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5 Reasons You Should Take Regular Driving Breaks & Move More!

If you drive for a living, you’ll spend multiple hours a day behind the steering wheel. Needless to say, this isn’t great for your health and wellbeing. One of the essential things to do when it comes to truck driver fitness is to take regular driving breaks whenever you can. There are many benefits to doing this, and here are five reasons you need to avoid driving for long hours:

5 Reasons You Should Take Regular Driving Breaks & Move More! mother trucker yoga blog

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You ruin your posture

It’s well documented how much damage you do to your posture by sitting down and driving for hours on end. It messes up your hips, spine, shoulders, and neck, leading to a life of chronic pain. The problem is that your body becomes fixed in the seated position, meaning lots of muscles become overly tight, shutting off the muscles that need to be active. 

 

So, taking breaks will help you unglue yourself from this poor posture. Yoga is such an effective way of preventing postural problems and avoiding chronic pain and you know at Mother Trucker Yoga we love trucking yoga. A five-minute stretching break every hour or so will work wonders for your body and stop you from ruining your posture. 

Being inactive lowers your testosterone

That’s right, sitting around every single day could actually lower your testosterone levels. This hormone is so important for men as it’s responsible for a lot of crucial processes throughout the body. If you want to have children, you need decent T levels to get someone pregnant. If you want to build muscle and be strong, you need testosterone in your body. Unfortunately, studies show that being inactive can mean you have lower T levels than active people. Truck driver fitness is not about being the biggest and baddest driver, but it is about taking care of your body and you need to move to do that.

 

For someone that spends hours a day driving around, this is bad news. Thankfully, your testosterone levels don’t stay fixed – you can control if they go up or down. If you think your levels have already decreased due to constant inactivity, visiting a TRT clinic could help you boost your T levels back up. For those of you that want to avoid treatment, preventing your T levels from dropping is the best approach. So, take as many breaks as you can throughout the day, getting up and walking around or doing some yoga to stay active. 

 

Sitting down makes you gain weight

The longer you drive, the less active you will be every day. Even the simple act of walking around a service station will contribute to your daily activity levels. A lack of activity will mean that you burn very few calories all day. Your body is basically at rest while you drive, so it requires very little energy. This means that, at the end of every day, you’ve barely burnt any calories. It doesn’t take much to consume more than you burned, meaning you gain weight. Everyday life movements get you burning more calories and yes, you can do that from the driver’s seat, it’s called truck driver fitness and you are “fitting in” movement.

 

Taking breaks prevents this by racking up your steps, burning calories, and helping you maintain a healthy weight. Even if you stop and walk around for 10-15 minutes during your breaks, you’ll rack up a few thousand steps each time!

 

Driving for long periods makes you tired

Despite the fact that you’re inactive, driving actually tires you out quite considerably. Sure, there’s no physical effort required, but it’s mentally very draining. You need to keep your eyes open and alert at all times, meaning you can quickly start yawning and feel the urge to sleep. 

 

Obviously, tiredness on the roads is a massive problem. A lot of accidents are caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel. If you’re behind the wheel of a truck or van, the risks associated with auto accidents increase. Thus, stopping for regular breaks helps you give your eyes a rest and recharges your batteries. 

 

You can avoid the worst traffic

Yes, believe it or not, but you could actually reach your destination in less time by taking breaks. If you drive all day, you can easily get caught in the terrible traffic on the highway. But, by taking a well-timed break, you can be parked up while all the traffic trundles along. 

 

When your break is over, you’ll have clearer roads with less traffic, meaning you can drive to your destination with minimal disruptions. As a bonus, you use up less fuel, making your trip less expensive for both you and the environment. 

 

If possible, try to park up and have a little break every hour or so. Yes, you might be working to a schedule, but you should still meet your daily targets with these breaks. Even if you stop for five minutes, it can make a world of difference to your health. 

 

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Top 3 Trucker Injuries: And How To Avoid Them

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Photo by Seb Creativo on Unsplash

Top 3 Trucker Injuries: And How To Avoid Them

There are many benefits to working as a long-haul driver (or trucker). However, the nature of the work sometimes means that you are susceptible to specific injuries, which, if not treated appropriately, could mean you have to take a lot of time off work. Not only could this lose you money, it means you won’t be able to get behind the wheel and do what you love for a little while.

With that in mind, here are the most common injuries that truckers have to deal with.

1: Sprains

Whether you are regularly lifting heavy cargo or attempt to do a two-person job alone, it’s relatively easy to sprain your wrist. However, a sprain can be incredibly painful, and if left untreated, can cause severe damage to your wrist/hand.

2: Back/Neck pain

Spending lots of hours behind the wheel, combined with poor posture, can lead to many back and neck injuries, which can quickly worsen over time.

3: Repetitive Stress Injuries

Repetitive stress injuries are caused when you repeat the same task over and over again. For example, you could get an RSI through how you hold the steering wheel or by sitting in the same position for too long. This can lead to painful swelling and inflammation.

However, there are several steps you can take to minimize the risk of injury moving forward – keeping you happy, healthy, and behind the wheel!

This includes:

Participating in Yoga. Yoga is a great way to remove any tension in your body and is also a great way to unwind after an incredibly stressful day. It can also help you recover from an injury and relieve the pain you may be holding in your neck, back, or shoulders.

Visit a chiropractor. There are numerous different ways in which you can take better care of your body – many of which can help you recover from injuries quicker or reduce the chances of getting injured in the first place. For example, you could arrange a visit with a chiropractor. When you visit a Chiropractor, you can treat injuries in your neck, back, and shoulder muscles, alongside reducing inflammation in your body. 

 

Working out. In addition to yoga, you should ensure that you include plenty of exercise into your routine. This is a great way to ensure that you spend time outdoors and positively impact your physical and mental health. Whether you work out with others or alone, you should spend at least 30 minutes a day exercising. 

 

Practice good posture. As mentioned previously, many of the above injuries are caused a result of poor posture. Therefore, you should work on improving your posture wherever possible. When sat in a truck, you should ensure that you have appropriate lumbar support and that your knees rest lower than your hips. You can find more guidance on proper driving posture here.

Taking regular breaks. Another way you can minimize the chance of getting injured when driving is by taking frequent breaks. Though the rule varies depending on the area you might be driving in, drivers are expected to have at least 11 hours rest after driving – but long journeys should include smaller breaks throughout the day.

 

Check out more great articles from Mother Trucker Yoga: 

How Chiropractic Can Help Truck Drivers https://mothertruckeryoga.com/2020/10/09/how-chiropractic-can-help-truck-drivers/

Benefits of a Chiropractor for Travel https://mothertruckeryoga.com/2020/10/13/benefits-of-a-chiropractor-for-travel/

Hot to Have Perfect Posture: VIDEO: https://youtu.be/kI0bTvP0KOg

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Neck Pain: 7 Ways to Drive Pain-Free

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Neck pain can be a royal pain when it comes to driving. And when you are a professional truck driver a pain in the neck can absolutely put a halt on your plan to keep rolling.

Neck pain has an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30% among adults in the US; nearly 50% of individuals will continue to experience some degree of chronic neck pain or frequent occurrences. Says Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research.

The causes of neck pain can be vast from trauma, injuries, poor sleep position, medical conditions, whiplash, stress or muscle strains or pain and even nerve-related issues. When it comes to being a truck driver dealing with a stiff neck can often be a daily concern you just learn to “deal with” day in and day out. Getting stiff neck can often revolve around holding your head in a particular position for a long period of time, or even using one or both arms for long periods of time. Even having your torso rotated a certain way and when it comes to truck drivers, the constant impact of your driving conditions can and does play a large role in neck pain and discomfort.

When your truck is your workplace, home and vehicle learning how to prevent and treat neck pain can dramatically improve how you feel day today. Here’s how to reduce stress and neck pain so you can get back on the road feeling better than ever.

Neck Pain: Staying Pain-Free on the Road

Posture and how you sit in the driver’s seat play a large role in how your neck and back feel day in and day out. The constant stress caused by driving, gripping the steering wheel, leaning on the driver’s side door or only using one hand or arm for daily tasks associated with driving can contribute to neck pain. Adjusting your body and posture while driving can and will reduce pain and get you back on the road feeling relief.

Start with a good driving posture.

The best angle for the back of your seat is at 100 degrees, which is just shy of straight. Place your hands in the 3 and 9 o’clock positions on the steering wheel and elbows comfortably on the armrests.

Forawrd head for truck drivers blog post mother trucker yoga

  1. Reposition your head.

    From the desk to the driver’s seat, the forward-head position is a major cause of neck tension and pain. Think about your ears being over your shoulders. Making this adjustment is not so much a tuck down with your chin as it is sliding back. Check out this video on neck stretches to help you reduce the pain of postural changes.

  2. Use back support.

    No matter how nice your truck seat is, rarely are they truly made for ideal lumbar support. Sinking back into your seat in your lower back rounds back like the letter “C”. Our spine is meant to be like the letter “S” to help absorb impact and better support what is on top (our head). And if you are a truck driver impact is your constant enemy while driving. I absolutely love BackShield (use the link for 10% off and FREE shipping) back support, which puts your spine in the right position and also protects your back upon impact. Plus BackShield doubles as traction support to lay on after a long day.

  3. Adjust your mirrors.

    Move your side mirrors so you have the widest field of vision so you can minimize awkward movements with your head at sudden notice. Pay attention throughout the day if you adjust your mirrors for your ever slumping posture as the day goes on. You may need a mid-day stretch to get you standing and sitting tall somewhere along the route.

  4. Avoid eyestrain and impaired driving.

    There are many reasons you may be straining to see. If your vision is to blame, please seek proper professional aid to receive the proper support. But poor vision can lead to eyestrain while driving, which can cause you to lean forward and slide your head towards the steering wheel while driving. This forward head position puts major pressure and strain on the muscles of the upper back and neck. And also tightens and shortens the muscles of the front of the neck and chest. Use sunglasses if driving in bright light, and use the proper eye protection at night if night lights strain your vision.

  5. Take a break.

    If you start to get a stiff neck, are feeling neck pain, or better yet want to prevent it, pull into the next rest stop. Do some stretching and walk off the kinks.

  6. Ditch the pillow.

    After driving all day to consider going pillowless, even for just a few minutes or hours. When it’s bedtime our body recoils into it’s most comfortable position-meaning how we spend our time most. Head forward and knees tucked in and fetal like. Stretch out and lay flat. Slide the BackShield (Use our code MTY10 for a 10% discount) under your back for spinal relief and start to respond to your body properly rather than react continuously.

  7. Stretch.

    Yes, it’s not fancy, but stretch your muscles, moving your body in different positions than what you do on a daily basis can and will help you reduce pain and strain. Simple easy stretches just a few minutes a day can and will leave you feeling your best on and off the road. Try this one from our Fitness Minute at Instagram:

    Check out what Mother Trucker Yoga can help you with while you are out on the road. During this difficult time, we want you to enjoy a FREE 30 days with Mother Trucker Yoga. Simply use the code: CORONA2020.

Truck drivers are the heroes of our highways and we so appreciate everything you do. But it is vital that you take care of yourself. Living over the road for weeks on end may not be ideal or “typical” but with a little prep and self-care, you can keep your health and physical body in check with as little as 5 minutes a day. You can avoid driving with neck pain by maintaining good posture and making the necessary driving adjustments that can and will take the strain off your neck.

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Enjoy this post? Check out some of our other blog posts here at Mother Trucker Yoga

  1. Put Back Pain in the Rear View Mirror  
  2. Benefits of Meditation
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Put Back Pain in Your Rear-View Mirror

Operating a truck day in and day out takes a toll on a person’s body.  It’s not a secret that if you are a trucker, you sit a lot. It’s just the nature of the job. Stops to move around and stretch usually don’t happen. There just isn’t time for it. Then there’s the heavy lifting and loading and unloading of cargo. All of these things combined create the perfect storm–for back pain.

Unless you have ever suffered from back pain, you can’t really even begin to imagine what it feels like. Every move you make is a painful reminder of the toll that driving truck has taken on your body. Plus, if you don’t have a Backshield yet, you’ve GOT to get one! It will save your back from a lot of pain in the first place. Get 10% off at checkout when you use my link! 

MotherTruckerYoga Backshield Discount

Unfortunately, at some point, every trucker is going to experience some sort of back pain. BUT there are simple movements you can do to help keep your back in the best condition possible. 

Try these FOUR tips to help improve and/or alleviate your lower back pain. 

1. Pelvic Tilts

Pelvic tilts are my #1 go-to move for just about anyone with lower back pain. Pelvic tilts are a super simple movement that you can do WHILE DRIVING. Pelvic tilts require you to tip the pelvis back and forward at varying degrees to help release tightness and also build resilience and strength in the pelvic area, lower back and abdomen. They are a simple yet effective exercise for those seeking back pain relief.  

Back Pain Pelvic Tilt

Back Pain Pelvic Tilt

2. Strengthen Your Core

Your core strength is vital in maintaining back support and reducing back pain, yet few really truly understand where their core is, how to access it and how to safely use it. When you are in pain the last thing you want to do is hurt yourself again, so starting small is essential, but that doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. Bracing is a position or movement that teaches us how to co-contract our core (contract our entire core muscles simultaneously), that does not require us to suck in our push out. Bracing give us the strength and a feeling for what it is like to use our core in everyday life, exactly what we need to do in the future to not end up here again. 

3. Roll It Out

Using a soft foam roller allows us to access various levels of tissues in our bodies. It is often said that by using a foam roller, one can reduce the tension and pain in several areas of the body. Foam rolling allows us to release the “snag” and move the tissues (fascia, muscle, connective tissue) around in a way that will make it more pliable for movement and more user-friendly for stretching.

4. Stretch

I have been working with individuals for nearly 20 years with all sorts of ailments. Yoga is a mind-body therapy that’s often recommended to treat not only back pain but the stress that accompanies it. More specifically, addressing your hip flexors through yoga is vital to getting to the bottom of lower back pain. When our front butt is tight it can enable our back body to go haywire. Unlocking your hip flexors and psoas will not only help you feel relief in the lower back (and hip flexors) but also releasing your psoas– due to the nature of our psoas attaching into the diaphragm and ribs, is linked to better breathing as well. 

 

These simple tips could be the changes you need in order to put back pain in your rearview mirror for good. I challenge you to add them to your routine today!

 

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