The Lazy Writer's Advice

 Q: A writer's job involves a lot of sitting - scribbling in a notepad, or hunched over in a chair, typing. Do you have a daily exercise routine? What advice would you offer to other writers, to keep themselves fit and healthy over the longer term? 

 

-from Susan

 

I have a daily exercise routine in my head, which does not mean that I perform a daily exercise routine. So, my advice falls under the heading of Do What I Say, Not What I Do. Which is not to say I don’t do anything, just that the ideal of a routine – same time, same exercises, same commitment – is tenuous here. The phone rings, the wet laundry needs to go into the dryer so I have those jeans for later, I have a zoom meeting to attend, the cat demands to go out or come in or get fed or get fresh water or a hug. 

 

Yes, I think writers who hunch over any writing tool, who get lost in the mental business of choosing the right phrase, who are determined to write 500 words before lunch need to remind themselves that being physically fit and healthy is part of their commitment to themselves. 

 

Here’s what I try to do and the only legitimate advice I can give is to do something, some set of moves and mental refreshment other than writing your book every day.

 

The writer’s hunch – ugly, permanent once set in place, avoidable – calls for anything you find comfortable to fend it off. One writer I know sits on an inflatable ball, which looks supremely uncomfortable to me, but what do I know? Standing desks are apparently a good practice, but I write on a laptop and have terrible typing skills so I have to look at the keyboard when I type. I use a pilates Styrofoam roll to straighten my shoulders and sometimes just lie on my back on the carpet in a resting yoga pose called shavasana.

 

The cardiac revive – to get the blood and heart muscle working – is as easy as standing up and doing something productive and active every 20 minutes, easy when you have laundry, pets, or kids in the house. But if that breaks your train of thought, maybe just standing and stretching and doing a few jumping jacks?

 

The full body reviving routine would be a set of exercises you do every day. For me, the best is a 30-minute yoga/pilates mix that begins with standing balance and stretches - paired sun salutes, warrior poses, one-footed “tree” standing - and then a set of seated poses, followed by lying down poses that include core and back poses. Aside: My older cat died recently and I miss her as my exercise companion. Inevitably, when I got to the floor part of my routine, she lay down next to my head and did cat yoga with gusto, stretching, rolling and loving every moment!

 

My mental exercise is gardening, when I’m focused totally on something other than writing. It’s the zen concept of “chop wood, carry water,” being in the moment. No time to revisit the past or worry about the future, just experiencing the present with all my senses. I find that recharges me, opens my mind for what comes next, and cheers me up. In fact, the needs of a garden are sometimes a distraction from the writing work, which probably isn’t the best outcome if it gives me an excuse to put off finding that phrase or resolving an awkward plot point!

 

Anyway, the bottom line is we are more than our brains and we need to nourish and protect the body that allows us to do what else we love. 

 

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