The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Claudia Rodriguez as its February Member of the Month. She is a wellness coach for Rolling Strong.
Rodriguez has been in the wellness industry for over twelve years. Prior to joining Rolling Strong a year and a half ago, she had an online health products store. She also gave health and wellness workshops at universities, businesses, and other places around El Paso.
After a colleague emailed Rodriquez the Rolling Strong job posting saying, “This job posting describes you,” she decided to apply. Now she is thrilled to be using her talents in the trucking industry.
The trucking industry has unique health challenges. Although Rodriguez had coached people to improve their health for years through one-on-one coaching and workshops, she knew coaching professional drivers would be different. Even recommending something simple like “drink more water” is hard for truck drivers.
“First, I had to listen to their challenges and what they struggled with, and then I adapted my recommendations to something that would work for them,” she said.
Because she is a wellness coach, one might assume that Rodriguez doesn’t struggle with incorporating healthy habits, but it’s quite the contrary. “I actually decided to get my certification as a Health and Nutrition Advisor to find answers for my own struggles like my sugar addiction and my struggle with incorporating an exercise routine,” she said.
Some health principles Rodriguez has learned over the years include:
- Just because something works (like a diet or exercise type) doesn’t mean it works for everyone. So, don’t feel bad if CrossFit or Keto didn’t work for you.
- You don’t have to label your eating habits for you to eat healthily.
- Emotions play a huge role in your health, take care of your mental health.
- What works for you now, might not work in the future (you know, life!) so be extra patient with yourself when trying to find what works now.
Women In Trucking is currently hosting a health competition through Rolling Strong that will end on February 15. Rodriguez coaches the participants on their health journey. “Every day I am inspired by the drivers I coach. I admire their discipline, how they overcome obstacles, and how they keep going even when they’re tired. Eating healthy, exercising, sleeping well, and drinking water is a challenge for drivers. It’s definitely easier to eat fast food and consume energy drinks. However, what these drivers understand is that what they do every day affects their health and longevity,” she said.
For those drivers that are ready to make changes, the Rolling Strong program helps them incorporate healthy habits, lose weight, lower their blood pressure and cholesterol, improve their sleep, among other things. The Rolling Strong app allows for easy tracking of daily habits, personalized coaching, and competitions. This gives participants an opportunity to set a short-term goal, have a sense of community, and win prizes along the way.
“As women, we have to re-learn so many things we’ve been taught in order to reach our full potential,” she said. “We were taught to be good, to be quiet, and to be pretty. We need to learn that it’s okay to take up space, to speak up, to say ‘no’, to set boundaries, and be okay with disappointing others.”
