Skip Menu

Blog

National Exercise Day is April 18th! 

Here at JBS Logistics, we value personal wellbeing and health. April 18th is National Exercise Day, and here are some things we are encouraging to promote a better exercise routine! Just 10 minutes a day can have a positive impact on your overall health… “A 2014 survey of long-haul truck drivers by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that 69 percent were obese, 17 percent morbidly so. A Gallup-Healthways analysis revealed that transportation workers, including truckers, weigh the most and have the highest risk for chronic health problems of any occupational group. Considering the ramifications (heart attack, stroke, fatigue. . .), the 2.5 million trucks on U.S. roads just might be our biggest national safety threat.” Some things you can do to get your exercise in and increase mobility while on the job:

  1. Take the stairs rather than elevators
  2. Work out or stretch after a long drive
  3. Have a dog? Take them for a walk!
  4. Set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier in the morning and do some yoga, stretching, or take your walk

How is JBS Logistics Promoting a Healthier Lifestyle?

We encourage staff to find time in the day to exercise. Whether you are a driver or office staff, a 10-minute walk around the building, a walk while on a rest break, or simply getting fresh air outside the truck can increase your mood, lower stress, improve circulation, and promote better sleep. Exercise also controls weight, body stiffness and lethargy, and combats health conditions and diseases drivers may face.

Tips We Give Drivers for Exercise:

  1. 10 minutes a day, this can include stretching, walking, mediating or running
  2. You don’t need exercise equipment. Some of the best workouts are yoga, planks, pushup or crunches
  3. Eat a balanced diet, this can help sleep and digestion
    1. Fast food places that have healthier alternatives: Chick Fil A yogurt parfait, chicken salad, or chicken wrap
    2. Wendys apple pecan salad, cobb salad or grilled chicken wrap
    3. Looking for more options? Here is a link to 45 Healthiest Fast-Food Orders
  4. Unsure of what yoga poses you could do? 10 Great Full Body Stretches
  5. Not into yoga? No problem! Here are exercises you can do without equipment

How Can You Promote a Healthier Lifestyle?

Unsure how to promote a healthy lifestyle? At JBS Logistics, we encourage adequate exercise and diet. Our offices have sidewalks and long hallways for staff to stretch their legs and get some fresh air. Give your staff ideas! Quick and effective workouts are manageable for all, no matter how busy. The runners stretch, side standing stretch and forward hang stretch are some of the most common stretches you can do to improve circulation and mobility. In an article written by the American Heart Association… “Get up and move throughout the day. Any activity is better than none. Even light intensity activity can onset the serious health risks of being sedentary.” As we work in offices or drive trucks, we are often sitting down for long periods of time. This is hard on our hips and back. Incorporating activities like stretching or yoga can help eliminate pain or stiffness throughout the body.

Eat healthy! As drivers on the road or office staff, finding time or places that serve healthy alternatives with a time crunch can be difficult. Packing small healthy snacks or having healthy options in the office to eliminate unhealthy snacking. At JBS Logistics, we have a full kitchen in our offices so staff can refrigerate or make their lunches. In an article written by Joe Kita… “Eat breakfast, then eat every three hours. This keeps the hunger at bay and prevents bingeing late in the day. Keep healthy snacks handy. When traveling, the tendency is to eat what is available, so make only healthy food available.”

 

 

References:

Berg, S. (2022, March 25). What doctors wish patients knew about increasing physical activity. American Medical Association. https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-increasing-physical-activity#

Davis, N. (2020, May 29). 13 moves that let you build muscle without weights. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-nutrition/no-weight-workout#Combine-5-6-of-these-exercises-to-make-one-challenging-routine

Fitness, home workouts, before-and-after transformations, and more - mens’s health. (n.d.-a). https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/

Liao, S. (2024, May 1). This quick full-body stretching routine will help loosen stiff muscles. Real Simple. https://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/stretching-yoga/stretching-exercises#:~:text=Stand%20with%20your%20feet%20together,Repeat%20on%20the%20left%20side.

National exercise day | April 18 - National Day Calendar. (n.d.-b). https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-exercise-day-april-18#:~:text=National Exercise Day on April,Including healthier eating habits too.