Walking and Stretching A Trucker’s Best Friend, One of the major drawbacks to truck driving life is that we spend 80-90 percent of our time on our butts! This lack of exercise will affect you quickly and can lead to muscle loss, reduced flexibility, weaker joints, and weight gain among other health issues. Here are some leg stretching exercises you can everyday.
Stretching
Here are some essential stretches for truckers are all simple stretches that you can do in 10 minutes.
Toe Touches – Stand with your feet about one foot apart. Keep your legs straight but don’t lock your knees. Slowly bend over and let your arms hang straight down like your going to touch your toes. It doesn’t matter if you can touch your toes or not. Just reach for your toes until you feel a slight tug on your hamstrings. If you feel a slight pain you are stretching too hard and need to ease up a bit. Hold that stretch for 15-30 seconds and stand up straight for the same amount of time you spent stretching. Exact time isn’t important, just estimate. Do this 3-5 times. DO NOT BOUNCE
WHILE YOU STRETCH! That is very important, bouncing while stretching can strain or pull your muscles.
Groin Stretch – Stand up straight and spread your legs as far apart as you can that doesn’t hurt. Then lean to the left until you feel a slight tug on your groin and inner thigh. Hold that stretch for 15-30 seconds then move back to standing up straight with your legs still apart and repeat on the right side. Do this 3-5 times.
Back Stretch – Hold onto your step of your truck with your feet shoulder width about and bend your knees like you are squatting but only half way and keep your back straight at a 45 degree angle and head in a straight line with your back. Lean your body back like you are trying to sit but don’t let go of the step of the truck. This will stretch your back. Then slightly arch your back to stretch the lower back. You will feel when to stop. To stretch your lower back more you can squat a bit more. Do this for about 10 seconds then relax for 10 seconds. Do this 3-5 times. It sounds like a lot but you can do all of these stretches in about 10 minutes or less.
Calf Stretch
If you don’t walk a lot you will absolutely need to stretch your calves. If you don’t stretch your calves you will risk tightening or cramps which will be painful. These are easy stretches that you can do while leaning against your truck. Lean against your truck with one leg bent and the other straight back. To stretch you calf you should try to press your heel down to the ground. You won’t touch the ground with the heel but this will stretch the calf. Stretch until a slight tug in the calf without pain. Hold this for 15 seconds and then switch legs and stretch that one 15 seconds. Do this 3 times, resting 15-30 seconds after you do both legs then do both legs again. Alternate each leg until you have done it 5 times on each leg. If you want to do an extra stretch, after stretching each leg one at a time, put both feet behind you while leaning forward on your truck and press both heels towards the ground. Again, hold the stretch 15 seconds and rest 15-30 seconds between sets. Do a minimum of 3 sets.
Walking
After you have stretched you should definitely walk at least a mile. If you walk at a normal pace, like you are walking to your truck after leaving a store it will take you 15-20 minutes to walk one mile. If you have more time I would suggest walking 30 minutes which would be about a mile and a half. You can walk around the truck stopn or rest area or in the area of the truck stops if there are sidewalks. There will be times that you can’t walk due to weather or lack of space so do it when you can. You should try and do the stretches listed above every day. You don’t have to do them first thing in the morning. Do them whenever you have a few minutes throughout the day or
before bedtime.
There are free apps that you can download from your app store that track your steps and can tell you how many miles you have gone each session. Not only does walking help you to burn calories and keep your legs strong, it has also been proven to improve your cardiovascular and mental health. If you would like to read an article on
Improving Your Cardiovascular And Mental Health by simply waking, click here. Stretching and walking are very important to keep the body loose and in relatively good shape. I seriously recommend adding them to your daily routine.
If you have any medical issues or are unsure, please talk to your doctor before starting any workout program. SAFETY FIRST!!!
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