Truck Driver Health Goals
When 2015 started, truck driver health goals were top of mind, determination was at an all-time high and this year was sure to be the healthiest yet.
Truck driver exercise ideas flooded our news feeds, success stories were everywhere and for many THIS was the time to make a big change. Well, now we’re about 6 months in and it’s time to have “the talk.” Don’t worry; there are no birds and bees in this one…
The Trucker Health Talk
Maybe this is a talk with yourself. Maybe it’s with friends and family. Maybe it’s a good talk or maybe it’s one you’re dreading. Either way, it’s a talk that needs to happen and NOW is the time to do it.
No matter how much progress you have/haven’t made on your truck driver health goals so far, use this time as a chance to refocus and recenter priorities. Several months into a new year, we all are reminded again that, well, life just happens. Of all people, a truck driver knows this better than anyone. Sometimes we find ourselves drifting. Priorities we had at the beginning of the year are back on shore and we’re way out in the middle of the sea. Use this as a time to get back on course. Here’s how…
Celebrate Wins
It doesn’t matter how big or how small; take time to celebrate the “wins” you’ve had so far this year. While you may not be where ultimately want to be, you might just be surprised at how far you’ve actually come. Maybe the goal was as simple as doing these
5 stretches to help with truck driver back pain a couple of times a week and you’ve been able to that most months. That’s still a win!
Build your confidence up with what you HAVE done instead of tearing it down with what you HAVEN’T.
Personal example – I have a goal of running 500 miles this year. I’m behind schedule on that goal. Rather than beating myself up about it, I am celebrating a smaller “win” of completing a 5K race at under 7:00 min/mile avg pace.
Also Read:
Maintaining Fitness at the Truck Stop
Understand Shortcomings
I’m not going to use the word “failure” because if you understand it and learn from it – it’s not a failure.
Did you really skip that last workout because there wasn’t time? Was that last Mountain Dew something you HAD to have? All of us are constantly in mental battle with ourselves…especially when it comes to exercise and food. We trick ourselves into believing things that just aren’t true. And often times our health suffers as a result.
The key is recognizing that this actually happens, understanding why it does and addressing things head on. I’ll share a personal battle I faced to illustrate this point…
My No Sweets Challenge
I used to believe that I “had” to have sweets. I loved eating cookies, pie, candy, etc. The problem was that I couldn’t eat just one. One Oreo? Get real. Just one handful of M&M’s? Impossible! Sweets like these were my kryptonite and consistently derailed me when it came to reaching health goals.
So, I created my own personal challenge. How long could I go without eating sweets? Could I do it for 1 week? 1 month? 1 year??? And the biggest question that I really wanted to answer – what would happen if I actually could do it?
Long story short, I made it 1 week. I made it 1 month. I went 1 year without sweets. It became pretty easy. It became part of my lifestyle. So, I kept going…
After 1,000 days of no sweets, I decided to see if there was something that I was missing out on over the past (almost) 3 years. So I had a sweet cheat day. I ate pie, cake, cookies, donuts and more (see the full spread in the pic below). I somehow managed not to get sick and confirmed that all this time it was all in my mind.
I didn’t “need” sweets. I didn’t have a “sweet tooth.” I didn’t “have” to eat birthday cake just because everyone else was. And all those years before my challenge, I had tricked myself into believing otherwise.
Also Read:
10 Healthy Foods That Won't Break Your Budget
Mental vs. Physical
I take the time to share this story to reinforce a point – MOST of the time our shortcomings when it comes to staying on course with health are mental, not physical. And it’s the mental collapse that leads to the physical consequences. I will also say this, there’s nothing more rewarding than facing your biggest weakness (in my case sweets) head-on and WINNING.
Understand why you think the way you do. Get the mental part right and the physical part will come much easier.
Let’s Move Forward
After celebrating wins and understanding shortcomings, it’s time to move forward. Even if this year isn’t going quite the way you intended, there’s plenty of time left to get back on course. Sadly, we’ve seen many truckers write off the rest of a year just because they’re behind the 8-ball. This is a choice and one that results in taking 2 steps back rather than 1 step forward. Remember, truck driver health, as a whole is bigger than any one driver. It’s something that impacts the entire transportation industry – for better or for worse. Everyone plays a part and we’re all in this together. Now, wouldn’t you agree moving forward is the ONLY way to go?