As taxi insurance specialists we understand you work long hours safely driving passengers from A to B. When your job demands you to sit for long periods of time, it can leave you feeling sluggish.
Many people in the UK sit for 7 hours a day. This can lower your body’s ability to control your blood pressure, blood sugar and to break down body fat.
To keep you healthy and on the road, we’ve some handy tips to help you exercise and eat better during your working day.
WHAT ARE THE TOP EXERCISES FOR DRIVERS?
It’s recommended that if you’re aged between 19-64 that you’ll need on average 150 minutes exercise per week. Regular exercise will help you to look and feel better. It can also reduce your risk of heart failure, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
To get you started here are some simple exercises you can do outside of your vehicle:
- Take a short walk down the road
- Walk up and down sets of stairs
If you want to increase your exercise; you could try these moves that’ll make you breathe hard and fast:
- Jogging on the spot
- Star jumps
- Shoulder circles
- Side-to-side leaps
It’s also important to include strength exercises. These are great for building stronger bones and to burn calories:
- Push-ups on a short wall
- Squats
- Sit ups
On a rainy day you could try some in-vehicle exercises. The following short video has a few great tips showing you how to avoid getting headaches, neck tightness and back pain. Doing different exercises each day will help to give you some variety. This’ll make it more fun and less like a chore!
WHAT DIET TIPS CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH?
Having a good diet is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. You might not eat when you’re out on the road. However, if you do become hungry you may be tempted to grab a takeaway if you have little time and need to keep on the move.
Eating healthily will help you to cut down on calories and can save you money. Let’s take a look at what food and drink you could try:
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- Eating fruit or oatmeal for breakfast
- Here’s the money saver! Prepare your own healthy packed lunch for work
- Eat grains with vegetables for your lunch and at dinner time
- Drink water to keep yourself hydrated and improve your alertness on the road
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Fast food is full of saturated fat, sugar and salt. This will not do your waistline much good. Here’s what we recommend you avoid:
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- Eating late at night, as your body will digest food slower at that time
- Eating junk food like burgers, pizza, crisps, cake and chocolate
- Drinking fizzy drinks
- Putting sugar in your cup of tea or coffee
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WHAT ARE THE SHORT AND LONG TERM BENEFITS?
When you begin exercising and eating healthier, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll start to feel better.
You’ll instantly feel increased energy levels, concentration and improved sleep.
Switching to exercising and eating healthier can help you to lose excess body fat, lower your blood pressure and build leaner muscle.
Over time you’ll become used to a healthier lifestyle making it easier to keep up.
HOW TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS AND STAY MOTIVATED?
You can download a free calorie counting app for your phone. This’ll help you to measure your calorie intake and daily step count.
Are other taxi drivers you know trying to improve their health? Why don’t you start a friendly bit of competition with each other? Share your daily exercise results on a group social media page. Seeing each other’s progress can help keep you motivated and on track.
Can you think of any other tips for taxi drivers to remain healthy? Share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter.
