Keeping the Courier Driver Fit
Whether you are a courier driver moving goods in a small van, a pickup truck or a large lorry, you are going to be spending the greater part of the day sat relatively immobile behind your steering wheel. Keeping fit is often at the forefront of a driver’s thoughts, and unless you are moving large parcels up flights of stairs all day long, your health and fitness regime may need a little additional help.
Your mind can be well stimulated by including a collection of MP3 music and audio-books to keep you entertained on your journeys, so it’s your body you must really pay attention to. It’s all too tempting to stop and grab a quick meal at a fast food drive-through, and you may forget all about the extra calories in the sugar of that sixth cup of tea for the day or the maple syrup on your pancakes!
A changing image
In the past, the image of a courier driver, especially those who operate over long distances, was of an overweight person, out of shape and probably chain-smoking cigarettes. Luckily, times have changed and the modern day delivery driver is (on the whole) all too aware that things like poor nutrition and not drinking sufficient water won’t help their health. But all of us need a little gentle reminder now and again, and there are some ingenious ways of keeping fit on the road.
Providing resistance
You may have heard of resistance band training, which can help your fitness at the gym or in your own home. To move fitness opportunities into your vehicle, an American company has developed a resistance band system that can fit easily into the majority of vans and lorries.
One of the leading companies involved in driver wellness programs, Rolling Strong, have joined forces with Freightliner, in the USA, and developed the Freightliner in Training (FIT) system. Their cheesy tagline suggests that they can help lorry drivers move more than just their parcels!
Courier drivers will be pleased this is a very simple system to fit into a vehicle, as it is purely a series of elastic resistance bands connected to brackets. You will need to install some pre-existing mounting points to connect your bands to the brackets, then you’ll receive up to 150 pounds of resistance. This makes for a great full body workout for both strength and conditioning.
There is an instruction video and a manual that will show you a list of simple exercises you can start with, enabling you to work whichever part of the body you decide to choose. Particular attention is concentrated on rotator cuff flexibility and your lower back area, because these are often the biggest problems for drivers.
The system works equally well for men and women and for people of all different sizes, shapes and weights. Although this is quite obviously not a system you should be using while you are actually driving, by using it for a few minutes across several breaks during the day, rather than joining the burger queue, you will be able to make small and gradual changes to your health and fitness. Keeping fit is all about lifestyle and ensuring you find opportunities where you can – and that doesn’t have to mean a 5K run every morning before climbing into your van.
You can buy the system from the US for around $70 and the shipping cost to the UK won’t add much to your bill; hopefully over time, it can help you lose weight and keep fitter. For courier drivers who need to make the most of their short, erratic breaks, the resistance band system is a fantastic idea.
