Make Time for Exercise
I’m an owner-operator with Erb out of New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada. I’ve been a professional driver for approximately 30 years. As most drivers will attest, over time this job will take its toll on your health.

I’m almost 55 years of age and have been plagued with a severe form of arthritis for more than 15 years. To maintain mobility and the ability to keep on working, I fight my disease by exercise, swimming and a reasonably healthy diet.

I’ve decided to contribute my own outlook and program on reasons how and why I stay fit. I am not trying to diminish the opinions and helpful advice given by various medical and dietary professionals solicited for healthful tip/lifestyle articles, but until you’ve experienced the realities of life on the road, it’s all too easy to dismiss their advisements.

I’m on the road 9 to 14 days at a stretch. When it comes to proper diet, I too am at the mercy of whatever truckstop I’m parked at. Even with a small fridge/freezer, you can only take a limited amount of fresh/frozen good food with you. A microwave is definitely an asset because there are now many excellent precooked, packaged products available to us in many large local grocery stores.

I bought my condo Coronado Freightliner because it would afford me the necessary space to conduct a thorough workout, especially during inclement winter months.

I use the upper bunk for various calisthenics, Pilates and the Mackenzie method of back exercises. I reserve the living space below to set up my step-master and do additional stretches, resistance training using rubber resistance tubing as well as some dumbbell routines. Weather permitting, you’ll see me outside on mats performing more complex stretches and weight routines with a full curl bar and dead weights. I’ve also purchased a new style of roller skate, multiterrain.