Being a trucker, it’s hard to resist constantly eating fast-food and drinking soda. Or maybe you don’t sleep enough, and that leaves you feeling grungy and unhappy. Or maybe you don’t exercise at all. Whatever the case, here’s a few simple tips to living a happier life on the road.

Get more sleep

Getting enough sleep has a huge effect on our physical and mental health. We understand, you’d much rather drink up on coffee and drive during the late hours of the night. But, if you focus on getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night, you will feel more energetic and proficient.

Eat Healthy

Being a truck driver, it’s hard to resist the good-looking fast food and candy aisle, at a truck stop. But, that food doesn’t have sufficient nutrients to keep you energetic during the day. A healthy diet can lower your blood pressure and reduce risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Opt for a diet of fruits, vegetables and meat such as chicken, beef and lamb.

Exercise

Exercise can help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and colon cancer. It can help treat depression, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure. Look to do at least the simplest of exercises. Such as, going for a jog, weight lifting and stretching.

Lose weight if you’re overweight.

Many truckers are overweight, don’t be one of them. By losing weight, you’ll decrease the risk of getting high cholesterol and blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc. There are many weight loss programs on the internet, so they won’t be covered here.

Drink more water

By not drinking enough water you’re dehydrating your body and making it hard to function. Aim to drink 0.4-0.5 gal of water per day and you’ll reduce blood pressure, prevent kidney damage, lose weight, boost skin health and beauty, etc.

Go regularly to your doctor

All the healthy habits in the world won’t save you, if there’s an underlying health issue. Be sure to see your doctor every few months, just to be sure you’re healthy !

Quit Smoking

We understand there’s nothing better than sitting down at a truck stop and lighting a cigarette, after a stressful day of driving. But, did you know that smoking long-term actually increases stress? Quitting smoking will reduce stress, blood pressure and the chance of a heart attack. We understand quitting smoking is hard. We recommend exercising every day, that way the nicotine can exit your body faster. The cravings won’t be as hard to handle that way.