Taking steps to maintain a healthy lifestyle can be a tremendous challenge for a lot of people. You have to adopt healthy habits and then stick to them consistently over time until they become ingrained within your everyday routine.
This is a difficult task for any working professional, but especially for commercial truck drivers who spend long hours on the road and who often do not have the time or the resources to sustain a healthy lifestyle year-round.
However, with some effort and a well-thought-out plan, drivers can enjoy a healthy way of living without sacrificing their hours on the clock. Here are some tips for truck drivers to maintain a healthy lifestyle while on the road.
Practice Good Eating Habits
We all know that what you put into your body has a bigger impact on your health than anything else, and maintaining a healthy diet while on the road can be an uphill battle for most drivers. Given their demanding schedule and ever-present deadlines, the speed and ease of a given meal often takes the front seat over making nutritious and balanced choices.
It’s important to take the time and effort to plan and sustain a healthy diet – and to stick to it after the fact. Meal planning can be a great way to help with this, along with bringing healthy snacks with you on the road. Examples of healthy food for truck drivers that will keep you going are fruits, vegetables, and protein-rich snacks. Raw fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber and can help you feel full faster.
It’s never easy, but exercising the discipline to go with any fresh options available rather than the typical truck stop snacks will pay long-term dividends toward dietary health.
Dehydration is also an important factor, as it can be the catalyst for a wide range of other health issues. Make sure to sip water all day to keep yourself hydrated.
Exercise When You Can
Finding time and space to exercise is also a major challenge for commercial drivers with minimal or no access to a gym and very little time to commit to working out. But as you’re spending day after day on the road, it’s more important than ever to find ways to be active.
Whether you bring small, portable workout gear with you on the road or simply stop to go for a walk every so often, every bit helps when it comes to getting out of the cab and getting your body moving. You can even add some variety to your workout routine with simple equipment like a resistance band, a jump rope, or a small set of weights.
Prioritize Your Mental Health
Another often-forgotten aspect of commercial truck driving is the isolation that can come with the territory, as these dedicated pros spend days and sometimes weeks on the road with minimal social interaction. This makes prioritizing mental health an absolute imperative, and there are many different ways to go about doing so.
Many drivers will call friends and family while on the road to keep the social component of their lives somewhat active until they return home. You also may find yourself benefiting from activities like meditation or yoga, which can pair physical and mental health benefits together in an invaluable way. Getting quality sleep is also a key aspect of mental health and should be a top focus for anyone spending much of their time awake and on the road.
Additional tips for truck drivers to manage the stress and mental challenges of driving include getting outside and exercising, making time for activities you enjoy, and asking for help if you need it.
Undergo Home Sleep Apnea Testing
Sleep apnea is another highly dangerous yet often overlooked threat for commercial truck drivers, characterized by intermittent pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. This chronic condition disrupts sleep patterns and can lead to poor sleep quality and excessive daytime fatigue – and studies show that almost 28 percent of commercial truck drivers suffer from mild to severe sleep apnea.
Statistics also indicate that commercial drivers with untreated sleep apnea are five times more likely to be involved in a crash, underscoring the urgency of addressing this issue for the safety of everyone on the road.
Fortunately, most cases of sleep apnea can be successfully treated – and it all starts with undergoing home sleep apnea testing.
WorkSTEPS Sleep provides all the testing equipment you need, all of which is FDA-approved and DOT-certified in all 50 states. No prescription is required.
Here is more information on how home sleep apnea testing and treatment works.
WorkSTEPS Sleep
Home sleep apnea testing and treatment have become more accessible than ever before, making it easier for individuals, especially commercial drivers, to address sleep apnea and ensure they can safely perform their duties on the road. With advanced testing equipment and effective treatments like CPAP therapy, we are committed to helping you achieve better sleep and improved overall health.
Don’t let sleep apnea compromise your well-being or the safety of everyone else on the road. Take the first step toward a safer and healthier future by ordering an FDA-approved home sleep apnea test kit today.
