Posts Tagged ‘health and fitness for truck drivers’

Injury Prevention for Truck Drivers

Posted by deckerAdmin

Resistance training, pilates, and stretching are all great injury prevention methods for truck drivers to engage in on a daily basis.

The best part is that these methods help prevent injuries and improve the performance of truck drivers all at once.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends that truck drivers perform some form of regular exercise or resistance training to help prevent injury. Truck driving, much like any other physical job, can take a toll on the body if not properly taken care of. OSHA’s recommendation for preventing and reducing injuries is to exercise muscle groups with the same frequency as they are used for work activities. For example, if a driver spends his day sitting at the wheel, he should also spend some time exercising his hamstrings by stretching them or by doing lunges.

Additionally, OSHA recommends that truck drivers perform some form of aerobic exercise each day to help reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Aerobic exercise can alleviate stress and improve the mental state of a driver.

Resistance training, pilates and stretching area all great injury prevention methods for truck drivers to engage in on a daily basis. 
The best part is that these methods help prevent injuries and improve the performance of truck drivers all at once.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends that truck drivers perform some form of regular exercise or resistance training to help prevent injury. Truck driving, much like any other physical job, can take a toll on the body if not properly taken care of. OSHA’s recommendation for preventing and reducing injuries is to exercise muscle groups with the same frequency as they are used for work activities. For example, if a driver spends his day sitting at the wheel, he should also spend some time exercising his hamstrings by stretching them or by doing lunges.
Additionally, OSHA recommends that truck drivers perform some form of aerobic exercise each day to help reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Aerobic exercise can alleviate stress and improve the mental state of a driver.

Resistance training is another great way for truck drivers to prevent injury and improve their performance at work. Truck driving is an extremely physically demanding job, requiring that drivers spend hours sitting in one position. Resistance training helps build strength and improves muscle tone by engaging different muscle groups while sitting at the wheel. Performing resistance exercises also helps produce more testosterone and growth hormone.

Top 5 tips for drivers to optimize their health and proactively prevent an injury from occurring:

Perform a couple of warm-up exercises prior to getting into the truck. This can be as simple as a couple of small squats, turning your head side to side, and pinching the shoulder blades together a few times.

Use any breaks that you have to increase your physical activity for the day. Take a small walk when you can. Research proves that taking a small walk to break up periods of prolonged sitting will decrease fatigue.

Use a device to monitor physical activity – research shows us that using a device like a Garmin or Fit Bit can influence behavior change from a sedentary to a more active lifestyle.

Plan out your drinks throughout the day. Water is the best to remain hydrated, however, if you suspect that you are taking in too many sugar or caffeine-based drinks start to make a diary and write down every drink you have for one week. Look for patterns that include not enough water, and too much sugar.

If you are feeling back or neck pain throughout the day, make use of ‘Pause Exercises’. Examples of this are rolling the shoulders repeatedly or performing pelvic tilts when you are stopped at traffic lights.
Your spine and joints love movement, so try not to deny them that!

Ice or heat therapy for back and neck pain will help your body recover faster if you are physically overworked or working in a very hot climate.

What are some of the common work-related injuries truck drivers experience?

The most common truck driving injury is low back pain, which many researchers believe is due to a combination of repetitive bending, sitting, and reaching. Other small muscles associated with gripping (such as the arm and knee tendons), as well as the discs themselves can also become injured from constant pressure while driving.

The most dangerous form of driving is sleeping behind the wheel. Research has shown that these accidents happen more often than we would like to think, and as many as 13 Americans are killed every day while driving while asleep.
Truck driver’s hands and feet are always on the pedals, steering wheel, gas/brake pedals, horn button, or floor controls. They also use their arms to lift heavy loads, park their trucks, climb stairs and open their doors all day long.

How are truck drivers injured?

Research shows that drivers have a greater chance to fall off of their trucks, get thrown from their trucks, or bump into things than passengers.

Injuries and accidents are more common during the off-season or during inclement weather. The same factors that can deter a passenger from driving can also keep a truck driver from driving. The worst part about this is, there is no one else to take over.

Annually there are 1.17 million injuries that occur in the workplace. These injuries cost $215 billion per year in direct and indirect costs (also known as the cost of lost productivity).
The average worker spends $5,103 each year on health care related to work injuries. These direct costs are even higher when you include lost productivity, wage replacement, and non-pecuniary (pain and suffering) losses.
Although it is typically considered a leading cause of job-related injury, truck driving is not usually considered the leading cause of work-related injuries. It is more common among trucks that do a lot of heavy hauling or off-road driving rather than those that carry freight over long distances.

What is the impact of injuries among truck drivers?

Annually there are 1.17 million injuries that occur in the workplace. These injuries cost $215 billion per year in direct and indirect costs (also known as the cost of lost productivity).

The average worker spends $5,103 each year on health care related to work injuries. These direct costs are even higher when you include lost productivity, wage replacement, and non-pecuniary (pain and suffering) losses.

Although it is typically considered a leading cause of job-related injury, truck driving is not usually considered the leading cause of work-related injuries. It is more common among trucks that do a lot of heavy hauling or off-road driving rather than those that carry freight over long distances.

The most common types of injuries that occur among truck drivers are sprains and strains, cuts, back injuries, and fractures.

Types of injuries that result from accidents occurring while working in the truck include head injuries, concussions, back injuries (including spinal cord compression), fractures or breaks, organ damage, and death.

How can we prevent truck driver work-related injuries?

Before a truck driver starts his/her shift, make sure all of the vehicle’s doors and mirrors are locked.

Have your employees wear safety belts when operating heavy machinery such as tractors, backhoes or motor graders.
Truck drivers need to be aware of the risks associated with fatigue and sleep deprivation while driving. They also need to be aware of the dangers of texting while driving so that they can avoid distractions that lead to accidents.

Use seatbelts at all times when driving trucks and other heavy equipment.

Have a zero-tolerance policy for texting while driving—even if it is a quick message about an upcoming delivery or customer delivery.

Improve Health and Conditioning with Resistance Bands

Posted by deckerAdmin

One of the greatest advantages bands have over other dumbbells or other gym apparatuses is that they fit easily into small spaces, allowing you to continue your workout regimen on the road when you can’t get to a gym.
Resistance bands can be used for a variety of exercises that work most of the major muscle groups in your body.

The resistance bands have been used in physical therapy for many years and are also a great way to improve your health and conditioning.

While free weights are often seen as the best way to get stronger, using cables and resistance bands is a safer alternative that can help prevent injuries or pain. By changing the weight of a cable or band, you can still build muscle mass and reduce body fat percentage.

Tips for Bands and Cables

There are two kinds of resistance bands: tubes and looped bands. Both can be used to do the same exercises. The only thing that will change is the movement of the band itself, which implies an easier or harder exercise. Tube bands should be used for beginners who don’t have any previous experience with using resistance bands. Looped bands are suitable for users who have a higher level of fitness. What works great about those two kinds is that you can stack them on top of each other and they both attach to the cable machine, making it great for low impact exercises as well as high-intensity moves.

You can do the following exercises without any supplements or special equipment – just a little planning ahead. A resistance band only costs about $10, but it’s an investment that will pay off in improved strength and health. Decker Truck Line encourages healthy living and is now providing each professional driver here at Decker a resistance band to use for stretching, resistance training, and conditioning.

Health benefits of Resistance Exercise:

1) Increased immune system response.
2) Greater pain relief and reduced use of medication for chronic low back pain patients.
3) Increased cardiovascular capacity.
4) Stabilize post-surgery healing and reduce the need for reoperation.
5) Improved blood pressure control in prehypertensive and hypertensive.
6) Increased muscle strength and function in older adults.
7) Improve flexibility, range of motion, walking speed, and balance.
8) Reduced risk of falls by improving leg strength in older adults with osteoporosis.

Resistance Training effects on:

1) Muscle Increase- Muscle mass increased by nearly 10% in older women following a 12-week progressive resistance training program did not lead to loss of fat or bone mass.
2) Bone Mineral density- Resistance training increased bone mineral density in older women, an increase that was retained for at least 1 year.
3) Strength- 8-week resistance training increased lower body strength in healthy older men and women with low muscle strength.
4) Fat Loss- Resistance training reduces body fat in young overweight adults compared to aerobic exercise.
5) Metabolic Rate-Resistance training increases metabolic rate on average 24% for up to 3 days after resistance exercise.

Resources:
https://webcms.pima.gov/UserFiles/Servers/Server_6/File/Government/Human%20Resources/Wellness/Resistance-Band-Workout.pdf
https://msuextension.org/wellness/physical-activity/resistance_band.html
https://www.dps.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/etr/docs/exercisetubingworkout.pdf

Drivers Fitness on the Road

Posted by deckerAdmin

How are you staying fit on the road? Are you working out on a daily basis?  What kind of exercises are you doing while you are out on the truck?

If you are not living a healthy lifestyle, you are not alone. Some drivers have the worst lifestyles in the world and it is increasing their health risks. Here are some great exercises for you to do while out on the road. 

If you are not living a healthy lifestyle, you are not alone. Truck drivers have some of the worst lifestyles in the world and it is increasing their health risks. Here are some great exercises for you to do while out on the road.
Check out our podcast for nutrition and exercise suggestions.

Push-ups are a great exercise that you can do while you are on your downtime. It is a great workout for your chest, shoulders and arms. It is also an effective way to build up your upper body strength. 

Benefits of pushups:
•They tone your chest and arm muscles. They also help in strengthening them. This is one of the best exercises to build up your upper body strength.
•It helps in building up your upper body strength.
•Pushups also help in toning and improving the size of your chest muscle.

Benefits of squats:
•Squats are a great exercise that can help you have a healthier lifestyle. It is effective in toning your quadriceps and hamstrings. It is also a great exercise for improving your core strength.
•Squats are also great for your cardiovascular health. It is a great exercise that strengthens your leg muscles.
•Squats are also effective in reducing your overall body fat if you do it consistently.

Benefits of lunges:
•Lunges are a great exercise that is also helpful in improving your cardiovascular health. It is effective in strengthening your quadriceps. It works great on your lower body muscles.
•It is also effective in building up your thigh muscles.

Benefits of burpees:
•Burpees are a great exercise for truck drivers that are looking to get rid of their body fat.
•Burpees are a great exercise that helps in improving your cardiovascular health. It is effective in building up your aerobic fitness which helps you have a healthy lifestyle.
•Burpees are helpful in toning and building up your upper body muscle.

•Burpees are a great exercise for truck drivers that are looking to get rid of their body fat.
•Burpees are a great exercise that helps in improving your cardiovascular health. It is effective in building up your aerobic fitness which helps you have a healthy lifestyle.
•Burpees are helpful in toning and building up your upper body muscle.

Benefits of pull-ups:
•Pull ups are a great exercise that can help you have a healthy lifestyle.
•It is effective in toning your back muscles.
•Pull ups are also effective in strengthening your upper body muscles.
•Pull ups are a great exercise that can help you have a healthy lifestyle.

Find something you enjoy doing and do it. Have fun with your fitness journey.

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