Truckers’ Health

SIX SIMPLE STRETCHES

As 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.

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). If you want to feel an extra stretch through your calf muscle, flex the foot and gently pull it back toward yourself.

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 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.

5. Shoulder stretch A nice simple one for your shoulders. Place both arms straight

out in front of you, lay one arm across your body onto your bicep, flex the arm underneath and gently pull the arm towards you. You don’t need to be too aggressive with how hard or far you pull the arm; even a subtle movement will give you a good stretch. 6. Neck stretch People who work at a computer or drive for long hours often complain of having a sore or stiff neck. Here is a simple way to ease it out. Stand up (or stay seated) and gently place one of your hands on the opposite side of your head, gently and slowly move your head towards the bent elbow and hold when you reach a comfortable position and can feel a good stretch down your neck and upper shoulders. If it feels right, stretch out your other arm and flex the hand to counterbalance the stretch.

Stretching for five to ten minutes when you wake up in the morning and before you go to bed at night can make a massive difference to your stiffness, aches and can improve your flexibility. You don’t have to commit a massive amount of time to it or do complex yoga movements. Keep it short and simple and then you’re more likely to stick to it and benefit from it. If you struggle with ideas or techniques, you can also follow along with stretch videos on YouTube, which can be very helpful.

Laura Hulley

Personal trainer

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