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Driver Exercises: Best 3 Cardio Moves On the Go

As a yoga teacher of nearly 20 years, I understand the importance of balance, and the need for cardio is essential.

As a truck driver finding time to exercise can be challenging, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. When it comes to trucking yoga stretching is essential, especially as we age, but we also need to find time to get our heart rate up. Cardio is a great way to take care of your heart health and get your driver fitness on. And with February being Heart Health Awareness Month it is a great time to tune up your driver fitness.

Cardio is a shortened word for cardiovascular (exercise), something most truck drivers don’t get enough of when it comes to truck driver health and driver fitness. There are many benefits to getting your heart rate up and a slight movement in. The below are certainly some of the concerns truck drivers have regarding truck driver health. AHA Journals shared…

Benefits of Regular Exercise on Cardiovascular Risk Factors

  • Increase in exercise tolerance.
  • Reduction in body weight.
  • Reduction in blood pressure.
  • Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol.
  • Increase in good (HDL) cholesterol.
  • Increase in insulin sensitivity.
I stress to drivers and my Mother Trucker Yoga LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART Platform members to find pockets within their day to add fitness rather than continually separating it from your day.
Mother Trucker Yoga LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART App and platform image

Research is now showing that you don’t need 60 minutes of straight-up cardio exercise to benefit your heart. You may not even need 30 minutes at a time. But you do need something. Mother Trucker Yoga focuses on a variety of fitness and health areas: trucking yoga, driver fitness like resistance, strengthening, toning, core health, and cardio.

My three favorite cardio exercises to do at home and on the go are:

1. Chair Power Run

Place your hands on the mouth of a chair and step back into a plank. Keeping a brisk pace for one minute (or 50 strides) run in place. Work to bring your knees into your chest as best as possible for bonus core work.

Chair Running Hope Zvara Mother Trucker Yoga Easy Cardio Blog

2. Pretend Jump Rope

Stand upright and pretend to hold a jump rope. Begin to gently bounce in a place like you were briskly jumping rope at a level that works for you (your feet don’t even have to lift off the ground if you don’t want them to). Move the pretend rope as quickly as possible. Try to do this for one minute.

Driver Exercises: Best 3 Cardio Moves On the Go walking and jump rope mother trucker yoga blog image

3. A 5 Minute Walk and Talk

We all make and take phone calls, start walking every time you have a phone call.

Do stairs as quickly as you can, almost to the point of being out of breath. Walk outside, walk backward, lunge walk. Get creative. But get up and walk and talk.

 

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All you need to know about the benefits of yoga for travel

Traveling is a life-changing experience. It can be physically and mentally stressful. Such planned experiences can sometimes not go according to plan or loop us into exhaustion. From finding it hard to sleep in unfamiliar places to spending long hours in traffic, finding an activity that grounds you to your core and helps you overcome the adversities that come along with traveling. Here is where trucking yoga comes along. If you want to know more about the benefits of yoga for travel, keep on reading!

Five benefits of yoga for travel you should know

It reminds you to breathe.

Breathing is a vital part of yoga practice. Learn to focus on your breathing- it can make solutions far more accessible. When you focus on your breath during yoga, challenging poses become easier. The same is the case with travel. Difficult situations arise all the time and can knock the wind out of us. In those moments, trucking yoga can help you assess conditions very calmly through deep breaths.

Try this:

  1. Sit tall
  2. Relax your shoulders
  3. Relax your face, jaw, tongue
  4. Close your eyes
  5. Take a deep breath in through your nose and work to fill your belly and lungs as much as you can with fresh new prana (oxygen).
  6. Now slowly work to breathe out through your nose, making that exhale slightly longer than the inhale
  7. Repeat this again two more times.
  8. How do you feel?

It makes you appreciate the present.

If you ask me what yoga teaches, I would say it teaches you to be present in your current state-mindful of what the heck you are doing in your life, your thoughts, your actions in this very moment. You’re supposed to live in the present and find steadiness at the moment and you can’t do that when you are rushing a million miles an hour each day (that’s why we breathe). When you’re traveling, that’s exactly what you need. It can be tough to devote an hour to yoga on the road, but trucking yoga can be quite helpful in these cases. Appreciating what you have in front of you and being grateful for it can make a huge difference in your outlook on life, especially while traveling long distances. 

So what can you do today?

Try this:

  1. Sit tall
  2. Inhale and reach your arms up overhead
  3. Interlace your fingers and press your palms up to the sky
  4. Drop your shoulders and try to be as tall and long as you can
  5. Breathe for five breaths
  6. How do you feel now?
  7. That’s yoga.

It eases muscular tension.

Are you traveling with backpacks? Sitting behind the wheel for a 12-hour road trip? Perhaps you are currently looking at an NYC travel guide that is going to involve a lot of walking? The weight of physically carrying yourself from one destination to the other can create a lot of tension in our muscles and limbs. This could cause further fatigue and injury if the tension is not released. So what is the benefit of yoga for travel in this case?

Stretching can alleviate the stress in your body, and what better way to stretch than a few minutes of yoga? If you establish a yoga habit, your muscle tissues will thank you for the extra strength in them! Poses such as (half) downward-facing dog, and figure-four stretch will help reduce stress and tension in your tissues. And don’t forget to ease your muscles with STIFF Mother Trucker Pain Relief Cream thereafter. 

All you need to know about the benefits of yoga for travel downdog and figure 4 pose mother trucker yoga blog hope Zvara

For step by step instructions on these poses and more check out Mother Trucker Yoga LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART Membership Platform & APP

It can be practiced everywhere.

trucking yoga simple fitness for the long haul book mother trucker yoga hope zvara

Grab your copy!

There are many yoga studios you can drop into, books on the subject that could guide you through the poses, as well as formal classes where you could learn to stretch your body. But the best part of doing yoga is that it doesn’t require any more than your body and some space to stretch. This makes it your travel best friend.

Yoga improves blood circulation.

So far, you know how well stretching does for your body but did you know it also improves your body circulation? Sitting behind the wheel for hours can increase the need to have better circulation in the legs and arms to avoid fatigue and body ache. Yoga would solve those problems for you, so honestly, there are no more excuses to avoid trucking yoga any longer.

You can do this. 

Travelling can be fun when not coupled with unwanted fatigue, muscle tension, and stress. Yoga is what can keep those issues at bay for you, and it never takes too much space or time to practice the art of steadiness. So what is stopping you from including trucking yoga in your travel itineraries, especially with all these benefits of yoga for travel?

Traveling with tools can make any trip more manageable, don’t forget to check out Mother Trucker Yoga LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART Membership Platform & APP available on all devices!

Use CODE: MTY30 for a FREE 30 DAYS on the last wellness and fitness platform you will ever need!

Mother Trucker Yoga LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART App and platform image

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Common Issues From Sitting In A Truck All Day And How To Fix Them

Common Issues From Sitting In A Truck All Day And How To Fix Them

When you are on the road all the time, you are at increased risk for certain medical conditions. Of course, not every trucker is going to experience the same things, but there are some common themes running through the industry when it comes to health due to all the sitting that has to be done. In this article, we are going to be talking about some of the common issues that truckers face from sitting in their trucks all day, and some of the things that you can do to fix them. If you would like to find out more about this topic, keep reading down below.

 

Sore Back And Neck

 

The first thing that you are more likely to experience is a sore neck and back. Seeing as you are not using the muscles in your back and you are holding your neck up all the time, it’s no wonder that it begins to hurt. This is a problem because there’s not much you can do to avoid this other than to stop every so often and take a short walk, or lay down in your seats for ten minutes. Give your neck a break, and let your back muscles stretch in order to keep them in good condition.

 

If the issue persists, then you should see a chiropractor. They might be able to do something to help you, such as give you small exercises to complete, or you never know what!

 

Obesity

 

Another huge problem is obesity. When you are on the road a lot, you’re not getting the exercise that you need, you’re probably eating fast food more often than not, so really obesity is to be expected. Even though this is the case, it doesn’t make it okay and you need to avoid this at all costs. We recommend that you try taking some food with you for your meal while you are out. If you are going to be on a long trip and you can’t take that much food with you, then at least try to pick some of the healthier options when you take a break.

 

Swelling In Your Legs

 

When you sit down for so long, your legs become more likely to swell. If you’re not using your legs other than the slight movements, you are at risk of deep vein thrombosis as well which is not a pleasant condition. There are a few things that we can suggest here such as drinking enough water while you are on your drive, managing the amount of salt that you eat on the drive and before, as well as doing feet and ankle exercises while you are stopped in traffic for example. When you can, get up and have a walk around outside to get your blood pumping and your legs moving, and this should help you avoid the issue.

 

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the common issues that you can get when you sit in a truck all day. Not only that though, but hopefully now you see how you can fix these issues as well. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that this has helped you!

 

Want more help when it comes to your fitness and health? Join the movement!

MOTHER TRUCKER YOGA LIFESTYLE JUMPSTART MEMBERSHIP PLATFORM & APP

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Tips to Get the Best Results From Your Yoga Session

Tips To Get The Best Results From Your Yoga Session

 

Yoga has been gaining popularity over the past decade because it provides a unique form of exercise and relaxation. Studies have also proven that it is a great workout that helps eliminate body aches and pains. The history of this workout style has also shown that yoga is more than exercise and can help you connect with your inner self. As studies have proved and practice has shown, yoga can be very beneficial; and you must gain all those benefits. On that note, here are some tips to help you get the best results from your yoga session.

Yoga Session Mother Trucker Yoga Blog

Know your physical limitations and pay attention to your body

 

Yoga can get quite intense, and you need to know your physical limitations and pay attention to your body so that you do not push your body past its true limits. For those who have medical conditions, such that they may need to use a posture corrector app or other forms of assistance, you must be cautious when practicing yoga to avoid hurting yourself or aggravating an injury. You should be concerned about how your body reacts to each pose and session. Relax and allow your body to express itself and when it hurts, stop, and take a breather to change your pace.

 

Have no expectations

Yoga combines exercise with meditation; that is how it works. Having expectations before you begin will throw a spanner in the works, and you could lose your zen. So, it is better to have no expectations when you start a yoga session. Instead, look forward to spending time connecting with yourself. Have an open mind and enjoy the experience.

 

Create a relaxed atmosphere and avoid distractions

Yoga is centered on relaxation and meditation. So, create the right atmosphere where you can relax and connect with yourself. Yoga is therapeutic, and as such, where you practice must set the mood. It is advisable to dedicate a space solely to practicing yoga to evoke a sense of calm and relaxation. This area must be free of noise and other distractions so that your meditation can proceed uninterrupted. Distractions in this regard are not limited to noise alone. Uncomfortable clothes, taking a break to pee, and devices such as phones that do not contribute to the process all count as distractions. Before you begin a session, be sure you can complete it without getting distracted by anything else.

 

Breathe

Breathe - Yoga blog Mother Trucker Yoga

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This sounds very easy, but often people forget to breathe naturally, as they get so focused on the moment. This is simple and very important. Just continue to breathe naturally, and you will remain composed and balanced. Breathing also helps you to practice within your capacity and allows you to enjoy the experience.

 

To get the best results from your yoga session, do not just “go through the motions”; relax and enjoy the exercise rather than rushing through. Focus on the experience and dedicate your all when practicing. Also, before you begin or end a session, do not just jump in or out. Take some time to gradually get in the zone and do the same when you finish a session.

 

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