8,700,000 Class A CDL drivers on the road today.

4,872,000 of us are overweight. 

3,410,000 are obese.

These numbers are current, they are REAL, and quite frankly they should scare the blazes out of any trucker on the road today. It's true that trucking is a lifestyle and honestly the lifestyle is killing us one combo meal at a time. Our job for the most part has very little physical activity attached to it. Our fatigue is primarily caused by mental and psychological exertion while driving America's highways and byways. So how do we combat this lifestyle we all love so much? It's not easy but it can be done. I'm living proof. Working out on the road takes dedication and a whole lot of commitment. It can take many forms from the INSANITY workout I did on the road to simply walking 3-5 times a week. There are a few simple things to keep in mind once you decide to make the commitment to working out.

First, keep in mind that to effectively lose weight you've got to raise your metabolism, which increases your bodies thermogenic process. You do that through diet and exercise. Losing weight requires that you burn more calories than you take in. Driving a truck eleven hours a day makes that hard. Here are some things you can do to start your journey towards a healthier trucking lifestyle.

Regardless what form your workout takes, you've got to make sure you exercise a minimum of 20 minutes every session. If you exercise for less, all your doing is burning muscle. You don't start burning fat until after you pass the 20 minute mark. Make sure you stretch for a few minutes before and after you workout. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout. The key is raising your heart rate which over time increases your metabolism and that's when you start to lose weight.

Don't get discouraged if you don't "see" results in the first couple of weeks. On average it takes approximately 2-4 weeks before you begin to "feel" a difference, 6-8 weeks before you will start to "see" a difference, and roughly 12 weeks before others will see the difference in you physically. To increase your progress, add some resistance to your workout. For example if your walking, carry soup cans or maybe gallon jugs of oil. The key is to always keep moving, even if you have to slow down KEEP MOVING.

Being consistent is ultra important. Find a support group of other drivers and keep each other accountable. There are an abundance of organizations and groups out there geared towards helping drivers get healthy. Online searches or on Facebook will turn up lots of results. Feel free to leave a question or comment below. We are here to help.

As always, this is the Truck-Writer and I am 10-10 on the side.