You don’t have to be highly trained in the field of Pilates or Yoga to incorporate a stretching routine into your daily regime. But it is important to take care of your body, especially if you are prone to sitting for long periods of time. Commercial vehicle operators (CVO), or those of us glued to our desks 8+ hours a day, could reap the benefits of getting into a daily stretching routine to help prepare our bodies for the day/week ahead.
Sergio Rojas, a Driver Wellness Advisor, has put together a video of a series of exercises/stretches that you can incorporate at the beginning and/or end of your day, to help prevent the development of back pain, as well as reduce symptoms if you are already experiencing back pain. As you can see the video is 5 minutes long (granted some talking time in between) so it would not take much out of your day to start incorporating these into your daily routine!
Back Pain Relief / Prevention – YouTube
If you’d like to venture further into Sergio’s Youtube Channel he provides further videos on different exercise and stretches to better your physical health.
Some background on Sergio Rojas provided by Sergio Rojas – Work Truck Online
Sergio Rojas
Driver Wellness Advisor
Sergio Rojas, a 2018 HDT Truck Fleet Innovator, began his career as a personal trainer, nutritionist and health coach in 1997. Certified in a variety of nutrition and fitness disciplines, he holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, was a health expert for NBC for 11 years. In 2016, he turned to wellness in the trucking industry, and was previously director of wellness at Hirschbach Motor Lines. He now runs a wellness consultancy called Vitality by Sergio, where he helps companies develop programs for wellness, emotional intelligence and leadership. He writes a Driver Wellness column that appears in Heavy Duty Trucking and on TruckingInfo.com.
Wellness Together Canada
Mental health and substance use support resources, and counselling with mental health professional
Adults: Text WELLNESS to 741741
Front Line Workers: Test FRONTLINE to 741741
Canadian Mental Health Association (National) Provides advocacy, programs and resources that help to prevent mental health problems and illnesses and support recovery and resilience
https://cmha.ca/document-catergory/mental-health
Telephone: 1-833-456-4566 Telephone (Quebec): 1-866-277-3553
Kids Help Phone Available to young Canadians between 5 to 29 years old who are seeking 24-hour confidential and anonymous care with professional counsellors
Telephone: 1-800-668-6868 Text CONNECT to 686868
Online chat: https://kidshelpphone.ca/live-chat
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health A wide range of clinical care services for mental illness and addictions
Telephone: 1-800-463-2338
Government of Canada Links for family violence resources and services in your area
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/stop-family-violence/services.html
Strongest Families Institute Provides services to children and families seeking help for mental health and other issues impacting health and well-being
https://strongestfamilies.com/
Telephone: 1-866-470-7111
Hope for Wellness Help Line Counseling and crisis intervention for all Indigenous peoples across Canada
https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1576089519527/1576089566478
Telephone: 1-855-242-3310
Online Chat: https://hopeforwellness.ca
Centre de prevention du suicide de Quebec (Quebec residents) Help line for those thinking about suicide or are worried about a loved on
Telephone: 1-866-277-3553
Canada Suicide Prevention Service A national network of existing distress, crisis and suicide prevention line services
https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/
Telephone: 1-833-456-4566
Trans LifeLine A trans-led organization connecting trans people to the community, support and resources they need
https://www.trasnlifeline.org/
Telephone: 1-877-330-6366
Mental Health Resources Guide for Winnipeg (cmha.ca)
www.cmhahrb.ca mental health resources for Halton
www.haltonadapt.org ADAPT – Alcohol, Drug and Addiction
www.supporthouse.ca Support House – Mental Health, Substance Use, and Housing
Home | Distress Centre Halton (dchalton.ca) Halton Distress Centre supports people in their community to better cope with crisis, loneliness, and emotional stress.
Oakville: 905-849-4541
Burlington: 905-681-1488
Halton Hills: 905-877-1211
www.one-link.ca One-Link Mental Health Referral Services-provides coordinated access to a number of addictions and mental health services within Mississauga and Halton through one referral and intake assessment process.
905-338-4123 or toll-free at 1-844-216-7411 if you have questions about referral or local resources.
Canada Life: Insurance, Investments, & Retirement Canada Life site with pages to resources and information on a variety of topics
www.rockonline.ca Reach Out Centre for Kids Halton
The Five Things Successful Working Parents Give Up To Reach A Work-Life Balance (forbes.com) Work/life Balance tips for parents and caregivers
Parenting Resources:
Mental Health Supports for Parents and Families
www.firstthings.org/coronavirus-resources-parenting
www.irstthings.org/how-not-to-let-parenting-stress-take-over-your-life
www.parkview.com/community/dashboard/dealing-with-parenting-stressduring-covid-19
Article on Supporting Children’s Online Education:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tips – Transportation (ccohs.ca) Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety COVID-19 Tips for Drivers
https://www.trucknews.com/transportation/its-time-totalk/1003083370/ Mental Wellness and Truck Driving