainable level of power over long periods.

Aerobic Exercise is the sort that causes you to breathe more deeply or heavily and develops a healthy body. We will generally consider this sort of activity when we hear the word work-out.

It is exceptionally advantageous and will improve your well-being even at a moderate pace or intensity. You can get the advantages of high-impact Exercise from a lively walk or a consistent cycle ride.

Walking, swimming, hiking, biking, dancing, running, jogging, etc. All types of aerobic exercises will boost your heart rate and let the energy flow in your whole body.

 

Benefits

  • Aerobic exercises improve the functioning of your heart and lungs.
  • It boosts up your whole circulatory system function.
  • Stimulate erythropoiesis (red blood cell) formation.
  • Enhances oxygen transportation in tissues
  • Stimulates bone growth
  • Helps in Insomnia
  • Increases one’s stamina

 

Strength Exercise

Strength training, additionally usually alluded to as weight or resistance training, is a type of anaerobic exercise, a kind of actual work that includes the breakdown of glucose (sugar) for energy without oxygen. Strength training plans to assemble and keep up muscle tissue using bodyweight or external obstruction, for example, freeloads or weight machines. Weight training can reinforce significant muscles, like the legs, back, glutes, chest, shoulders, arms, and midsection.

Keep in mind it’s imperative to feel some muscle weariness toward the end of the training to ensure you are working or preparing the muscles viably.

It will probably incorporate bodyweight practices like squats, push-ups, jumps, and activities including resistance from the weight, a band, or a weight machine.

 

Benefits

  • It makes the muscles of the whole body stronger
  • Stimulates Bone Growth
  • Lowers blood sugar level
  • Helps in maintaining weight
  • Improves your posture and balance

 

Stretching Exercise

Stretching characterizes the scope of movement of your joints and the portability of your muscles. Sufficient flexibility is significant for athletic execution, day-to-day function capacity, and injury counteraction.

Stretching is genuinely significant and much neglected when individuals consider working out.

Aging prompts a deficiency of adaptability in the muscles and ligaments. Muscles abbreviate and don’t work as expected. That expands the danger for muscle spasms and torment, muscle harm, strains, joint pain, and injury, and it additionally makes it intense to traverse day-by-day exercises, like bowing down to tie your shoes.

It involves tai chi, yoga, pilates, trucking yoga, fascial training, plyometrics, etc.

 

Benefits

  •  It makes your muscles longer
  •  It makes your muscles stronger
  • Reduces pain intensity from an injury
  • Reduces risk of an injury

 

Balance Exercise

Some activities improve your balance by causing you to develop center fortitude.

To reinforce core muscles and improve strength, consistently remember your regimen’s practices that connect with various muscles. Balance and equilibrium practices frequently include moderate, controlled developments that connect with and fortify center or core muscles, which remember the muscles for your mid-region, back and pelvis. Feeble core muscles may prompt unsteadiness, helpless stance, and diminished athletic execution.

Planks, mini ball exercises, glute bridges, yoga, tai-chi, squats, leg lifts, walking, jogging, etc., are included in balance training exercises.

 

Benefits

  • It makes you feel steadier
  • It helps in preventing falls
  • Help with your visionary and auditory function
  • Good posture
  • Helps in effortlessly carrying out daily activities

 

Here at Mother Trucker Yoga, we believe that it’s the small simple changes that lead to the big results in your life so that you can feel good again. And as your go-to trucking fitness company, we believe that in just minutes a day you can live a great and healthy life.

If you are looking to incorporate more driver fitness into your daily life and are not interested in gym-style workouts that just aren’t sustainable as a driver. If you have tried other programs out there and they just aren’t working for you.

Check out our NEW Mother Trucker Yoga LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART Membership Platform and APP.

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Truck Driver Health: February Heart Health Awareness Month

This month is Heart Health Awareness Month, and we want every driver out there to be healthy. And to help with that, here are some strategies to consider to improve your truck driver’s health for life!

The human heart is a powerful thing. It’s a vital organ we cannot see but can feel. And unlike other organs in the body, our heart is one of our body’s most central parts. It is the mecca center for our emotional well-being and is often associated with social, mental, and emotional “heartache” or “happy heart” experiences in life. Our heart is central to all we do, feel, and experience. What you eat, how you behave, what you drink, how well you sleep, genetics (but let’s not just go and blame them), and how much you move all play into heart health. There are a wide variety of truck driver health issues and heart disease is one of them. 

Today we will discuss the signs of heart issues and preventive measures you can start taking today to take back your health.

 

But our heart is more than that; our heart is a vital organ responsible for keeping us alive. It pumps oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout your body to sustain life. An organ no more significant than our fist beats (expands and contracts) 100,000 times per day, pumping five or six quarts of blood each minute, or about 2,000 gallons per day. THAT’S CRAZY! 

 

Did you know about 2,200 Americans die each day from cardiovascular diseases? That’s about one every 40 seconds. And when not taken care of properly, we are putting our bodies at risk for a slew of complications. 

 

When it comes to truck driver health issues, drivers are especially at risk for heart disease. In a study posted by the CDC, 26% of truck drivers said they had hypertension versus the 24% totaling the rest of the US working population. It is not uncommon to read about a story of a truck driver who went to bed in his truck and didn’t wake up the following day and climb out. Heart attacks are often the primary cause of this all too familiar scenario.

 

There are many reasons why being a driver is so hard on the heart, the stress of driving, the long hours, lack of (cardiovascular) activity, unhealthy diet, and a high sodium diet. But other factors may include diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption, chronic dehydration, and bad cholesterol, which impact heart health. Truck driver health is not just you go going to the doctor to get your card, it’s about what you do each day you are out on the road. We need you and we need you to be a health driver.

 

Self-care on any level can often be the difference between living a healthy life and not. But even more importantly, waking up the following day or not. Do not be ignorant of this growing health concern. If you choose to live an unhealthy lifestyle, you choose health complications to be in your future you may not have truck driver health issues now, but many times, those issues are only waiting to rise to the surface.

Being a truck driver does not give you a free pass to extended care about your health. I have had the honor of working with thousands of truck drivers over the last four years, and most of them have come to realize that they can have both: a healthy lifestyle and trucking. It’s a choice, and you, my friend, get to choose. 

 

Know the Signs to improve truck driver health: 

When it comes to truck driver health, you are alone much of the time, which means self-responsibility is critical when you are at risk of a heart attack. You need to know the signs. Just like you need to know how to change a tire on your truck, replace a windshield wiper, or back up. You may be able to ask for help 99% of the time, and maybe you never have yet to rely on those “what if” skills. But for the time you do, why not be ready. 

5 Signs to Pay Attention to for Truck Driver Health and Heart Health Awareness

  • Dull ache chest pains are not to be confused with indigestion, which is often more abrupt and acidic.
  • Rapid heartbeat, it’s essential to know your situation, are there other reasons that could be causing this right now)
  • Pain in the arm and heart sends signals to surrounding nerves to alarm the body owner that something isn’t right. 
  • Jaw and or neck pain, which blood clots can often cause. It’s important to rule out things like clenching oral issues like cavities.
  • Others include irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, tiredness, even depression or anxiety due to the sudden hormonal changes in your body. 

 

Trucking can be a lonely profession; the next time you are at a truck stop and strike up a conversation, be kind, ask how their day is going and how they have been feeling, encourage them to take care of themselves. You never know when a kind word of encouragement from a stranger is just what the doctor ordered. By understanding the signs, you could save your life or even the life of a fellow driver. 

 

February is Heart Health Awareness Month, and it’s the perfect time for you to lace up your shoes, grab hold of the steering wheel, and change lanes towards better health. It’s never too late. 

Trucking Health: February Heart Association Awareness Month mother trucker yoga blog

Tips for Preventative Heart Health Care During Heart Health Awareness Month 

 

  1. Quit smoking. Yes, easier said than done, but as a recovering addict, I suggest starting slow. How about one less cigarette per day? Or how about swapping out a cigarette for a hemp one? There are dozens of programs and nicotine replacements to try out. The most important thing is is “try,” you won’t know until you try.
  2. Exercise. Yes, get up and get moving do a little trucking yoga, or get in a truck driver workout. Simple practices like walking build up heart health and help you burn more calories, get you breathing more profound, and as a truck driver, you have the advantage of getting outside and walking. Sure it might be a parking lot, but at least you are walking! A 200-pound man can burn right around 90 calories from just 30 minutes of a moderate to brisk-paced walk.
  3. Get more sleep. Quality sleep is crucial for our entire body to function optimally. Things like a quality mattress, a sleep mask, making sure you are warm enough and have the right amount of blankets on hand, even headphones to listen to relaxing music can make a mobile environment parked in a truck idling parking lot a bit more tranquil, and your heart will say thank you.
  4. Manage your stress. What can you do starting today to de-stress your life? Now don’t say quit your job, although that might help. What else can you take care of in your life to help curb your stress level? When you stop and take a step back, you can often see the accumulation of little things that create that stress bubble lingering in your life. How about limiting social media? When you feel down, depressed, lonely, or angry, call a friend who will listen and help steer you back to a healthy mindset. Drink a glass of water, smile; it’s hard to be angry or unhappy when you smile (it’s true our brain wants to be happy when we smile). 
  5. Eat healthily. You are surrounded by fast-food restaurants and limited healthy food options. But that doesn’t mean you can’t eat healthily; it just means you have to put in a little extra effort. Try stocking up on nuts, seeds, fruit, and veggies like carrot sticks or celery; they travel well and give you that crunch you crave without the added calories and heart-threatening ingredients. Could you buy a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a fried one? Can you skip the fries and as for a side salad rather? Many fast-food restaurants will customize an order, but they won’t offer it; you have to ask first. No one is asking you to be perfect, and no one is requesting you never eat fast food again, but is there a healthier option available-pick that. 

Truck Driver Health: February Heart Association Awareness Month Mother Trucker Yoga Blog - signs

What you can do today to improve truck driver health issues like heart health:

Your health is in your hands—one of the most empowering things we can do as humans to take back our health. You may have been making poor heart health choices up to this point, and it’s time to make a shift. You can do this, here at Mother Trucker Yoga® we believe that it’s the small simple changes that lead to the big results so you can feel good again™. Don’t wait until it’s too late, take action, and what better time than during heart health awareness month. 

Join the movement and join other drivers just like you who want to improve their health one step at a time.

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How To Stay Fit Without A Trucker Workout

Sitting is the new smoking. And for a truck driver, sitting eight to ten hours a day behind the wheel is taxing on the body. It’s mentally exhausting, and when it comes to the physical body, we feel tired and want to get out of the driver’s seat and sit some more, but we need movement. 

 

It doesn’t have to be a trucker workout when you consider adding movement into your everyday life. It doesn’t have to be a choreographed routine someone created for you to do outside your truck. It doesn’t have to be in a gym or fitness center. When adding movement to your day, the only thing that is required is you move your body, move your body in as many ways as possible. A truck driver workout is where you are working to move as much as possible. Don’t get caught up in fancy equipment or routines. It’s about using your body the way it was designed. 

 

A sedentary lifestyle isn’t just a truck driver concern; 33.6% of American’s are obese (alongside 86% of truck drivers). Solving a sedentary lifestyle issue, exercise is not the solution. It’s filling the gap between the driver’s seat and the idea of exercise. This is why so many drivers aren’t doing a trucker workout. It’s too big of a leap from where they are to where everyone else tells them to go. 

 

So let’s refocus the idea of a truck driver workout and focus on how to “fit” more movement into your day and maximize the time you have with more movement. 

 

But to do that, we first have to know “how” to move. Technology and convenience have robbed us of basic human movement. And although we may be saving our back from lifting heavy things, we are killing our back by sitting around all day. 

 

Here are five ways you can easily add more movement into your day with your truck driver’s time. And the goal, start small, focus on adding 15 minutes of on-purpose movement into your day, and then when that becomes automatic, focus on the next step, like increasing the time or concentrating on actual exercise. 

 

  1. Squatting. Squatting is a basic human movement we have been doing since the beginning of humans. Yet few humans, few American’s, few truck drivers are doing them. Many say that their body doesn’t move that way, but I assure you that your body did move. You just trained your body this way by not doing them daily. So, where can I add more squatting into my day? 
    • While on your bed, bring your knees (one or both) in towards your chest, grab your shins or underneath your thighs and hug your leg(s) in. 
    • Come onto your hands and knees on your sleeper and lean back as far as you can towards your heels, you might not go far, but that is because you haven’t been doing this type of movement for some time. Squat down an extra five or ten times to “look under your truck and trailer” during the day. 
    • Or squat from standing and go as far as you can. Every little bit counts!

Mother Trucker Yoga Squatting

  1. Reaching. Reaching is a basic human movement few do. You can increase your heart rate by reaching overhead, taking a deeper breath, and even stretching your back. Where can you add more movement to your day? 
    • In the driver’s seat, reach your arms forward, upward, backward, sideways throughout the day. 
    • Outside your truck, place your hands on the truck, step back and then lean your hips back and drop your chest. 
    • While in bed, stretch your arms overhead and your legs out as best you can.
    • Reach sitting, standing, anywhere you can.

Mother Trucker Yoga Blog Reaching

  1. Bending. Bending is a function we do daily, but few do it well. Tight legs, stiff back and shoulders, we rounding more than bending. A truck driver workout should start with you moving more throughout the day. 
    • While in bed, loop a belt around the sole(s) of your feet and bring your leg(sup to the ceiling to stretch your back body. 
    • Standing outside your truck, focus on hinging forward from your hips rather than rounding at your waist. 
    • Try bending using the side of your rig for a Half Down Dog style bend.

Mother Trucker yoga blog bending

  1. Twisting. Twisting is an essential way to nourish our spine. When we rotate, we hydrate the disc in our spine and keep our tissues limber. Much of what we do throughout the day doesn’t require us to twist anymore, and it shows. Before you think you need an intense truck driver workout, consider how well you twist in your everyday life. 
    • Twist in the driver’s seat when putting on your seat belt. 
    • Twist in bed by bringing one leg up and over your body to rotate the hips and spine. 
    • While standing, swing your arms side to side to hit your back and allow your body to rotate in the process. 

Mother Trucker Yoga Blog Twisting

  1. Walking. We were designed to walk, yet you are probably not getting anywhere near the steps you need daily. After a long day, don’t sit down again. Get up and walk. In the beginning, don’t worry if it’s not far, or fancy, or fast. Just get out and walk. 
    • Walk on purpose for 15 minutes every day. 
    • Walk an extra lap around your truck and trailer every time you are out of the truck. 32 laps are one mile. 
    • Don’t forget to check out what walking paths are near or around the truck stops. Many trucks stop post the designated walking trails like TA Petro. 

Suppose you are still feeling overwhelmed with figuring out how to fit in a trucker workout. Don’t stress, first focus on everyday life movements, and when you are moving more in life, consider exercise as a great addition.

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A Truckers Workout: Resistance Bands Exercises

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It can be hard to get moving, stay fit, and be active whether you are a truck driver, a traveler, or a commuter. Being in the driver’s seat all day long sucks. And when we can’t be active, that can also wear on our mental state. Resistance bands are an excellent way to get in a truck driver workout anytime, anywhere.

Our Resistance Band Travel Set Is the Best Truck Driver Workout On The Go.

Exercise comes in all forms, and using resistance bands is one quick and simple way to stay fit, healthy, and mobile.

Movement is partly what saved me from a life strangling addiction. And when I’m not moving, long story short, it is often a slippery slope to the land of sorrows, depression, and anxiety. When you don’t feel good, you tend not to make the best choices, which is why getting in a trucker workout can make all the difference.

And there is something so unique about feeling strong, feeling alive, feeling in my body.

I love exploring movements. I love being creative and pushing myself in a way that can best serve my body.

But too much of anything can be an insufficient thing-even exercise. As I get older, I’m more conscious of my joint bones and trying to stay pain-free, not just trim and fit.

And about two years ago, I took a terrible fall, and it landed me a slow recovery and a body that felt like it was well into its 70s or 80s. Muscles wouldn’t let go of the trauma, and I started to develop imbalances that were wreaking havoc on the body I fought so hard to keep living in.

Resistance Bands Make an Easy Truck Driver Workout

Rediscovering resistance bands was one thing that jump-started my body’s recovery and began to heal my injuries and imbalances without pushing it too hard (and I had no intention of being as big as the Incredible Hulk).

My eye’s resistance bands are a very unappreciated piece of trucker workout equipment. So many get sucked into believing that the more expensive, the better, and then never use it. But truth be told, bands are great, think of them as one step up from bodyweight exercises and super nurturing to your joints!

And when implemented correctly into truck driver workout and daily life, you will see a big difference in your strength, pain level, and mobility because resistance bands strengthen the attachments where the muscle and bone meet. In contrast, free weights bulk the belly of the muscle making this an excellent trucker workout. And to make sure you are moving towards your healthiest self, don’t forget to download our free Healthiest Self Check-List

resistance bands easy workout guide blog post mother trucker yoga

10 Benefits to a Resistance Bands Workout:

  • 1) They improve the quality of your exercises.
  • 2) They help to focus your control, form, and function.
  • 3) They recruit your stabilizing muscles.
  • 4) They’re fundamental for functional training.
  • 5) A great alternative to machines.
  • 6) they’re lightweight and easy to use for travel fitness.
  • 7) they’re designed for compound exercises.
  • 8) You have control over the angle.
  • 9) They help you feel your muscles working or not working
  • 10) They work your muscles differently than the use of free-weights

Variety is the spice of life. Stop thinking you have to do the same old thing every day.

You can easily add in a resistance bands workout that lasts 5 minutes, and you can get a fantastic activity in no time!

How do Resistance Bands Work?

Unlike weights, resistance bands don’t rely on gravity. The more you stretch the bands, the more they resist your movement, want to work harder, and increase the band’s stretch. That means that if you work with a free weight, you can only go as far as your joint will allow, but with a band, create more resistance, and you have just increased your workout. And I love resistance bands because you can get creative, way more creative than you can with weights.

Here are some of my current favorites for working with resistance bands.

Resistance Band Travel Set Workouts

Foot and Leg Exercises with Resistance Bands: Great Trucker Workout

Because a truck driver spends a lot of time sitting, their legs can become weak and tired, and we need our legs to be mobile and strong to help support our back.

Place a tied or loop resistance band about the length of your forearm and place it over the balls of your feet. Stretch the band just enough so there is no slack. Keeping a tall body (no rib thrusting or booty pushing), start to march in place. Work to lift your knee without leaning back or tipping forward. March in place 30 times.

Next, ground into one leg and keep a solid neutral rotation on the leg (pit of the back of the knee pointing back and on dumping into the hip), engage your glute, and press out with the opposite leg for a lateral lift. Think about kicking out with the heel, not the toes (almost like internal rotation).

Do this 10-20 times on each side.

Trucker Workout: Resistance Band Arm Exercises

Standing firm in neutral, feet grounded, and no rib thrusting. First, anchor your elbows at your sides and press out with both fists (the movement comes from the elbow) on an exhalation. Place your fists inside the tied-off or loop resistance band.

Try this 10-20 times. Next to keeping your upper body strong and stable, pull one fist up, and one fist down, like your arms are marching in place. Do this 10-20 times. Finally, pull your fists diagonally and then back to the center 10-20 times. Notice which arm is stronger and tune into making sure you don’t dominate the movements with that more muscular arm.

Resistance Band Exercises for Hips and Glutes

This was a lifesaver because my left hip and hamstring weren’t cooperating, and my right glute was weak (a very unstable pulley system). Place the tied off resistance band around your ankles (shoes optional) and walk 30 paces forward and back in the following ways:

  1. Wide Monster Strides (pull the band as wide as you can comfortably and walk forward and back)
  2. Regular Walk (Walk-in an average hips distance and stretch the band with enough resistance when you walk)
  3. Diagonal Walk (Step to the right one foot at a time, then to the left, alternating forward and back)
  4. Sideways Walker (Create a slight squat and step foot to foot to the right, then to the left)

Leg Strength with resistance bands Mother Trucker Yoga blog

So many think their workout has to be at the gym in workout clothes and X minutes long to be “worth it.” But here’s the thing, I carry my bands with me in my car. Yes, I do a three-minute workout here or there, and it all adds up! To step out of the box, you have to start to think out of the box!

And you might as well add resistance bands into that thinking too!

Don’t have our Resistance Band Travel Set? Grab this kit and join me! I got you covered!

resistance band training mother trucker yoga blog hope zvara 

Want more great moves like these? When you buy our mini travel resistance bands kit, you get: 

  • One Large Physical Therapy Grade Resistance Band (Medium or Heavy Resistance)
  • Two loop bands with varied resistance
  • Door Loop to attach your bands to your truck cab door or door at home for an easy portable workout
  • 25 Page Resistance Bands Guide for easy go-to workout ideas! Making a truck driver workout even easier no matter where you are.
  • Resistance Band Travel Set Mother Trucker Yoga BLog

And after a great day of movement with your newfound love of resistance bands. Don’t forget to help your muscles recover with our exclusive pain relief cream made for drivers… STIFF Mother Trucker. After an excellent trucker workout, your muscles may feel a bit sore or even stiff because you are now using them, and there is a window of time where your body has to readjust. STIFF Mother Trucker pain relief cream is a perfect remedy for your trucker driver’s workout to help you feel better wherever you are.

STIFF Mother Trucker Pain Relief Cream for Travel

 

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