Exercise: It Doesn't Have To Be Your Passion

I went for a brisk walk when I arrived in Brandon Manitoba this evening. I always feel better for it when I'm done, especially if I had to push myself to get out of the truck and start moving. I admit I have developed a passion for exercise. If there is such a thing as a positive addiction, exercise is it for me. Going for a daily run or a daily walk has become a form of meditation for me. I turn off my phone, I don't use an ipod, and I turn my mind away from the concerns of the day. It is a peaceful and contemplative time for me that I come away from feeling energized and alive. It's important to me and has a high priority in my daily life.

I firmly believe you don't have to have a passion for exercise to get the exercise you need. You only need to recognize that daily exercise is an investment in your future. It also has the short term benefit of clearing away the mental fatigue you build up over the course of a day. How much exercise do you need? The recommendation is 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days per week. Moderate exercise means increasing your heart rate to the point where you are breathing deeper and sweating lightly. You should still be able to carry on a conversation. In other words a brisk 30 minute walk 5 days per week.

There is no fancy equipment involved. There are no expensive club memberships needed. All you need is to find the motivation to walk 15 minutes down the road, turn around, and walk back. That  30 minutes per day can also provide you with the ideal opportunity to contemplate your day and plan tomorrow.

The next time you have a dock delay seize the opportunity. The simplest things in life can often be the most profound. Go for a walk. You just may set yourself on a path that changes your life for the better.

Stress: Time

Time is the element we all share as commercial drivers. Will we get the freight there on time? Do we have enough time to get there? Can we make up some time? Can we save some time? It's very easy to become a clock watcher in this business.

This morning I watched my EOBR click past the 8 hour mark giving me back time to drive again. My first thought was I should not have taken that extra 15 minutes this morning to nap a little longer even though I know I needed a little more sleep. It all gets just a little bit ridiculous after a while. The extra 15 minutes was worth it as far as I'm concerned.

I've learned not to pay too much attention to clocks and watches in this business. Efficiency is in the planning and execution not in how fast you can get down the road. I know my average speed getting through Ontario is somewhere between 87 and 89 kph. That is a reality I cannot change.

But there is a hugest conflict between the time that's required to get the job done and the time that is required to look after ourselves and our families. Time is our business. After all, we are in the business of delivering freight in a timely manner. So it comes as no surprise that time is the major stress factor in a drivers daily life. It is not without irony that few of us take the time to deal with this topic.

#truckerhealth

The title of this post is the hashtag I am using on my twitter feed this week. It's a bit of an experiment in social networking on my part to create some exposure for some of the health issues we face as drivers.

Back in June I became involved in a health and safety transportation group based out of Hamilton. It is a joint venture between McMaster university department of medicine and the city of Hamilton public health department. Our next meeting is on October fourth so I am going to use the next 7 days to tweet and blog about my experience on the road to create a reference log of sorts for other members of the group that do not have experience as commercial drivers.

I am not sure how successful I will be but I'm going to limit my blogs and tweets to the mundane routine of each day. How long a drive for, what I eat, when I exercise, the stresses I face, and so forth.

By providing a snapshot of a week in the life of a commercial driver I am hoping that will help lead to the development of an action plan that will assist others in dealing with the health and lifestyle challenges we face out here on the road.