Sitting in a truck all day or night can be hard on the body. Along with an overall feeling of fatigue, your muscles and joints can stiffen up and your circulation can decrease after long periods of driving. It’s a good idea to take advantage of pit-stops by getting out of your seat and doing a few exercises to get your blood flowing. Here are five great exercises to help truck drivers stay energetic, healthy and maintain good driving posture while on the road.
- Crunches
Crunches are easy to do anywhere and won’t take a lot of time. Begin by lying on the ground or floor on your back. Place your hands interlocked behind your head. Lift your upper body up from the ground by flexing your waist. Rise up as high as possible and hold for 3 seconds. Then, lower back down until your back on the ground.
- Front Plank
There are a couple of different types of plank exercises that you can easily do at rest stops. The first is a front plank. To do this, lie face-down on the ground with your elbows underneath your shoulders and your forearms supporting your upper body. Keep your legs supported with your toes and raise your body up until it forms a straight line. Hold the position for as long as possible.
- Side Plank
The second type of plank for truck drivers is the side plank. Lie on the ground on your side and place your forearm underneath your shoulder. Make sure your upper leg is directly above your lower leg and straighten out your legs and hips. Just like you would in a front plank, you will want to raise your waist until it forms a solid line; then hold the position.
- Bridge
This classic strength-training exercise is easy to do and perfect for helping to increase circulation. While lying on your back, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground. Slowly raise your hips off of the ground until they are straight, then hold that position.
- Dumbbell Workouts
Medium-weight dumbbells are great for keeping with you while on the road. Use these to perform bicep curls, lateral raises and overhead extensions.