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Monday, August 8, 2016

The Writer versus Exercise: How to bring Them Together

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Due to our nature, the Writer must remain immobile when typing. But experts say stationary positions are the new smoking and not conducive to good health. For this Writer, sitting at the ‘puter is a cause for concern. Movement is life and life is preferable to the alternate.
  
So what’s a Writer to do?

One of my solutions is the treadmill. I compose while trekking a mile or two.  Magic explodes when I write longhand. Why? Well that’s a subject for another post. For today, it’s all about
moving and I find the treadmill morphs these two into one. I can write several pages and walk a couple miles while doing it, a win-win.

A little backstory regarding this photo: I had a laugh at my poor husband’s expense when someone asked why the poster of Edward was in front of me. I said I was running toward him.

“Oh?” my friend said. “Then who is behind you?”
“My hubby,” I replied, snickering. He was not amused.

Composing is a big piece of the day. But what about the typing and the butt-ache from sitting at the computer?

My solution is the Fitbit, a marvelous little tool that reminds me to get up and walk around every once in a while. It challenges me, gives me goals, and records my activities. Tethered to my IPhone, it completes the union between technology and the material world.

My goals are to walk a certain distance, move at least 250 steps every hour between 6am and 6pm. My smart phone chimes every hour during that time to remind me. It gets me up, kicks me out of the writer’s fog, and this is a good thing. Truly, I have sat at the desk as the sun is coming up thinking “just a few minutes”...and then it is noon and I look around half dazed trying to remember where I am.

My Fitness Pal is a free app that unites both Fitbit and IPhone. I heartily recommend it even if you have a smart phone.


How do you combine exercise with writing? Any tips for us?

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Actually, I've been pretty bad at it lately. I used to look forward to my end-of-the-day swim but then my swim club closed and I have neglected replacing it. sigh.... So much to make time for.

Liz A. said...

I do have to get up occasionally when I'm working at the computer. But I don't get lost in thought. I get antsy and need to move.

Patchi said...

Twice a week, I go to the gym... and draft random scenes on my phone while on the reclined stationary bike. My goal is at least 100 words, just to get the scene started, but I've been known to pedal for 30 min as the ideas start flowing. I like the freedom of knowing those words aren't permanent.

Huntress said...

@ Kathleen - Oh wow. I wish I had access to swimming for exercise. Here in the country, I'd have to build my own.

@ Liz - I am so not like you. I follow Newton's first law of motion:

"...objects tend to keep doing what they are doing. In other words, there is a natural tendency for objects to resist changes in their state of motion...Inertia...the resistance of an object to a change in its state of motion."
Quoted from http://www2.hesston.edu/Physics/NewtonGalileo/Newton2.htm

@ Patchi - Creativity kicks in when I am on the treadmill, the shower, and driving. The mind works in mysterious ways. *BG*

Darla M Sands said...

I'm fortunate to own a laptop. And it just so happens that there is a cat tree for my pets with a seldom used shelf just the right height for a standing desk. It's ideal to keep me from sitting too long.