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5 Strategies to improve your health in 2022: New Guide

We all resolve for the new year to follow. It can be anything from learning a new language to improving your health in the coming months. If you decide to have excellent health, better driver fitness, or want to do better than last year, this blog is for you! Here, we tackle the five strategies to improve your trucking fitness and make 2022 a year of health. Without further ado, let’s jump right into the five strategies to improve your health in 2022.

Top 5 strategies to improve your health in 2022

Look After Your Mental Health.

Our brain is the powerhouse of our body, and having good mental health can reflect physical and emotional impacts on you. So how do you look after your mental health and driver fitness? Start with meditation and mindfulness. 

Please pick up the habit of unwinding by writing in journals because it provides emotional comfort and stability. Drink green tea because it delays age-related cognitive decline and makes us more agile. Be kinder to yourself and remind yourself that you are only human!

Eat Right

A balanced diet today goes a long way! Enrich yourself in low-fat diets that include plenty of fruits and vegetables and sources of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. Avoid having excessive sugar as it can lead to a condition known as insulin resistance, a precursor to developing diabetes. 

Find a balanced diet that works for you, and stick to it! Reduce your intake of alcohol, especially after 3 pm. Keep your system free from nicotine and caffeine, as these stimulators yield harmful benefits to your body.

Get Your Body Moving

It shouldn’t come across as a great surprise that exercise is critical to your health. Exercising improves cardiovascular strength and releases endorphins, which are happy hormones. It is linked to improving immunity against diseases, and exercising outdoors can enrich your body with vitamin D from the sun. 

Now here’s the thing: you don’t need to go to the gym to exercise. You could exercise with the help of online blogs or YouTube videos- like Mother Trucker Yoga’s YouTube page, teaching just a few minutes of exercise in your trucking fitness routine.

Be careful there are many people out there with fitness videos, but many of them are not trained to teach. Look for videos and blogs written by experienced professionals and ones geared towards a driver’s pain points.

Get Enough Sleep

Happy sleeping! Busy living has disrupted many of our peaceful lives, but it is critical to have an excellent 8-hour sleep each night. Sleeping well has many proven health benefits, and you’ll be surprised to know so. Sleeping boosts your body’s immunity, increases your cognitive reflexes, reduces aging of the brain, and helps in memory strengthening. You should ensure you’re sleeping and waking up each day simultaneously, don’t eat heavy meals before bed, and turn off devices an hour before sleeping.

Hydrate Yourself

Water is mostly what we are made of, which keeps us healthy. Water aids in alertness, keeping your skin and organs healthy. It helps you remain refreshed and work at the best of your mental abilities. An average adult needs eight glasses of water, and so should you if you want to have the best trucking fitness! This concludes our five strategies to improve your health in 2022.

5 Strategies to improve your health in 2022: New Guide Hydrate Yourself Mother Trucker Yoga blog image

Conclusion

We have brought you some driver fitness tricks to put up your sleeve this year. All you have to do is gather motivation and willpower to stick through and become healthier, happier, and have an excellent trucking fitness routine this year!

 

If you are ready to shift gears and join the movement.

Sign up to be a part of Mother Trucker Yoga’s LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART Platform & APP!

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Road Trip Yoga: 6 Poses You Can Do on the Road

Road Trip Yoga: 6 Poses You Can Do on the Road

If you’re on the road, you must be all too familiar with the unhealthy eating, little to no exercise, and long hours in the driving seat with that painful spot in your back and neck. It is no wonder that truck drivers are reported to have an obesity rate twice of an average American. But if you want to live better, trucking yoga poses can be your savior!

Trucking yoga is a specific regime designed for truck drivers who travel great distances for work. It is quick to do, does not require equipment or large space, and effectively aids you in your health building. So let’s read more about the poses you can do on the road.

 

Top 6 poses to do on the road.

  1. You can always rely on this pose tYou can always rely on this pose tonward FaDog

To relieve the stress os rely on this pose. Placing both your hands on the side of your truck, step back and then hinge yourself forward, allowing your head to droop anax. Make sure that you relax your muscles in this pose for the best result.

  1. Seat Belt Twist

Seat Belt Twists are one of the simplest yoga poses on the road. As you sit straight in your driver’s seat, twist your torso to reach your elbow around your seat. Place your other hand on your knee and take a few deep breaths as you hold this position.

  1. Catchers Stretch Squat

The Catchers Stretch Squat (Malasana variation) is a quick way to engage your muscles flexibly. Take your feet apart and squat down on the floor with your palms pressed to each other. Rock yourself gently in that position and do this trucking yoga pose to improve flexibility.

  1. Figure Four Reclined Variation

Figure four is best before driving. Try this stretch before getting out of bed for an excellent lower back and hip release. Laying down flat (support your head if needed), bend both knees, and cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Press the crossed knee away for a stretch then if you choose, clasp your hands underneath the lower hamstring and draw the legs in a while pressing the lower back and hips back into the bed. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute and repeat the opposite side.

For the Seated Version: Sit in the passenger seat and lift your right ankle over your left knee. Bend slightly forward and flex your foot during it to stretch your legs before a long drive. Do the same for the other leg!

  1. Sun Salutations or Yoga Flow

Sun salutations require you to find a quiet stop, such as a stop in your route. With your feet slightly apart, stand tall and inhale. Then you should lift your hands straight over your head and hold your position, exhaling slowly as you bring your hands down. But even if you don’t know a sun salutation, just make one up and string poses together to move, breathe and feel your best. Try to hold each pose for 5 breaths to maximize the benefit of each move.

  1. Legs up the Wall / Elevated Legs

Finally, when you’re stopping to rest, bring your trucking yoga poses to an end by practicing this move. When you’re on your bed to rest, put yourself against the wall and let your legs rest on the wall for a few. This will regulate blood circulations in your system and uplift any stress in your muscles!

Conclusion

When you’re dreading your road trips as a truck driver, it is time to start paying attention to your physical health. Whilst you are unable to keep a steady exercising routine, it is easy to practice trucking yoga poses on the road. We hope that in your journey, this blog will aid in improving your health and wellness!

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Top Healthy Diets Tips for Truck Drivers

Top Healthy Diets Tips for Truck Drivers

If there is something truck drivers know about themselves, it’s their unhealthy lifestyle. It is hard to stay healthy when you’re on duty, filled with a lack of exercise, a shifting sleep schedule, long work hours without breaks, and unhealthy diets. Lower your healthcare costs and sick days, and enjoy a healthy life with our guide to top healthy trucker food!

5 Best Healthy Diet for Truckers

1. Fiber-Rich Food

Tummy troubles can make traveling distances a nightmare. To avoid them, ensure your body gets enough fiber to process food without causing problems. Some foods with high fiber content are wheat products, granola bars, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and rice.

Fiber-rich foods are readily available and make for great healthy trucker food options!

Top Healthy Diets Tips for Truck Drivers Fiber Image Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

2. Lean Meat

Meat is an integral part of meals as they provide nutritional protein and fats to our bodies. With truck driving being physical labor that requires top strength and agility, meat is essential in the trucker diet. Hence you must eat the healthy form of meat, which is lean meat. 

Lean meat is boiled or steamed poultry or fish packed with the proper nutrients. Fish are rich in omega-fatty acids that are great for the eyes and heart. In contrast, organic poultry meat is essential to fulfilling your protein needs! 

Top Healthy Diets Tips for Truck Drivers Lean Meats Image Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

3. Healthy Snacks

If eating in small portions is something you tend to do, we have you covered! Snacks don’t need to be unhealthy, and they also don’t need to be complex to make or find. The list of healthy snacks is almost endless and can suit every time of taste bud there is. 

Popcorn or corn cakes (watch salt content) and salsa chips are great for crunch lovers. If you have a sweet tooth, we have to suggest flavored yogurt, fresh berries filled with antioxidants, and apples with peanut butter or almond butter. And now brands have peanut butter with no added sugar! I call that a win!. Dry nuts, trail mix, and hard-boiled eggs are healthy snacks you can easily prepare and find wherever you go!

Top Healthy Diets Tips for Truck Drivers Healthy Snacks Image Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

4. Water

We couldn’t complete this list without mentioning the basic essential: water. Drinking water yields many health benefits and keeps you away from health conditions. Water keeps your cognitive functions working, helping you lose weight and aids in digestion. Not only that but drinking plenty of water keeps your organs healthy and protects you from overeating by making you feel full. 

Top Healthy Diets Tips for Truck Drivers Water Image Mother Trucker Yoga BLog

5. Fresh Fruits

Fresh fruits are a tasteful bundle of essential nutrients your body needs to stay healthy and fit! Fruits and berries are filled with proteins, antioxidants, and glucose. Vitamin C is also found in all citrus fruits, protecting you from skin diseases such as skin cancer which many truck drivers risk.

So ensure to take your regular fresh fruits and berries whenever possible because they are just as crucial to your diet!

Top Healthy Diets Tips for Truck Drivers Fruits Image Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

Conclusion

In this blog, we have listed the 5 top healthy trucker food that significantly affects health. With the transport industry making you its backbone, you must take care of your body and mind by eating right and living right. 

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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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Four Ways To Cope When The Cost Of Living Skyrockets

One of the scariest things happening right now, is the cost of living going up. It doesn’t matter whether you work full time, you work part-time, or you are burning yourself out and working seven days a week. Every single person is dealing with the cost of living crisis right now. It is normal for prices to gradually increase over time, but right now we are all watching in horror as energy prices, gas prices, food prices, car cost prices – everything – is going up. It’s all happening at once, and you need to know how to mentally cope with the changes that are happening right now. The worst part? The wages are not going up to match the new cost of living.

 

You need to be able to deal with the cost of living going up, and that is not an easy thing to do. Your mental health is likely to take a nosedive if you already worry about your income and your outgoings. The chances are that you are already stretched. You are already working hard to try to make ends meet. While we can’t fix the way you’re going to feel about the cost of living crisis, we can offer four ways for you to financially cope when the cost of living starts to skyrocket. Let’s take a look.

  • Start working on a new budget. If you’ve been getting letters telling you that your energy prices are rising, and you have noticed that the food prices in the supermarkets are going up, you need to start working on your new budget now. Create a spreadsheet or even just a handwritten list of all of the things that you pay for every month. A new budget now will help you to plan better later.

 

  • Make some swaps. As you go through your monthly expenses, you may notice that you could be making some swaps for cheaper items – non-branded food instead of branded, for example. You could look at getting an appraisal for your current car with Edmunds, and see whether or not you could afford a new car that’s secondhand and sell your old one. If you can understand the car prices better, you’ll be able to save money on how much you spend on your monthly car repayment. This may sound like a drastic idea, but with the cost of living going up the best thing to do is to free up a few hundred dollars every month. But of course, you don’t want to get rid of your Mother Trucker Yoga LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART Membership Platform and APP as it can replace a gym membership, DVDs, and training all from the comfort of your own truck!

 

  • Check your subscriptions. There is every chance that you are subscribing to services that you very rarely or no longer use. If that’s the case it’s time to stop spending money on them. Go through your bank accounts and see your regular repayments and then cut back. If you pay for the five different streaming services, then cut it down to one.
  • Add more income. If you’re good at baking, writing, sewing – really, any hobby – then you should monetize it when you can. Yes, you will be working harder than ever, but if it’s going to protect you from losing your home, then it’s one of the best things you can do.

No matter what the economy will do what it does and it is critical that you take time for yourself and also practice self-care so when tough decisions come around you are of sound mind and calm sports to do the next right thing!

 

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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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Why Yoga Is Ideal For Every Type Of Person

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/

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5 Ways to Feel More Confident When Doing Yoga

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!

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4 Signs You Are Overexerting Yourself Physically

It is not a good idea to overexert the body, no matter how fit and healthy you might be in general. When you use the body too much or in too strenuous a manner, it can lead to injuries and pain, which can often be severe and last a long time. If you are keen to avoid that, you’ll want to know what the signs are that you might be overexerting yourself physically. Driver fitness is you paying attention to how you move and how you exercise. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the clearest of these that you might want to be aware of right now.

 

 

Inflammation

 

Sometimes when you are working out too hard, you will end up with some serious inflammation in your joints or muscles. This is very much your muscles telling you that you need to relax a little more and not take it quite so hard. For instance, you might find that you get shin splints after running, and you have to make use of posterior shin splints taping with KT Tape. It is clearly best to avoid that altogether by just taking it a little easier when you are running in the first place.

 

Weak Muscles

 

If you are feeling a lot of sudden weakness in your muscles after you have been exercising, then this can be a sign that you are doing too much during the workout session. Driver fitness can be challenging given your schedule and space, but when you do have time make sure you exercise smart. Of course, you might often feel tired after working out, and if you didn’t then you probably wouldn’t be doing it right. But having incredibly weak-feeling muscles is a sure sign that you are doing too much. So rein it in a little and try to do a little less next time around when this happens.

4 Signs You Are Overexerting Yourself Physically Image Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

Dark Urine

 

It sounds unpleasant, but it is worth taking a look at what your urine looks like after you have been exercising. If it is particularly dark, that might mean that your body has gone through a lot of dehydration during the process, which is itself a clear sign that you are probably overdoing it. It might mean you need to relax a little, and also that you could probably do with a little more water. Remember when it comes to driver fitness and truck driver health you want to be getting in at least eight cups of water. Many health issues can be resolved by improving hydration. Ideally, your urine should be clear or very close to being clear.

 

Confusion & Agitation

 

Bear in mind that there are also some clear psychological signs that you should look out for too, and if any of these present themselves it is time to stop exercising and relax a little and look after yourself as best as you can. For instance, you might find that you feel confused or agitated after you have overexerted yourself, or even while you are in the middle of the workout session itself. This is a sign that you are doing too much, and it’s something you should pay close attention to.

 

As you can see, there are a few signs that you might want to pay attention to, and change what you are doing accordingly. You’ll find that these are important to bear in mind.

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Mother Trucker Yoga and Hope Zvara Featured on Start Up on PBS

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Meet Hope Zvara

From yoga teacher to trucking fitness expert Hope has changed helped change thousands of lives over the last 20 years using her simple step-by-step strategies and what she calls her “toolbox. As the CEO of Mother Trucker Yoga, Hope is seen as a leader in the trucking industry for health and fitness. And has been featured in Forbes, Yahoo News,  and Overdrive Magazine; showing drivers how they can go from unhealthy and out of options to feeling good again with her unique easy to follow approach to health, fitness, and life all while living over the road as a trucker.

Helping others is what I do. And for years I helped those in pain on the yoga mat, but four years ago that all changed when trucking fell into my lap. One of many things I have learned being an entrepreneur is the journey is not easy, and when people make it look like it is, you can almost always believe there is more to the story. My journey has not been easy, but I am so grateful I am where I am. I love my drivers and know what I can do for the industry. 

And a few months ago I met someone who loved my story and what I am doing and asked if I wanted to be featured on the show she produces called START UP. I felt like it was a meant-to-be moment. And I said yes. This process has been both amazing and so hard to WAIT for to come to life! I’m just happy and honored I can help an industry that so desperately needs it.

Where Will the Episode Air?

It first airs on World Network on Saturday, Nov 17th at 1:30 pm CST

And then the next day, Sunday, November 28th at 12:30 pm CST on PBS.

Check your local listings for your exact time HERE 

START UP SHow

What is START UP About?

Join host Gary Bredow as he travels across America interviewing small business owners to hear their personal stories and find out what it really takes to start a successful business from the ground up. Energetic, inspirational, and educational, START UP is a fast-paced series that captures the heart and imagination of anyone who has ever dreamed of starting their own business.

START Up is a two-time Emmy nominated show with a reach of roughly 6 million viewers.

How Did START UP Come About?

“The idea for START UP came at a particularly low point in my corporate career. The giant media company I was working for had laid off 85% of my co-workers, and I realized that I would never have the kind of security that I wanted by working for someone else.  However, I had no idea how to start a business.  I wondered how people were able to do things like lease space, get a loan, and essentially create something out of nothing.  I thought that maybe if I heard the stories directly from the people who have done it successfully, maybe it would give me the confidence to start my own business, and essentially control my own destiny. Outside of a small commercial and documentary production company, ironically, START UP was my first truly successful start-up. I have since opened a multi-media production facility and have started several other small businesses.  Without the insight of other successful entrepreneurs, I certainly wouldn’t be writing this today.

I believe that this is the age of the entrepreneur, and as job security has increasingly become a thing of the past, we have no choice but to become self-reliant. Small business is the foundation of growth in America, and it truly starts with one person, with one vision.”

-Gary Bredow

What Other Stations and Networks Will Air the Show?

After season 9 is over, the entire season will go on to be available on Amazon Prime and Create Network.

Don’t forget to set your calendars and DVRs for Sunday, November 28th to watch Hope and Mother Trucker Yoga making waves in the trucking industry.

Mother Trucker Yoga Start Up Show Blog

 

 

 

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