Truck drivers are an essential part of our lives. They deliver our goods and materials all over the world and are the reason we have access to most of the goods that we do. They provide us with the things that allow us to lead our lives comfortably but there are many risks associated with being a truck driver. Long hours spent on your own, sitting all day in your cab, and lack of access to healthy food are all concerns in the trucking industry.
It is important that drivers keep themselves healthy and treat themselves well and in order to help them achieve this there is a fantastic website called http://www.thehealthytrucker.net. This website provides truck drivers with articles related to health and lifestyle in order to help make the truck driver lifestyle a bit easier.
We want to help spread the word about this great website and show off a few of their articles that we think can really help our associates and all other drivers when they are on the road.
These are the Top 5 Most Common Health Risks for truck drivers according to this article on The Healthy Trucker:
- Sleep Deprivation
- Obesity
- Heart Attacks
- Strokes
- Cancer (skin, lung, bladder/kidney)
Sleep deprivation can occur when drivers are determined to get to their destination faster. You may think you are okay to drive a bit longer but this can lead to a lack of sleep and making mistakes on the road. It is important to get the proper amount of sleep in order to stay awake and stay sharp while driving.
Obesity, heart attacks, and strokes can occur from lack of exercise and unhealthy eating while on the road. A driver’s health can suffer because it is quicker to pick up fast food instead of stopping to eat a nice meal or packing a healthy alternative. The Healthy Trucker has many articles focused on healthy eating and exercise since these two problems go hand in hand and lead to the most health risks for drivers.
It is important for you to exercise regularly in order to combat the effects of sitting down all day while driving. Try the tips in one of these great articles about exercises designed specifically for truck drivers:
Dealing With Truck Driver Neck Pain
10 Easy to Do Mobility Exercises for Truckers
5 Movements to Stop Truck Driver Back Pain
In addition to exercising it is important to eat healthy. As stated above, unhealthy eating can lead to obesity, heart attacks, and strokes. Use these tips to help develop a healthy eating routine:
5 Healthy Alternatives to Fast Food
Grabbing Fresh Grub on the Go
10 Tips for Truckers to Stay Healthy on the Road
The fifth common health risk to truck drivers is cancers. Skin cancer is a common concern since drivers spend much of their time in their truck, unable to escape the hot sun. Sunscreen application and window blinds can help to combat this growing health concern. Lung cancer is a common problem since a large amount of drivers smoke (73%) and bladder/kidney cancers can be a concern since washrooms aren’t always readily available and drivers are forced to wait long periods of time to use the bathroom.
Acknowledging these health risks and actively working toward keeping yourself healthy while on the road is the best way to ensure you stay in good health while working as a truck driver. Drivers do so much for us by carrying our goods and materials around the country so we can help you by keeping you informed and keeping you safe. The Healthy Trucker plays a large part in informing drivers and we want to help spread the word and keep our drivers on the road and out of harm’s way.