As summer turns into fall, allergies and hot days and cool nights, along with the thought of winter coming, make most think about their health. For most truckers, staying healthy on the road isn’t easy. Long hours with little rest, sleeping in positions that give you aches and pains, and the stress of loading and unloading cargo are just a few factors that make great health a difficult thing for truckers to attain. Though some think trying to eat right, stay healthy, and avoid habits like drinking or smoking just aren’t worth the less than pleasurable lifestyle they incur, most—especially those working tough jobs—are beginning to realize that staying healthy is key to both success and happiness. To stay healthy on the road, doing research and following doctors’ advice is key, but here are a few steps to get you started.

1. Bring plenty of healthy snacks from home or frequent truck stops near grocery stores/fresh food markets

According to Wayne Parker, a fatherhood columnist for About.com, relying on travel-type snacks is never good for your health. Greasy truck stop cuisine and snack machine fare is a quick way to feeling less than at your best. Coolers packed with fresh fruit and veggies as well as lunchmeat sandwiches make for better eating and better health while you’re on the go.

    2.  Avoid drastic changes in schedule

Even if you’re staying in the same time zone, it’s still possible to feel jet lag. Any time you drastically change your schedule, for instance by getting up much earlier or staying up much later than you are used to, you are subject to feeling the effects on your health, according to Parker.

    3.  Stay Active

Sitting in the driver’s seat all day can take a toll on the muscles in your legs and back. And though it’s tempting to spend breaks lounging in your cab watching television, cruising the net, or even taking a nap, working out or even taking a walk can improve your overall health and the way you feel. Medical science has confirmed the importance of staying active, and even though you have a sedentary job, making time to move is a great way to stay healthy on the road.

    4.  Take Preventative Medication

In addition to eating healthy and staying active, there are several ways to prevent sickness on the road. Taking vitamins, like vitamin C to ward off colds, is one way to make sure you are in your best shape whenever you’re on the road. Other medications, like Airborne, are designed to build up immune systems, making you less susceptible to air born infections. As a truck driver, the amount and variety of your travel exposes you to more germs than most. But preventing succumbing to those illnesses can be as easy as popping a pill.

    5.  Get plenty of sleep

It might he hard, but not only is sleep important to your safety on the road, it’s also important to your health. Sleep depravation weakens the immune system, and can leave you feeling awful, even if you’re the picture of health. If you find sleep hard to achieve, Linda Dessau’s article “10 ways to get a good night’s sleep” points out that starting to calm down an hour before bed, relaxing your muscles, and using imagery to stop a racing mind are some great ways to find rest without counting those sleep.

Though your health might just seem like another thing to worry about while you’re on the long haul, it’s one of the most important factors to consider in your daily routine. Unhealthy drivers feel miserable while they work, and at times, are unable to work at all. For happiness and career success, paying attention to your health is of the utmost importance.

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