How Do You Stay Fit In A Sedentary Profession

Hey folks, it's been a minute since I posted a question, but I continue to lurk and learn from y'all and I appreciate your wisdom. I finally retired from law enforcement after 25 years on January 30 and I'm burning my leave until the end of June. So I'm basically on a paid vacation. One of the worst parts of being a road cop was spending so much time sitting and eating cop (Junk) food. Sound familiar?

I know the solution is simply to eat better and exercise more. What I'd like to know is how do y'all stay fit? Do you have an exercise routine that fits your job and lifestyle? As a nation we have become terribly unhealthy, I am just wanting to stay as healthy as I can for as long as I can. Thank you all!

Most trucks have a refrigerator in them, but if you are going to be out weeks, it's too small to hold much, so get another refrigerator or a bigger cooler. Bring cooking equipment and raw food to cook on the road or cook meals at home to just reheat on the road....that's what I do.

Park in the back row at truck stops to walk in to the store. Also, less chance of getting hit if just walking around. If you have a dog, it needs exercise also, so take it for a jaunt.

Realize that sitting without exercise can cause edema in your legs and other areas. So, make a couple stops during the day and raise your legs up or go walk.

Laura

This is a 6 x 9 slow cooker that I plug into my inverter. A precooked meal, including meat, heats in a couple hours. Need to full cook the meal will take 4+ hrs. They also have a 9 x 13 size.

I hate cooking, so I cook it at home, freeze and heating it on the road is a better solution for me. When I stack it in the refrigerator or cooler, I stack it top to bottom, how I want to eat it...tho I do change my mind. That way the top ones thaw out while the bottom ones stay frozen longer. Being cooked, they are still good 3 weeks later.

Laura

Exercising on the road is tough, meaning it takes real commitment. However, it is very possible, and absolutely rewarding. The routine I’ve developed goes like this: run/jog 45-50 mins. every-other-day, work out w/a dumbbell + slow-motion push-ups + planks on the alternating days. On the run days, I park at a truck stop, tank wash, or OC, usually do an out-and-back run, shower. If I have to I’ll work the run in during my 10-hr break, but I prefer not to. It’s a great way to break up the day, so I try to get it done during my work day, not before or after. Once I start my 14-hr clock I have 14 hours to drive 11, so that gives me several hours to play with.

Using the dumbbell I’ll perform several different arm and shoulder exercises, very slow, deliberate push-ups, and planks. I’ll go immediately from one exercise to another, keeping my heart rate up and fitting in as many sets as I can. This takes usually 35-40 minutes. I can do these next to or behind my trailer, in my cab, or in the shower room of the truck stop.

The key here is just to exercise; I’ve shown that the time is there, you can use it to do whatever works best for you.

As I said before, you really have to be committed to do this every day, as well as flexible with the time you exercise. But if you make it a priority, you can get it done.

5280 feet in a mile. Run up and down the side of a 53 trailer 100 times. I haven’t made it to 100 but I do run around my trailer. Also use bags of snow chains as weights

During the month of August in Alabama, Georgia, or Louisiana, show up at a shipper to grab a preloaded trailer that you need to manually crank up 12 inches because you cannot back under it with your tractor.

This never fails to be an excellent workout!