Monday, April 2, 2012

B: Banging Your Head

B:  It's time for my monthly health hint.  I've been dedicated to a workout routine over the past nine months and it's paid off.  I've lost weight and even better, increased my energy levels and just about every other part of my health.  Before I started taking my writing seriously, I worked out everyday like it was my religion.  As my writing took up more and more of my time, I started skipping workouts.  Eventually, I quit it all together except for what I did at my day job.  Now my day job is more rigorous than many people's but it isn't the same as running five miles a day. 

Writing became hazardous to my health.  It can be a very sedentary profession.  My health advice this month is to work on sticky plot points by taking a walk.  Having trouble getting a tough scene on paper, go for a jog and sweat a little.  Feel the discomfort and remember how it feels for the joints to protest and the tendons to creak and groan. Come up with the verbs to describe what it really takes to make it up that last hill.  How does the cold water taste as it slides down your parched throat after a long run? Use your exercise time to improve the descriptions of your senses in your writing.

An in the spirit of the letter 'B,' if you don't have the time to step outside your office to exercise or you have a problem you must deal with first, banging your head against the wall using about 150 calories per hour.  Pace yourself with this exercise or you might not get a full hour in before you drop over.

So how do you fit exercise into your day? What do you think about when you exercise?

39 comments:

Ron Easton for Dads UnLimited said...

Now that is great advice! In fact, I am very vigorously trying it at this very mi

Dave said...

I fidget. That's the extent of my exercise regimen.

Dave
Dave Wrote This

shelly said...

I'm a hairdresser by day and so I get quite a bit of exercise. I'm usually booked. However, I fit in walking and swimming somehow when my Chronic Fatigue hasn't flared up. That's another subject.

Shelly
http://secondhandshoesnovel.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

At first I thought this was going to be about heavy metal head banging :) Good advice though - my job is realloy sedentry so I don't get much exercise otherwise. I'm going to start making more of an effort do to so by doing the little things, taking the stairs more etc.

Jamie Gibbs
Fellow A-Z Buddy
Mithril Wisdom

Unknown said...

You are so right. I put on so much weight when I first started writing seriously - after all, the hours just fly by when you're writing, don't they? OK - off for a walk...(yikes, it's raining)

Jenn said...

My husband and I have been exercising together. Usually right when he gets home from work and right before dinner.

I'm not sure I think about much when I exercise except the beat of the music pumping through my earphones. LOL.

Cheers, Jenn
http://www.wine-n-chat.com

Anonymous said...

I'm an artist so sedentary is a problem... i walk regularly with my toddler but other than that i haven't figured out how to get much routine exercise.

Great post.

Amanda,

http://paintundermynails.blogspot.com

Bish Denham said...

I have a regular work out schedule that I'm pretty darn faithful too, mostly because I do water aerobics and I LOVE being in the pool. (And a do other stuff too, but it's not as fun.)

Anonymous said...

I also have a fairly rigorous day job, but I still try to get a few workouts in a week while my little girl is taking her nap. It's a tough thing to do and congrats on your success with it.

Tonja said...

Great advice. Time to walk down to the laundry room. :)

M.J. Fifield said...

I have unfortunately fallen out of the habit of working out. Last year, I was very good about it and then the holiday season happened. Excuses, excuses, I know. Every day I tell myself that today's the day I'm getting back to it but it never works out that way.

Mary E Campbell said...

I agree with you. I've had so many awesome plot points and breakthroughs while walking.

jabblog said...

Good advice. I have four dogs so walking is my exercise - and throwing the Kong for them. I also swim regularly. When guests are expected housework becomes a form of exercise but not one I embrace gladly;-)

Tracy said...

ahhhh, I actually 'heard' the word BALANCE in there...between working out and writing! I strive for it everyday!

Cheryl Klarich said...

I thought the challenge started today so I'm banging my head! Why am I always behind?
Fun post, Susan!

Unknown said...

Stopping by for the challenge. Love this post! With my competing deadlines, I could easily burn 600 additional calories a day simply by banging my head. Genius! :)

Gossip_Grl said...

I am glad the weather is nicer so I can take walks. I love the theory of banging the head at work- I do that alot :)

Lynn Proctor said...

wow you are right, i so need to exercise---can't believe many moons ago i was an exercise instructor--great ideas!

Janyce said...

I don't get near the exercise I should. There are a lot of stairs in our house, though and I'm always running up and down. I'm gonna add the head banging to my regimen, I'm pretty sure I can do that. :)

Sharon said...

I've been trying to workout daily; my problem isn't a lack of time it's procrastination and doing it early enough in the day. During and after working out I'm so glad I made myself do it and I do love feeling my body move and sweat. My mind usually races with all sorts of thoughts and some of those thoughts relate to the music I'm listening to. Glad I worked out today!

Masquerade Crew said...

I work at a hotel at night. Instead of taking the elevator at 3 AM to deliver receipts under the door, I take the stairs. Not a lot of exercise, but it is something.

Plus my office is upstairs, and the rest of the house is down. I go up and down a lot when the wife is yelling at me to do something.

Sarah Tokeley said...

I thought I didn't do any exercise but I definitely do a lot of banging my head against walls - shame it's only metaphorically :-)

a.eye said...

Great way to incorporate exercise into your life and improve your writing!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Good for you!
I hit the gym after work several nights a week.

susan said...

I go to a swim gym three times a week and walk there too and inbetween am chained to the computer so I need it...

Anonymous said...

Great advice and congrats on the improvements. Writing has definitely spread my backside and I'm working to take it off. Keep up the good work.

Brandi said...

I have been trying to get into an exercise routine more and more. Its hard to fit it in sometimes when day to day life gets in the way. I should have a set routine as well! Very motivational blog post!

Unknown said...

My biggest problem, Susan, is finding the time to exercise - when I'm doing anything other than writing I fret that I am wasting time. :0)

Laura Barnes said...

Great advice. I try to listen to audiobooks while I exercise. Makes me feel like I'm researching while I'm working out.

Jemi Fraser said...

I tend to let my mind wander at will when I exercise - it's interesting to see what comes up that way! I try to walk home from work at least 3 days a week. It's only 40 minutes, but it helps!

Monkey said...

I spend an hour each day 5 days a week working out... I am working on getting better and taking more time out of my day to workout... So far I have gone from 30 min to an hr... If I add 15 min every other week it helps. I am trying to get up to two hours a day spent exercising.

When I exercise, it is usually at the gym and therefore I am usually watching a tv show of some kind.

~Blog Hopping from A to A Challenge~
http://monkeyangelasblog.blogspot.com

Sharkbytes said...

Walking is the cure for everything, including writing! I just signed on to the A-Z challenge, nearly at the last minute, but I'm trying to visit every blog at least once.

The Happy Whisk said...

Great post, Susan.

I love, love, love, going for a walk or a jog after writing.

Or even if I'm stuck, a walk really helps.

Happy A to Z :-)

Anonymous said...

Great idea. I am not a writer, but I come up with wonderful stories while I am on my hike!

Sangita Kalarickal said...

Writing really induces slothiness. Great idea about the verbs though.

Gossip_Grl said...

I have been guilty of that before, not intentionally tho. Often another page offers tips etc... and I have written for more info click here. Will be a little more careful

Unknown said...

When I exercise, which isn't so often anymore, I think of characters and song lyrics. I don't know why. Maybe because I am so focused on not working out that my mind wanders. HA! Great post!

Perle said...

I agree; walks are great. I usually go for a 5 mile walk at 5 a.m. - day job starts at 8. But I always carry a small pad and pen in my shorts pocket. Amazing how many ideas, poems, etc come to me while walking. If I don't capture them at the moment, I lose them.

milan said...

A very well-written post. I read and liked the post and have also bookmarked you. All the best for future endeavors.
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