Drivers are one of the most vulnerable people in the world in acquiring various kinds of diseases. It’s because they sit down for long periods of time during the day. In fact, scientific studies found a correlation between too much sitting to high blood pressure, heart illness, increased cholesterol levels, and diabetes.
Even though you sit too much because you work as a driver, making conscious healthy decisions and being aware can help you prevent getting those diseases. Here’s a list of ways on keeping your health on track as a driver.
Do Some Stretching
Perhaps the most simple way to avoid joint and back pains is to indulge yourself in stretching. Stretching is an excellent way to move idle muscles and lax joints as well as to enable better circulation of blood flow throughout your body. Thus, you should find time between your driving hours to stretch and strengthen your joints and muscles.
Eat Your Breakfast
Before you get on the driving seat and start an all-day driving activity, it’s essential that you don’t forget eating your breakfast. Studies found that breakfast is the most important meal that you should take because it gives you the necessary nutrients and energy throughout the day.
Foods that are rich in potassium, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, calcium, vitamins are the ideal foods that you should eat for breakfast to keep you healthy and energetic when driving.
Relieve Yourself from Stress
One of the ways to clear away stress from your entire day of work is to do some hobbies that you enjoy. Hobbies are an excellent means to provide yourself some fun and help yourself relax. It will also allow you to sleep better. So, if you’re working as a driver, take your hobby with you and do it in your free time.
Find Time for Brisk Walking
While you’re waiting for your next passenger, it will do you good if you squeeze in short, brisk walks around the area. It doesn’t mean that you go with some considerable distance from your car. Just walking up and down briskly on a side street will do. It’s because walking can provide you with a lot of health benefits.
For instance, walking enables you to work your idle joints and muscles to prevent all kinds of joint and muscle pains. Not only that, but walking also burns a significant amount of calories off your body. Therefore, it’s advisable for drivers out there to take a break from their work hours and take a walk.
Choose Fruits and Veggies Instead of Chips for Snacks
Instead of eating chips, junk foods, and sweet foods for snacks, you can opt for fruits and veggies to keep yourself healthy and glowing. It’s because fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients and vitamins that will help you keep your energy levels and prevent you from getting various kinds of diseases. As many people would say, your food is your best medicine.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
Water is a life-giver, and it’s all the more important when you’re driving almost the entire day. It’s because keeping yourself hydrated will help you maintain your health and allow your body to function properly. Drinking water also helps in flushing out toxins out of your system to prevent you from getting sick.
There are also seasons when days are hot, and you lose some fluids from your body due to an all-day grinding behind the steering wheel. In this case, keeping yourself hydrated is essential to avoid yourself from fainting out or being a victim of heat stroke.
Quit Smoking (If You’re Into It)
With all the studies and campaigns against smoking, you perhaps know already that it’s not a good habit. Professional drivers are often heavy smokers because they find smoking as a way to keep them busy while waiting for their next passenger. But smoking can do no good for your health.
For instance, smoking is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. That’s why if you want to maintain your health, you should stop smoking to prevent yourself from getting deadly diseases such as lung cancer.
Get Yourself Sufficient Sleep
If you’re a driver, getting enough sleep is crucial for you to not only keep yourself healthy but also to keep you safe when you’re driving. Lack of sleep is one of the reasons a person loses focus, and this means danger when you’re on the road.
According to reports, drivers who sleep below seven hours every night are likely to get involved in road accidents. That’s why it’s crucial that you have a sufficient sleep before you hit the road to keep you safe.
The other reason why you should get enough sleep is to keep yourself healthy. As you perhaps know, sleeping can provide you a lot of health benefits and keep you away from different kinds of diseases.
Keep Track of Your Physical Fitness
If maintaining your health as a driver is on top of your mind, you should make sure that you make conscious decisions for it. One way to do it is to keep yourself physically fit, and keep track of your periodic fitness achievements.
There are a lot of ways to keep you stay on track of your fitness regimens such as using fitness tracking gadgets or keeping a journal. In this way, you’ll keep yourself motivated on getting better every day.
Avail Yourself of Your Company’s HMO Benefits
Keeping yourself healthy also deserves some assistance from the company that you’re working. Nowadays, driving companies have employees that make $1000 week as driver plus a comprehensive medical and health services.
So, it’s crucial that you check if your company has this type of benefit provided to their employees so that you can avail of it and maintain your healthy body.
Takeaway
The work of a driver is one of the jobs that you can consider most vulnerable to health impairments. That’s why if you’re working as a driver, you should find ways on how to maintain your health and stay away from diseases. You can follow the list of tips above for that purpose.