I would say keeping a healthy state of mind is also important.
Being able to switch off from the “noise” (phones ringing, people moaning , ever decreasing standards in driving) of the job is important.
If you let it get into your head, you dont sleep. You dont sleep, you’re dead.
If It cant be done today, there is always tomorrow.
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I ■■■■■■■ love this job.
Yesterday I went to Bristol.
Could be there any time between 8 and 4.
Got there for 8…tipped for half past
Then listened to bowie…all the way home.
Wehey…5 day weekend 
My lower back certainly took a pounding after 30 years driving class 1, I’m retired now and it takes a handful of painkillers just to get out of bed these days.
I don’t see anybody talking about Hemorrhoid’s! Sat bouncing around on the rusty starfish for decades takes it toll too, cream & applicators feature a lot in my life 
peirre:
Poor diet, inactivity, stress, long hours …
Indeed.
Never knew how bad it was until I stopped driving myself, took a yard job in the same place and within weeks I was much healthier without the stress that a driver has.
You know when some halfwit causes you to take some unexpected action & that tingle shoots through the system (adrenaline) and as you are sat immobile in the seat you cannot work it off (rinse & repeat around the M25)
i think its about how long in the industry…in the early days it was normal to stop at burger vans, stuff your face with all the fried food they could muster, todays van is a little more healthy, with salad on offer and i dont use them as much as i used to.
The vehicles played a part too, awkward entry and exit from the cabs, standing on the metal wheel trims, often caught my shins on when it was wet.
Rolling up sheets, roping as well, and often had to climb on the trailer and jump off to load , stack and unload as well…this played havoc in my later years as roping in bad weather caused cracks in my fingers which are painful at times…often bad seat comfort till the bostroms arrived and later the air suspension and air seats. There is also a safety awareness of getting in and out of the cabs now as well…but the earlier comfort played havoc with my back, leading to an operation. The old days of all manual gearboxes have also taken their toll on my knees, whereas now the automatics dont cause as many problems.
I think also as you get older you eat more sensibly and not so much junk food…but there are many drivers who are on the point of being obese, never get their health checked and are prone to a heart attack, afraid that if they report it, it could lead to a licence revocation…i believe it should be compulsory to have a heart check, or indeed a real medical and not a form filling exercise as is what happens, and a doctor who isnt your normal Gp has no clue as to your health history, unlike your normal GP, avoided because of the cost, of course a doctor only has your medical history if you report any problems, which many do not, and i have seen them struggle to get up the steps let alone walk…my medical history is ok, as i reported everything i have suffered with, and do indeed have a regular heart scan c/o DVLA.
nightline:
robroy:
dozy:
Just looking at holiday photos I aged 10 yrs in 3 actual years , my remedy to this was to retire Spain, but due to 17.4 million Leavers that has not been possible , but looks very likely ar50 will be revoked ( well done vince cable) & me & my wife can get the retirement we deserve , in the mean time I’m my daughters taxi service , builder , kitten sitter etc etcTbf doze any driver who allows Stobbies planners to [zb] them about and run them into the ground as you used to
I do the same, or similar job as you did mate, but I haven’t aged much in 10 yrs in appearance, because I do the job at a sensible pace, don’t succumb to pressure, park in proper places, and get enough rest between shifts…
It all depends how you apply yourself to it.
Enjoy your retirement anyway.As for the o/p…
Guys I have spoke to over the years have had job related ailments and conditions ranging from bad backs, dodgy knee joints, ulcers with not eating properly (and/or eating all the wrong stuff ) heart attacks, (usually the ones who go at the job like a bull at a gate) to the Farmer Giles and deep vein thrombosis. (both with them sitting on their arses all day for too long.)
Me personally, I’ve had the dodgy lower back, sciatica, my upper arm tendons are really [zb] painful, (like a repetitive stress thing with kipping in narrow bunks for so long I reckon) and I could do with losing about a stone and a half, so the job has done me no favours either.
Other than that I’m a fine figure of hunky male beefcake.
.
Another thing, I was having this conversation with a mate a few weeks back, …many of those who I have known, those that have spent their lives maxing out, going like a [zb] idiot, working and sleeping patterns only, ( ie… the job/endurance test teararse crewThere is always a mate I was talking too,
also what does anyone expect with the hours people have to work at this game
And to make it worse you have people taking holidays then coming back to work and doing extra because they spend there holidays worrying about how much they lost by taking time off
I was talking to a mate last week and he told me that there is always people like that and it’s people like that who [zb] it up for everyone else, I think he said something like they don’t have respect for life im meeting another mate next week I’ll see what he says
See what you did there, an attempt at humour…keep it up. 
However…the credibility went when you said you had a mate …yeh right.
robroy:
nightline:
robroy:
dozy:
Just looking at holiday photos I aged 10 yrs in 3 actual years , my remedy to this was to retire Spain, but due to 17.4 million Leavers that has not been possible , but looks very likely ar50 will be revoked ( well done vince cable) & me & my wife can get the retirement we deserve , in the mean time I’m my daughters taxi service , builder , kitten sitter etc etcTbf doze any driver who allows Stobbies planners to [zb] them about and run them into the ground as you used to
I do the same, or similar job as you did mate, but I haven’t aged much in 10 yrs in appearance, because I do the job at a sensible pace, don’t succumb to pressure, park in proper places, and get enough rest between shifts…
It all depends how you apply yourself to it.
Enjoy your retirement anyway.As for the o/p…
Guys I have spoke to over the years have had job related ailments and conditions ranging from bad backs, dodgy knee joints, ulcers with not eating properly (and/or eating all the wrong stuff ) heart attacks, (usually the ones who go at the job like a bull at a gateMe personally, I’ve had the dodgy lower back, sciatica, my upper arm tendons are really [zb] painful, (like a repetitive stress thing with kipping in narrow bunks for so long I reckon) and I could do with losing about a stone and a half, so the job has done me no favours either.
Other than that I’m a fine figure of hunky male beefcake.
Another thing, I was having this conversation with a mate a few weeks back, …many of those who I have known, those that have spent their lives maxing out, going like a [zb] idiot, working and sleeping patterns only, ( ie… the job/endurance test teararse crewThere is always a mate I was talking too,
also what does anyone expect with the hours people have to work at this game
And to make it worse you have people taking holidays then coming back to work and doing extra because they spend there holidays worrying about how much they lost by taking time off
I was talking to a mate last week and he told me that there is always people like that and it’s people like that who [zb] it up for everyone else, I think he said something like they don’t have respect for life im meeting another mate next week I’ll see what he says
However…the credibility went when you said you had a mate
I know it’s a shock to me too, but i am trying because i would love to be able to reply to posts with the first words been i was talking to my mate and he said, you see I don’t be in them big distribution centres so im missing all the expert advice I could be getting or giving to people, so im going to follow your lead and talk to strangers down the pub whenever im parked near one it seems to work for you
How is that for humour
nightline:
I know it’s a shock to me too, but i am trying because i would love to be able to reply to posts with the first words been i was talking to my mate and he said, you see I don’t be in them big distribution centres so im missing all the expert advice I could be getting or giving to people, so im going to follow your lead and talk to strangers down the pub whenever im parked near one it seems to work for you
How is that for humour
Errrr …ok, that’s fine… 
(I think )
Just you do what you feel comfortable with mate, not a problem .
Anybody■■?
robroy:
nightline:
I know it’s a shock to me too, but i am trying because i would love to be able to reply to posts with the first words been i was talking to my mate and he said, you see I don’t be in them big distribution centres so im missing all the expert advice I could be getting or giving to people, so im going to follow your lead and talk to strangers down the pub whenever im parked near one it seems to work for you
How is that for humourErrrr …ok, that’s fine…
(I think
Just you do what you feel comfortable with mate, not a problem .Anybody■■?
WoW I didn’t even have to go to the pub and I made a new mate
How easy was that to make a mate
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I’m told you can make lots of new mates in remote lay bys at night, … not for me though tbh, but I don’t judge.
(And to keep on thread, another way to affect your health )
Have a nice day and keep in touch with yourself. 