Exercises You Can Do On The Road , This is truck driver advice mostly for the Over The Road (OTR) drivers to start working out over the road, but local drivers should do them too if they don’t already have a workout routine they do at a gym or at home. Most local drivers and almost all OTR drivers spend 95% of their day on their butts. Therefore, even if you have a good diet low in carbs and fats you will most likely gain weight just from being sedentary.
So this article will focus mainly on truck driver exercises you can do on the road that take about 20 minutes and won’t make you feel exhausted or make you all sweaty. If you want more tips for truck drivers about other exercises or ways to relax try this site, TheDailyCardio.com So lets get started with these exercises you can do on the road.
Stretching
Here are some essential stretches for truckers are all simple stretches that you can do in 10 minutes. A truck drivers life is mostly sedentary, so if you do nothing else listed in this article at least do the stretching exercises. Below are some examples of stretches you can do.
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.
Now that you are stretched out you can do 3 exercises to help build muscles and burn calories.
Squats
This exercise should be done in the sleeper cab of your truck. This truck driver exercise will not start with full squats in the beginning but you will work up to them over time. Stand in front of your bed facing your windshield with your feet about shoulder width apart depending on your height, taller people can spread your feet a bit wider. With your back straight simply sit on your bed but arch your lower back and stick your butt out like you are trying to find a chair behind you.
This puts the stress on the muscles in your legs to build the muscle stamina in them. It will feel weird at first but eventually you will do it without thinking and do it whenever you sit down. At first do 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Once this is easy increase to 5 sets of 8-10 reps. Once you get to 5 sets of 15 reps you can start trying full squats. Start with 3 sets of 5-8 reps. Increase or decrease the number of reps as needed but do at least 3 sets
Push-ups
This trucker exercise is the same pace as the squats. You will slowly work up to full push-ups over time. At first you will use the steps of your truck again. Put your hands on the step of your truck shoulder width apart, back your feet up until you are at a 45 degree angle. With your elbows tucked so they line up with your shoulders (DON’T FLAIR YOUR ELBOWS!), close to your side lower and raise your body like you would a regular push-up.
Keep your head straight in line with your spine the way you would if you stood up straight. Again, don’t flair your elbows out. If you do you risk injuring your shoulders. This trucker exercise will strengthen your chest and triceps. Do 3 sets of 8-10 reps slowly working up to 12-15 reps. Once you reach that level go to 5 sets of 8-10 reps, again working up to 12-15 reps.
After you can do 5 sets of 12-15 reps move to normal push-ups on the ground but slightly modified. This will be a normal push-up on the ground (I recommend in your truck), but instead of your feet, you put your knees on the ground. This takes some of the weight off of you and allows you to do the push-up easier working up to a full push-up. Again, start with 3 sets of 8-10 reps working your way up to 12-15 reps. Then go to 5 sets of 8-10 reps working up to 12-15 reps. Then you should be ready to do full push-ups. Once again, start with 3 sets of 8-10 reps and work your way up from there.
All of these exercises for truck drivers should take no longer than 30-45 minutes. You will be a little sore at first so I would recommend that you rest 2 days in between workouts. Eventually you want to get to the point where you skip one day between workouts. Obviously you will be busy and sometimes will not have time to do these exercises. Just do them when you can but try to do them at least twice a week. This will help you keep your strength and burn some calories which will help fight weight gain. Also, try to limit fatty foods and eat more fruits and veggies.
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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