TRUCKERS’ HEALTH
SIX SIMPLE STRETCHES
A
s a truckie, you spend long periods of your day sitting down. This is obviously unavoidable in your line of work. But it does mean that you may feel stiff or have aches and pains from being in the same position for hours on end. It may not always be possible to stop for breaks or take short walks, but here are six simple stretches that you can do to help ease out those stiff and tired muscles. Hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds each side.
If you want to feel an extra stretch through your calf muscle, flex the foot and gently pull it back toward yourself.
place the other foot beside the outside of the knee. Once you are comfortable, place the opposite elbow on the outside of the bent knee and gently twist as much as you can manage. You should hopefully feel your muscles easing as you gently push away with the elbow.
1. Quad stretch Lift one leg up and hold your leg around your ankle. If your balance isn’t too sharp, hold a chair or support to keep you steady. Try to keep your knees together as best as you can. You should feel a nice stretch down your quad/thigh muscle. 2. Hamstring and calf stretch Keep one leg bent whilst straightening the other leg as best as you can. Depending upon your flexibility, grab your ankle, calf or knee and bend down towards your leg, keeping your back straight and your shoulders back (no hunching).
112 New Zealand Trucking
3. Tricep stretch Put your hands above your head, take one elbow with the other hand and gently pull the arm slightly towards the centre of your body. You should feel a nice stretch down the back of your arm. 4. Back and glute stretch This is probably the trickiest stretch in the bunch, but it is a pearler for stretching through your back, glutes and torso. Sit down on the floor, keep one leg straight as you
5. Shoulder stretch A nice simple one for your shoulders. Place both arms straight
August 2022
NZT 21
