Balancing your life as a writer – Exercise your body

Is your life balanced? Do you work, rest and play equally? If you’re a modern person, juggling writing, a day job, and a family, your response is, “What are you talking about?” Chances are we need to move more*, play more, and rest more.

Physical exercise is a wonderful counterbalance to the focused mental work and solitary lifestyle of a writer. Our work as writers must be the first priority if we want to do our job. Ironically, however, making time in our schedule to move reminds us that we are more than just the mind. We are of the body too.

Exercise is a great way to stimulate your creativity and change your perspective on your writing. I see exercise as a form of play. Do you remember when you were a child and you used to run around playing tag or hide and seek until dark? I assert that the right exercise for you may be that same kind of “in the moment” joy. All you need to do is rediscover what type of exercise is right for you.

After almost three years of exercising regularly, I share my perspective from the perspective of someone who has never exercised regularly before.

Step one – The fun factor

Find an exercise you like! Use your childhood passions as inspiration. How can you turn one or many of them into something you can do now? Bicycling, walking, swimming, running, yoga, one of the many forms of dance, the list is endless.

Second step – small steps

Start with short, low-impact classes or short periods outdoors. Take walking, for example: it’s simple, almost anyone can do it, and the equipment investment is minimal. On the first day, go to a nice place and walk for ten minutes. Enjoy your surroundings, creatures and people. Notice how you feel. Breathe the fresh air. Remember to stretch.

If you’re out of shape, your first week goal is to walk twice for just ten minutes each. Stick to a regular schedule until you can increase the frequency to three times a week. Then gradually increase the length of your walks, going from 10 to 12 minutes. Then add a few more minutes, until you’re walking 35 to 40 minutes three times a week. The object of the game is to keep it fun and say, “I can do this!”

Tracing

Follow your routine and your progress. Keep track of the date, activity, and duration on a worksheet or exercise journal.

be kind to yourself

Don’t overdo it. Expectations that are too high are counterproductive in this realm of small steps. Be aware of what is reasonable, in terms of the activity chosen, the time allotted, and the expectation that it will change your life and your body instantly. Choose a place to exercise that is between work and home, or easily accessible, like your living room. And use music, if you like, to lift your spirits as you move!

Sacrifice

Like anything important, making time to exercise requires giving up something else in your schedule, like TV, or too many volunteer jobs.

Balance the intense demands of your life as a writer with the time you spend in the body. A calmer, clearer writer’s mind and better health are the rewards of taking the time to exercise.

Happy exercise and writing!

*This is an informative article only, it is not intended to give medical advice. My information comes from my own experience and that of others.