How to stay healthy as a HGV driver
As you may know, driving for long hours on end without breaks or the proper movement of your body can lead to stiffness and aches around your body which is why it is essential for every driver to know how to keep your body and mind healthy. There are 4 key areas that you need pay attention to which are exercise, drinking, eating and sleeping which we will dive into.
- Exercise
Especially as a HGV driver this is one of the most important factors, if not the most important factor, you need to make sure you are doing a lot of stretching before your shifts, in your breaks and after your shifts. This will help you relieve a lot of the stiffness around your body which will increase your performance and awareness during driving. You should also aim to do at least 5 minutes of a cardio related exercise to increase your blood flow as sitting down driving may decrease your blood flow. - Drinking
Staying hydrated throughout your day is very important as it allows you to keep a clear mind to focus and be aware of your surroundings. Furthermore, drinking water will boost your energy levels throughout the day as opposed to drinking other liquids. You should aim to drink half of your body weight(measured in pounds) of ounces per day. If you weigh 70KG than you should be drinking 77 ounces of water(2.2 litres) per day. - Eating
You are what you eat, if you are eating high fat, high sugar foods then you are likely to feel tired and drained throughout the day. You should consider preparing your own food at home so you can more easily control what you eat, it is recommended to have a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, proteins, wholegrain, high-fibre foods and so on. - Sleeping
There isn’t any one sleeping schedule that works for everyone. Each person has a different internal alarm clock and required amount of hours to wake up feeling refreshed. That being said, you want to ensure you are getting at least 6 hours of sleep per night.
Please let us know if you have any interesting tips on leading a healthy lifestyle and we’d be happy to share it with everyone!
Thank you for reading,
The HGV Recruitment Centre