Is your tummy getting a little too close to the steering wheel? Or is all that time in the truck doing a number on your back? Here are some exercises that you can pack up and take with you on the road.

Put these in your cab for a quick, anywhere work-out:

LIGHTWEIGHT DUMBBELLS: 3 to 5-pound weights allow you to tone your upper body without taking up too much room.

COLLAPSIBLE LIFTING BAR: If you don’t want to drag dumbbells around, or if you want greater resistance for your muscles, invest in a lifting bar (a lightweight plastic bar with resistance tubing) for muscle toning.

JUMP ROPE: Burn calories and shape up your legs and arms by jumping rope.

ELASTIC EXERCISE BAND: It looks like a huge rubber band, but it’s a good substitute for fitness machines that work your leg and thigh muscles.

No Equipment Required:

PUSH-UPS--Great for toning arms, back, chest and shoulders when you don’t have access to weight machines. You can do them on a flat surface, by standing and pushing off a wall, or kneeling facing a chair and holding the sides of the seat.

LUNGES--Strengthen thigh muscles by lunging around a parking lot. Step forward with your right leg, bend your left knee to the ground. Keep your back straight and make sure your right knee doesn’t extend past your toes. Alternate legs.

ARM CURLS--If you don’t have dumbbells or exercise bands, you can use any object that’s easy to grab and gives you enough resistance to tone your biceps. In a pinch, a suitcase, a laptop computer, or a phonebook make excellent hand weights.

**Also, try jumping jacks, crunches, or leg lifts

Tone on the Go:

You can even work out while you’re working! Try some trucker-aerobics on your next trek:

Squeeze your abs by pulling the belly button towards the spine (don’t hold your breath). Hold for 2 seconds, release and repeat 16 times.
Place a pillow or towel between your knees and squeeze. Hold for 2 seconds and release slightly, repeating for 16 times.
If you’re at a pit-stop:

Hold a pillow between hands at chest level (or just press palms together) and squeeze for 2 seconds, release and repeat 16 reps.
Place palms on the ceiling of the cab, shoulder-width apart. Press into the top for 2 seconds and release for 16 reps.
Lean over and wrap arms behind the knees, grabbing onto each elbow. Using legs as an anchor, pull your torso away from your body, rounding the back up towards the sky for a great back stretch.
Speaking of Backs!

We know your back gets a beating, being on the road for hours at a time. Here are some ways to beat that low back pain:

Ankle Pumps - Lie on your back and bend leg. Move ankles up and down.
Repeat 10 times.

Heel Slides - Lie on your back. Slowly bend and straighten knee.
Repeat 10 times.

Abdominal Contraction - Lie on your back with knees bent and hands resting
below ribs. Tighten abdominal muscles to squeeze ribs down toward back.
Be sure not to hold breath. Hold 5 seconds. Relax. Repeat 10 times.

Wall Squats - Stand with back leaning against wall. Walk feet 12 inches in
front of body. Keep abdominal muscles tight while slowly bending both knees
45 degrees. Hold 5 seconds. Slowly return to upright position. Repeat 10 times.

Heel Raises - Stand with weight even on both feet. Slowly raise heels up and
down. Repeat 10 times.

Straight Leg Raises - Lie on your back with one leg straight and one knee
bent. Tighten abdominal muscles to stabilize low back. Slowly lift leg straight up
about 6 to 12 inches and hold 1 to 5 seconds. Lower leg slowly. Repeat 10 times.

Single Knee to Chest Stretch - Lie on your back with both knees bent.
Hold thigh behind knee and bring one knee up to chest. Hold 20 seconds.
Relax. Repeat 5 times on each side.

Hamstring Stretch - Lie on your back with legs bent. Hold one thigh behind
knee. Slowly straighten knee until a stretch is felt in back of thigh. Hold
20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 5 times on each side.

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons