Stopping stress
There are innate stressors that come with being a trucker, but you can alleviate them
Over-the-road driving stressors are undeniable: long hours behind the wheel, tight deadlines, being away from home, just to name a few.
Short of quitting your job, there's really no way to remove most of these, but experts say you can reduce the amount of stress you feel. And it can have a positive effect on other areas of your health.
"Our mental, physical and emotional health … are inextricably linked," says Margie Warrell, author of Find Your Courage and holder of a graduate degree in psychology. "You can't have one not healthy and expect the others to be operating well. Stress is absolutely linked to our physical state of being as well."
Dr. Stuart Reeves, director of research and development for Embria Health Services and author of The Key to a Healthy Immune System, says people often overlook the way stress affects the overall human body. "Any form of stress will adversely affect a human being's immune system," he says. "Obviously a trucker's life has stress coming out the ears."
Reeves says two major problems that can come about because of job-related stress for truckers are heart problems and joint pain, which can eventually lead to arthritis. But he says the immune system can be affected even to the point where common illnesses can get you down. "You're much more likely to come down with things like coughs, colds, flu," and more, he says.
Warrell says the various stressors placed on a driver create a tough cycle. "Truckers often find themselves strained," she says, "which lowers their ability to cope with stressors."
Both Reeves and Warrell say they see two easy ways truck drivers can help their bodies cope with the stresses of being on the road: Eat healthier and exercise.
"[Truckers] are really in a bind, because some of the classic advice for strengthening your immune system is to reduce stress, get exercise and eat properly, three things I would imagine it's very difficult for truckers to do," Reeves says. "I would suggest that if they can't eat as well … and if they are aging, multivitamins are something that can do them no harm and might do them some good.
"When they are stopping, if they can get some exercise — just walking around the truckstop for 10-20 minutes can help because it does two things: It gives you exercise, and it turns the brain off. Taking vacations, whether they be two-week vacations with the family or 10-minute vacations where you're just walking and letting your mind drift, are really good ways of helping reduce stress."
Warrell says even five minutes of walking can help "bolster the body's ability to cope with stressors that are an innate part of [truckers'] jobs. … That's a really healthy thing to do for them both physically and mentally." She says drivers don't have to make drastic changes to their exercise or eating habits to see some relief — it can take as little effort as becoming mindful of portion sizes, eating meals at the same time each day and taking a few minutes in the parking lot to get the blood flowing. Warrell suggests stretching, pushups or squats.
Seven tips for reducing stress
• Stretching helps when you've been sitting all day.
• Don't eat a big meal right before bedtime.
• Do something at the end of the day to quiet down before sleep.
• Weather permitting, get outside and exercise.
• Be mindful not to overindulge on alcohol.
• Listen to music.
• Go for a bike ride.
Suggestions from Margie Warrell, www.margiewarrell.com
Multivitamin Vitals
According to www.consumersearch.com, the best multivitamin for men is the GNC Mega Men Multivitamin (retail: around $26 for 180 tablets). The site says that when looking for a multivitamin, men should seek those with 8 mg of iron or less.
For premenopausal women, the site recommends One-A-Day Women's, which contains 18 mg of iron, the recommended amount for women in this age group (retail: around $20 for 250 tablets).
For men and women over 50, the recommended multivitamin is Kirkland Signature Mature Multi 50+. The Kirkland multivitamin contains 30 mcg of vitamin B12, which people in that age range often have difficulty absorbing from food (retail: around $13 for 400 tablets).
Be sure to visit www.fit4theroad.com for more information on weight loss, healthy recipes, information on health products and more.
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