“On your mark! Get set! Go!”

According to Statista.com, almost 66 million Americans went on a run between spring 2008 and spring 2014. The growing popularity of running is booming and creating a huge impact on how Americans develop healthy lifestyles. Fitness goals can vary from person to person, but at the end of the day we all just want to be healthy and feel great.

So how do truck drivers go about being healthy and staying fit when they’re on the road most of the time? And how do you join all those Americans who have taken up running as a way to exercise regularly and keep healthy?

First Things First: Set Your Fitness Goals!

Write down what you want to accomplish during your training. Ask yourself:

• Do you want to lose weight?
• Maintain your current weight?
• Train for a half marathon?
• Or, simply run for leisure?

Just make sure your goals are clear so you know what to expect from the work you are putting in.

Decide How Much Time You Can Commit to Fitness

While running doesn’t require a lot of equipment or a special facility (you can put on your running shoes and get going just about anywhere), it can take some time, depending on how long and far you want to run.

So think about how much time you want to dedicate to your running schedule. Life on the road can be unpredictable at times, but if you set aside a specific amount of time each week, you are more likely to schedule it in.

Join a Group to Take Your Fitness Goals to the Next Level

Fitness goals are a good start to living a healthy lifestyle as a truck driver but they are hard to keep up with if you’re pursuing them all on your own.

While the first step in any truck driver fitness plan is to set goals, joining a group can help take your goals to the next level.

One way to keep yourself on pace and take your goals to the next level is to join a fitness group. Fitness groups have been proven to keep individuals accountable and focused on sticking to a plan. Like-minded individuals will set the tone for your success. Plus, they will challenge you and take you to the next level of training.

Depending on the group and your level of experience, you can even mentor those who are new to your group. The more involved you are in a fitness group, the greater the health benefits.

A Great Online Truck Driver Fitness Group

Joining a local group is often impractical for truck drivers given their traveling lifestyles. Which is why a lot of truckers are starting to look online for that sense of accountability and shared fitness goals, creating trucker-specific fitness groups.

If you’re a runner or want to get into running, Truckin’ Runners is a great online group you should consider for running support. It’s a growing community for truck drivers who like to hit the road and collect miles off the truck. Their motto says it all: “Truckers who run. Runners who truck.”

Truckin’ Runners also invites its members to “share training tips, race information, nutrition, cross-training, books, magazines or running play lists.” Basically, any sort of information that might be helpful to a trucker who’s looking to stay healthy and fit.

There is strength in numbers when you have the support of others living the same lifestyle. The Truckin’ Runners website and Facebook page (accessible through the site; you’ll have to sign into Facebook to view the page and request to join) are great places to start. Check them out.

We hope to see you online and on the road — whether you’re in your truck or your running shoes!