Truckers and Travelers

Hello, Drivers!

We’ve talked in previous blogs about ways to optimum health and running a successful trucking business with drinking water with magnesium and potassium (blog 6/15/09), and using a tennis ball in a sock to prevent muscles tension and nerve pain in the butt and back (blog 7/10/09).  Now let’s discuss stretching whenever you stop to fuel, take a break, or stop for the night to shower and eat.  After driving for several hours non-stop, your muscles will begin to get stiff from lack of circulation.  I got the next few stretching tips from Debra Hull, a licensed massage therapist with The Pink Papaya in Fayetteville, AR.  Whenever you stop to take a break, fuel or catch a shower and a meal, remember to first stretch your body as soon as you get out of the truck.  The first thing you can do is to stand with both feet 2 feet apart and bend over as far as you can to try to touch your toes.  Bob up and down a few times while you are bent forward to get the blood flowing to your whole body.  After you have tried to touch your toes, bend your knees and slowly come back up one vertabrae at a time till you are standing straight up.  The next move to get the blood flowing is to grab the bar that allows you to get up into the truck with one hand.  Allow your body to lean back while holding onto the bar.  This will stretch your back and arms.  Do this on both sides so that you get a complete stretch through the upper body.  Next you want to stand with your feet two to three feet apart and twist left and right from the waist, like the old dance move called “The Twist”.  Twist left to right 10 to 20 times.  This will help release lower back tension. 

All of the above moves are simple things you can implement quickly into your busy day at each stop you make.  Each move is designed to take a couple of minutes which will get the circulation back into your muscles and joints to prevent stiffness and arthritis.  Being active doesn’t require long aerobic sessions and going to the gym.  It only requires a couple of 10 minutes sessions per day.  One of your trucking resources needs to be prevention for optimum good health.  It will keep you youthful and running a successful trucking business.  You must keep your body fit like you keep your truck fit.  If you don’t take care of your truck, it will not run for you and make you a profit.  The same is true with your body.  If you don’t maintain it, it will put you out of the trucking business.  You get to reture when you choose instead of your body making you quit.  Prevention keeps you profitable.  So, Drivers, remember to take a couple of minutes each time you stop to stretch your muscles to get the circulation going and prevent stiffness.  It will one of your greatest trucking resources and give you the greatest profits!