Sit some, sweat some, nourish your creativity!

If the only exercise you get is shuffling manuscript pages, poring over research, or hunching over your keyboard, listen up.

Right now, without cheating, walk to a mirror with your current posture and look at yourself. Hours of sagging over your computer can do great harm. Ask me. In my early writing days, I was so rabid and eager and excited that I would write for hours on end without getting up, stretching, or doing much to get the blood flowing to that marvelous organ that creates the magical words. I developed neck problems that led to surgery.

If you’d like to avoid maladies such as…

• Dowager’s hump
• Herniated disc
• Irregularity
• Chronic lower back and neck pain
• Mental sluggishness
• Frequent fatigue
• Depression…

GET UP AND GO!

Oh, I know some of you have conquered the “get up” portion of this command. You may even stretch a little, or get up, walk across the house to the kitchen, and pour yourself a cup of your favorite brew.

The “and go” is the important part. Walk a mile. Go to the gym, or stay in your home gym and do a full routine. Ride your bike or ski, depending on the weather and acquired equipment. Practice yoga. Swim. Try Jazzercise or similar group workouts.

I will hasten to note that I am not, nor have I ever been, an Olympic athlete or anything close to it. My mother always told me to live with moderation. Enjoy a glass of wine, but don’t pop the cork and slug down the whole bottle. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day, but don’t aim a fire hose at your mouth. Write in 30- or 60-minute stretches, but live with moderation. Sit some, sweat some. You get the idea.

WHY GET PHYSICAL?

You already know, but I’ll tell you in terms of writing in hopes that it will spare you from perpetual BICFOK (butt in chair, fingers on keyboard).

FIVE REASONS TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT, MOVE IT

Regular exercise mirrors regular writing. In a blog post, Aaron Gilbreath quotes Japanese author Haruki Murakami: “…writing a long novel is like survival training. Physical strength is as necessary as artistic sensitivity.” How so? Murakami explains that when you run every day, you accomplish a goal, then you set the bar higher so you improve every day. And it’s not an impossible goal since the only opponent you have to beat is the you you used to be. Just as regular writing produces a better writer.

Aerobics increases creativity. In a Books blog, Maxim Jakubowski writes about a whole new perspective on the creative process. “Scientists at Rhode Island College conducted a study on 60 subjects and concluded that aerobic exercise had a positive effect on creativity, both immediately afterwards and several hours later.” Just think—instead of taking a nap or a shower, we can stimulate blood flow, which in turn feeds the brain and helps us tap into even more, longer-lasting creativity.

In a Walden University blog, more brain benefits of regular exercise are mentioned…

It relieves depression and anxiety. What a boon for those times when we’re wallowing in hopelessness due to the demanding market, a snarled plot that doesn’t seem to work, or an ending that seemed good 200 pages ago but no longer fits.

It decreases stress. A happier, more relaxed writer can wreak much more havoc on their characters, imagine more vivid settings, and find new possibilities for a struggling plot.

It boosts the brain. We’ve all heard of the correlation between exercise and building intelligence and improving memory. It creates new cells and improves brain performance and mental energy. A boost every writer can use!

I like Murakami’s comparison about survival training. Keep your brain, mood, and health in top shape, and fine writing will follow. I wish you productive sessions in the office and away from it!

Do you balance hours in the chair with good exercise? Share with us how you find balance and stoke your creativity.