Everyone likes to hit the road from time to time.
Road trips bring back the taste of freedom, of that which is untamed in one’s soul. And it’s never about a destination – trip is its only purpose.
However, good preparation was always imperative before going somewhere. “Prepare more in advance for less headache later.” – as my father used to tell me. Planning and organizing can make your voyage a memory worth sharing with everyone or create a nightmare you won’t forget about for the rest of your life. And knowing for a fact that driving as a job is not the healthiest thing for one to do, this matter gains even more in importance.
How to take care of yourself if you’re a driver health-wise and how hard it is? Well, bad habits seem to have deeper roots than we expect them to, but hey — every good change starts with small improvements and a whole lot of good will. Everything from then on is a matter of time. If you want to be as healthy driver as you can, there’s no doubt you’ll succeed in your endeavors. At least try to remember the fundamentals.
Rest, rest, rest!
Whenever health and driving are mentioned, I bet everyone starts thinking either about healthy food or about long hours in a driver’s seat. To me, there’s yet another, more important fact that should be taken into account – a good quality rest. And there are several good reasons for that.
As much as it seems to be that way, our hands and feet actually are not the ones operating a vehicle. It’s our brain that’s behind everything. From that perspective, our hands and feet can be observed as mere tools, extensions of our brain. It runs everything in our body. And in order to maintain its functions in the necessary shape it needs to go on standby occasionally. Therefore, scheduling your sleeping hours while on a road trip becomes priority number one. Otherwise, your head is as useful as that watermelon you’ve put in your trunk.
It’s not only worthless, mind you. It makes you dangerous too. And you don’t want to be considered a reckless driver.
Now, if you already have a good plan about where and when to rest, question that remains is how doing it right.
First of all, and I say this to everyone – don’t be cheap! You need a decent pillow and a mattress, as comfortable as they can be. And please, don’t take some 12 year old stuff you’ve pulled out of your basement.
Also, take care of the air temperature in your cabin, find something to warm you up when it’s cold. And the opposite, when you’re staying in or driving through some hot area, provide yourself with a fan or cooler of some sort.
Except for comfort and temperature inside your sleeping den, it would be best to find a way to make it as quiet as possible. So, have you ever heard of the white noise machine?
Find a Way Not to Be Bored to Death
If you’re not already driving through some exciting area, or (God forbid) your entire journey consists of going through some wasteland without a single detail that you might like, then you’ve got a problem. And a bit bigger than you expect. Bored drivers are prone to inattentive driving and consequently, to making mistakes.
Everyone knows that long, monotonous highways can lower a driver’s concentration. It goes down to a level where he gets a false representation that everything is fine, whereas in truth, a driver is distracted by thoughts of who knows what and is not able to react in a timely manner. And the worst thing that could happen is falling asleep while driving.
For this reason, I suggest playing some good music you like all the time (not too loud of course – you don’t want to change one distraction for another). Some singing wouldn’t hurt either. But, if you’re not in the mood for music, CB radio can sometimes be the bringer of fun and possibly a new friend or two. And being in a good mood is as important as being healthy.
“What Should I Drink?”
The most common question and believe me, the most important, second only to resting/sleeping.
Let’s start by saying this (but probably you already know it): a human body is largely made of liquids. They are critical for almost every process that takes place in our body.
Among them, water is your biggest concern. I know it’s tough today to avoid buying some soda when you drop by some fuel station with all of those glittering bottle labels. But you should really avoid buying them. Not that they are stuffed with sugar, but you can expect that you’d only quench your thirst for a limited amount of time. I won’t even start telling you about how (un)healthy they are. But don’t trust my word, read some of this. So, sodas are pretty much out of the question. That is, if you care about yourself.
Personally, I really love coffee. It helped me quite a few times when I was feeling tired. But coffee and beverages containing caffeine have their downsides.
First of all, they are not good for your stomach in the long run. Secondly, they will probably help you stay focused and awake for a few more hours, but they could also make you jumpy and irritable. If you drink a lot of coffee, you’re also risking a headache and a bad sleep later.
I know many of you truckers out there on the road won’t even consider giving up on the black drink, but you should at least think about trying out the alternatives. At least make your own coffee – it’ll contain less caffeine then the one from the commercial machine and it’ll be flavored according to your own specific taste. And if you haven’t tried cold brewed coffee yet, maybe it’s time for a change. It’s a bit healthier after all. But…
Water! Plain and simple. Nothing suits your body better than clean drinking water. Water will maintain the balance of your body fluids, it’ll help you control your calories and energizing your muscles, your kidneys will be in better shape and your skin will become softer. There are maybe some other benefits scientists don’t even know about.
There are no side effects. The more water you drink, healthier you’ll be. Just don’t take this literally. Everything you bring into your system in excessive amounts can become poisonous. Oh yes, you can poison yourself with water.
Food and Movement
There are so many theories on what is the best diet today that it is easy to get lost in searching for the right recipe. Nevertheless, basics really stayed the same.
I think that the importance of breakfast is so great that it eventually got into a song. Since the time we were living in caves until today, it was the most important meal.
Focus on energy food. Natural energy food. The morning is by me the only time of day when you should eat food that contains fat because you are most capable of processing it. Whole grain rolls should be included in your menu as well. When you feel you are no longer hungry, you should stop eating. Don’t look at the plate but pay attention to how do you feel.
Try to have more than three meals a day. And again – eat energy giving foods.
Overdoing food is another concern. Too much energy leads to storing it in your body for no obvious reason. Processing all the food in your system can make you sleepy while driving. And you know you don’t want that.
Yes, it is hard to exercise it’s a common knowledge. But, everyone can exercise a bit. You don’t have a clue what to begin with? It is in human nature to move, to walk or run. Don’t be lazy and whenever you get the chance, stretch your legs a bit. Your body will appreciate it.