Long hours sitting behind the wheel can leave your hips, glutes and legs feeling tight, weak and stiff. Many truck drivers also experience lower-back discomfort after spending hours seated with very little lower-body movement. If long hours behind the wheel leave you feeling stiff, you can also try these resistance band mobility exercises for truck drivers.
Finding time for a full gym session can sometimes feel out of reach for us truckies, especially after a long day behind the wheel.
But not to worry. I’ve also shared some practical ways to stay fit as a truck driver working 12-hour shifts.
In this article, I’ll share a quick lower-body resistance band workout that you can perform almost anywhere — beside your truck, at a truck stop, at home or while travelling.
As a full-time truck driver and former personal trainer, I’ve come to realize that sometimes 15 minutes is all you need to get a useful training session in during a busy day.
One of the best things about these lower-body exercises is that the setup is simple.
Unlike many upper-body resistance band exercises that may require you to find a secure anchor point, most of these movements simply require you to stand on the resistance band and start training.
All you need is a resistance band and a small amount of space.
Why Lower-Body Training Matters for Truck Drivers
Truck drivers can spend hours sitting in the same position.
Over time, this can leave your hips and legs feeling stiff while reducing how much you naturally move throughout the day.
Lower-body resistance training can help you:
- Strengthen your legs and glutes
- Get moving again after long periods of sitting
- Maintain muscle when training time is limited
- Improve overall strength and fitness
- Break up long periods spent behind the wheel
You don’t need to destroy your legs every workout.
For busy truck drivers, finding a way to train consistently can be far more useful than waiting for the perfect gym session.
If you want more exercise options, check out my full resistance band workout for truck drivers.
The 15-Minute Lower-Body Resistance Band Workout
For this workout, perform each exercise for 2–3 sets depending on how much time you have available.
| Exercise | Reps | Resistance |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead Resistance Band Squats | 8–12 | Medium–Heavy |
| Resistance Band Stiff-Leg Deadlifts | 8–12 | Medium–Heavy |
| Resistance Band Single-Leg Split Squats | 8–10 each leg | Light–Medium |
| Resistance Band Calf Raises | 12–15 | Light–Medium |
If you’re short on time, simply complete two sets of each exercise and keep moving.
Important Safety Tip When Standing on Resistance Bands
For most of these exercises, you’ll be standing directly on the resistance band.
Make sure the band is positioned securely underneath the centre or arch of your foot, rather than sitting underneath your toes.
This gives you a more secure base and reduces the chance of the band slipping out from underneath your feet during the exercise.
Before every set, check that the band is lying flat and isn’t twisted, damaged or positioned somewhere it could slip.
1. Overhead Resistance Band Squats
This is slightly different from a standard resistance band squat.
Start by standing securely on the resistance band with your feet around shoulder-width apart.
Squat down and grab the band with both hands.
As you stand back up, press the band overhead using a movement similar to a military press or push press.
Once your arms are extended overhead and you have control of the band, hold that position.
From there, perform your squats while keeping the band overhead.
Lower yourself under control before driving through your feet and standing back up against the resistance.
This allows you to train your lower body while also requiring your upper body and core to work to keep the band stable overhead.
Truck Driver Tip
If you’ve just stepped out of the truck after sitting for several hours, don’t immediately jump into your heaviest resistance.
Perform a few slow bodyweight squats first and get comfortable moving again before adding the band.
2. Resistance Band Stiff-Leg Deadlifts
Resistance band stiff-leg deadlifts are a simple way to train your hamstrings and glutes without needing any equipment besides the band.
Stand securely on the middle of the resistance band.
Hold each side of the band with your hands and stand tall.
Keep only a slight bend through your knees.
Push your hips backwards while lowering your upper body under control.
You should feel tension building through your hamstrings.
Once you’ve reached a comfortable depth, drive your hips forward and return to the standing position.
Avoid rushing the movement.
Focus on controlling the band and feeling the hamstrings working throughout each repetition.
3. Resistance Band Single-Leg Split Squats
Single-leg split squats allow you to train one leg at a time and can make even lighter resistance feel challenging.
Stand on the resistance band with your front foot and hold the band securely with both hands.
Place your other foot behind you into a split-stance position.
Lower your body under control by bending through the front leg.
Push through your front foot and return to the starting position.
Complete your repetitions on one side before changing legs.
If you’re new to split squats or your balance feels unstable, practise the movement without resistance first.
Once you feel comfortable, add the band.
How to Increase or Decrease Resistance Band Tension
One advantage of resistance bands is that you don’t always need to change to a completely different band when you want more or less resistance.
You can adjust the amount of tension by changing how much band length you have available.
To increase the resistance:
Stand wider on the band.
Standing with your feet further apart uses up more of the loose band and increases the starting tension.
You can also grip the band shorter by holding further down the band.
This reduces the available band length and increases the tension as you perform the movement.
To decrease the resistance:
Stand slightly narrower or allow yourself more length in the band.
The important thing is finding enough resistance to challenge your muscles while still allowing you to perform each repetition safely and with good control.
How Hard Should the Workout Feel?
You don’t need to use the heaviest resistance band you own.
Choose a resistance that allows you to perform each repetition with good technique while making the final few repetitions challenging.
If every repetition feels extremely easy, you can:
- Stand wider on the band
- Shorten your grip
- Move to a stronger resistance band
If your technique starts breaking down early in the set, reduce the resistance.
Progressive resistance is the goal — not simply trying to use the heaviest band possible.
Why This Workout Works Well for Truck Drivers
One of the biggest advantages of this lower-body workout is how little setup it requires.
With many resistance band exercises, you may need to find a secure anchor point or attach the band somewhere before you can begin.
Most of these lower-body exercises are different.
You can step out of the truck, stand on the band and start training.
That makes the workout useful when you’re short on time during a break and don’t want to spend several minutes setting up equipment.
Your resistance bands can stay inside the truck and be ready whenever you have a small amount of space and a few minutes available.
Combine This With the 15-Minute Upper-Body Workout
If you want a simple resistance band training routine throughout the week, you can combine this workout with my 15-Minute Upper-Body Quick Workout Routine for Truck Drivers.
For example:
Day 1: Upper body
Day 2: Lower body
Day 3: Rest or mobility
Day 4: Upper body
Day 5: Lower body
You don’t need to follow this schedule perfectly.
Use it as a starting point and adjust your training around your shifts, recovery and available time.
Final Thoughts
Being a truck driver doesn’t always give you the luxury of long workouts.
Some days you might have 45 minutes. You can also use your surroundings and try some of these bodyweight exercises using your truck and trailer when you don’t have your bands available.
Other days you might only have 15.
The important thing is finding ways to keep moving and training consistently around the reality of the job.
That’s one of the reasons I like resistance bands.
For lower-body training especially, you don’t always need an anchor point, complicated equipment or a large training area.
Step out of the truck.
Stand securely on the band.
Adjust the tension to suit your strength.
And get some work done.
Fifteen minutes. A resistance band. A small amount of space.
That’s enough.
Keep Pushing Forward.
KPF Resistance Band System – Coming Soon
I’m currently developing the KingPowerFit Resistance Band System specifically with truck drivers and busy workers in mind.
The goal isn’t just to sell a set of resistance bands.
The KPF system will include resistance bands along with 28 pages PDF step-by-step truck driver training guide showing you how to use them for workouts inside the cab, beside the truck, at truck stops, in hotel rooms and while travelling.
KPF Resistance Bands are coming soon.
Join the waitlist to be notified when they launch.
