If you have read my columns in the past, you know I believe this: When it comes to weight loss it’s always about movement and what you put in your mouth.
The next time you have a DOT exam, if your doctor tells you need to lose weight to manage your blood pressure, you might wind up with a prescription for medication.
While you should always follow your doctor’s orders, here’s a proven “medication” that doesn’t require a prescription — walking. We all know that any physical activity can boost your overall health, and walking delivers extra value when time is sensitive for professional drivers.
Here are some extra value points offered by walking.
- Walking doesn’t require special equipment; just invest in a good pair of shoes. Much like your truck, good tread on your feet makes a difference in performance, mileage and smoother ride.
- Walking helps control your appetite. It also helps to burn calories — which supports weight loss.
- Walking reduces stress levels. This is my favorite benefit of walking, and it really does work! I have found interval walking to be the most effective, as it fits a driver’s tight time schedule and is easy on the joints. After a brief five-minute warm up, pick up the pace for 30 seconds and then slow it down for two minutes. Repeat.
- Studies show that walking reduces arthritis-related pain. Walking protects the joints — especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis — by lubricating them and strengthening your stabilizer muscles that support them.
- Walking, along with good nutrition and a vitamin regimen, can help boost your immune system. This is especially important during cold and flu season.
In closing, please note that these benefits work best when you incorporate walking into your daily lifestyle. Give yourself at least 30 days to feel the difference; you will feel it first and, after a period of time, you will see the difference.
Good luck, and thanks for all you do for all of us every day.
Known as The Trucker Trainer, Bob Perry has played a critical role in the paradigm shift of regulatory agencies, private and public sector entities, and consumers to understand the driver health challenge. Perry can be reached at [email protected].
Bob Perry has spent nearly the past four decades on a mission to educate professional drivers and share life-changing products and services to help them live healthier lives while on the road. Recognized throughout the transportation industry, from bus drivers to over-the-road professional drivers, Bob Perry has played an important role in creating a paradigm shift helping regulatory agencies, private and public sector entities, and consumers understand the current health challenges of the professional driver. He has participated as a wellness advocate in several roundtable discussions, large audience groups and small forums as well as going “curbside” through a national truck stop tour.
Bob’s articles have been featured in The Trucker and a number of other national transportation industry publications and is the host of a weekly wellness call produced by Rolling Strong. Bob has been a regular guest on RedEye Radio and Land-Line Radio, and is often an invited guest on Sirius radio shows. He has been featured in the New York Times, Men’s Health Magazine, Drug Store News, American Road Magazine, WSJ, NPR, ABC National Radio, as well as hundreds of daily newspapers. He has appeared on television news shows across the nation, including a featured TV segment on ABC NightLine News.
