Profile For Smart Trucker Fitness

What do you guys think of this? mini bike peddler its like putting a bike inside of your cab. nothing says a good cardio workout like cycling. would it be practical?

I think its a great idea. I would check amazon and just look at the reviews for sturdiness. They also make a mini stepper that would work well in a cab. Ok, one more thing...depending on your joint health, there is a tool called "air ropes" and they are like a jump rope but they don't have a complete rope. Each handle has a short (6") rope with a all on the end so you could feasibly use them in the cab. Jumping rope burns about 10 cal a minute. :) Keep us up to date on your progress!

It can be done. I've found rest areas are usually pretty good places for running. I've done many 1/4 mile laps around rest areas as well as found some that are about a mile around. Some of our terminals are close to a mile around the yards. You just have to make time for it. The new 30 minute breaks help. I managed to do a few hundred miles of running while OTR last year. Hell, I shut down at a rest area one night planing to just do a short run because I drove all day and ended up doing almost a half marathon. And it was only about 3/8 mile around. Many laps. When it started getting cold I bought a mini stepper for my truck. $50 and fits under the bunk.

And if you're interested in working out in general, I've found that with a few resistance bands, a couple of weight plates, a chain, some carabiners and some ingenuity you can turn the cab of your truck into a gym and get a full workout. I'd also recommend a book called You Are Your Own Gym for a program that's almost all bodyweight exercises.

Hope this helps.

That is so awesome to hear about all those miles you've logged! ... I love the half marathon story. I have that You Are Your Own Gym as an App on my iPhone. Great, doable workouts. Have you seen "air ropes" it is a "jump rope" but is just two handles. Each has a short rope (maybe 6") and a ball on the end. They can be used inside the cab. you can find them on Amazon. Keep up the great work. Very inspiring

How do you guys stay in shape on the road? What are some ways of staying active and fit and healthy on the road? Do some truck stops have fitness centers, most have just about everything else?

I just wanted to stop by and tell you that I manage a fitness center that caters to truckers. We are AnyTime Fitness in Dillsburg, PA and have locations throughout the US and Canada. We are open 24 hours and even have an app that will help you find a convenient location: Anytime Fitness Locator. Our club has ample parking space as do most of the clubs. You have private showers, very clean workout spaces, televisions throughout the clubs with private tvs on all of the cardio equipment and membership to any of our clubs gets you into every AnyTime Fitness at no visitation fee. Check out our website: AnytimeFitness.com!

That is great news...Are there several Anytime Fitness clubs that cater to truckers? I'd love a list to share on our facebook page and website. https://www.facebook.com/smarttruckerfitness

TA/Petro StayFit Fitness Room Locations

I have been to the workout room at the TA in Boise recently. It was very clean and had good quality equipment (elliptical trainer, bike, cable machine for lots of variety). Hopefully more will pop up in time. A Fitbit is a great tool to keep you aware of how much you are moving in the day. I recently read that 32 laps around a trailer is 1 mile. A good place to start. My husband and I have started a Facebook page to put out helpful tips for truck drivers to stay healthy. I post nutrition and workout ideas there. Feel free to join the conversation...https://www.facebook.com/smarttruckerfitness

Its very difficult to be honest. But in almost a year of trucking I still haven't gained weight.

Here's my tips. When a receiver is taking a long time, go for a walk.

Its all about how you eat.

Right now I have carrots, apples, tea, pears, and bananas in my cooler. When you drive for long hours you will start to crave a snack, usually chips. Don't let anything unhealthy near you. For snack time I use carrots to replace chips.

Grow plants inside your truck. Super healthy. Starcar gave me this idea. I have a giant pot with three different types of Mint. I grow Chocolate Mint, Spearmint, and Peppermint. I start my day with a nice hot cup of tea and I add about 6 leaves from my plants to it. Its a very healthy drink and very soothing.

Enter the truck stops with no cash. Trust me, that pizza and all that other junk food looks deliciously tempting. But if you don't have cash you cannot buy it. Walk past it and resist the temptation.

Drop drinking soda. Its empty calories and absolutely disgusting for your body. HFCS, Caramel color, and all that other crap in there. Not to even mention the ridiculous amounts of sugar.

Stop by Walmarts often and drink Soymilk. I buy the mixed veggie one or the protein one.

I am probably the lightest guy on TT. I weigh 118 pounds haha!

It takes a lot of discipline and dedication to not gain weight. But its very difficult.

Excellent tips!

Great article with some really good perspective from the truck driver perspective. Wouldn't it be great if there was a program that offered free showers if a driver used the fitness facility? Gotta work on that!