Today, I worked out for the first time in months. I think many writers are in the same boat. Or chair, or couch.
What we do is so cerebral, and so time-consuming, that our bodies can start to seem unimportant.
Our writing minds are taxed to their limits. Writing takes every synapse we have, and some we didn't even know about.
Right now, I'm in the middle of constructing a world in my head. Historical novelists have to worldbuild just like fantasy novelists, at least if we want our novels to have a lot of texture. The difference is that our constructions have to match the historical record. So while I'm constructing this world, including two major settings and two ethnic cultures, full of objects and events I must cram into my brain, my body sits idle on the chair.
Just as it sat idle for months while I worked on the edits for novel #1 and completely rewrote novel #2.
I could feel my muscles loosening, bones weakening, and ligaments tightening. But I didn't have time to work out.
Or did I?
Because today, after I finished whinging to my daughter's gymnastics coach about my pathetic state of fitness, I went home and put on my workout DVD, which hasn't seen the light of day in at least a year. I had forgotten all about the workout DVD option.
And I rode my recumbent bike for a while. It sits right in my living room. I can even read while I'm on it.
A year ago, I resolved to help my daughter become healthy after months of respiratory infections. Last Christmas, she was a tiny, skinny, coughing child who could have starred as Tiny Tim. Now, she is a muscle-packed athlete, still tiny, but strong and healthy, with color in her cheeks. I made her health my number one priority. It required dedication from both of us. It involved allergy medicine and a fair amount of money for organized athletic activities, but it has been worth every minute and every penny.
The moral of my daughter's story is that my own poor state of fitness is simply a matter of priorities. Will it be important to me to take care of this physical temple that holds and sustains my mind and spirit? Or will I let it decay more rapidly than it should, for lack of maintenance and effort?
After my workout today, soothed by music and challenged by strength-building exercises, I felt wonderful. And any activity that pumps blood through our bodies also pumps it through our brains. Though I can be tempted to think that I don't have time to exercise because "I have to write," the truth is that I will be a better writer if I'm healthier and fitter.
This year, I'm going to take care of the whole temple, not just feed the altar fires.
How about you? Do you write better after you've been physically active, taken a walk, or otherwise sent that blood pumping through the brain? Do you struggle as I do to find the time and motivation to take care of the temple?
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21 comments:
How wonderful that your concerted efforts on your daughter's behalf led to a marked improvement in her health.
My favorite form of exercise, besides moving my fingers over the keyboard, is walking. I live in a historic Gold Rush town and enjoy my treks past elegant Victorian homes, some dating back to the 1850s. I get exercise and inspiration for my historical novels all at the same time. =)
I've really been making an effort to be up and moving too. I don't work out like I used to, because I don't have the time. But I've been walking on our treadmill to keep my butt from taking the shape of my computer chair.
Great food for thought, Rosslyn! And fun stuff about the new world you're creating!
I write better, think better...I just plain am better. Exercise saves me from so many pits. I'm not always as regular with it as I'd like to be, but I can tell a difference when I am.
Historical fiction writers blow me away, blending copious amounts of research with characters!
~ Wendy
I've been terrible about exercising lately, but I always feel so much better after I get off the couch and just do it. Time is definitely a factor, especially with little tikes running around my house all day.
Rosslyn - Well, you have "nailed me right where I sit." I did use my treadmill twice during this past week, but it surely is not enough.
All that business about muscles loosening, and ligaments tightening, yeesh! I am so there, and I so need to get up and get away from there! :) Thanks for the reminder. ...Marsha
Well put. I think I hear my treadmill calling.
Yes on both counts. I definitely need to work out today! Thank goodness for the treadmill in this winter weather.
Yes! Getting out and exercising, living life, definitely makes my writing better. It's rejuvenating and boosts my creativity and makes me feel better all around.
I find that the more active I am, the better I think and the more creative I feel. It's no accident. As blood flow increases, our brains function more efficiently. I try to hit the gym at least 3-4 days a week and taking extended time off just makes it that much harder to keep on track. Good for you for getting back in the swing of it. :)
I find every facet of life works better when I'm exercising. But with a full-time job, a family of five, and a growing list of writing ventures, my physical health is waning. I ate much and exercised little in 2010, and I paid for it with more colds, flus, headaches, stomach aches, and feeling like sludge.
Thanks for the reminder...it's all about priority.
Rosslyn, I feel like I could have written this post, only you said it so much more eloquently than I ever could have. It was so nicely said, and so important! To think it's a post about the need to exercise. So much of this resonated though -- how cerebral our work is. Wow, I have really allowed myself to accept that this year as my writing business has taken off. I feel so blessed but I am finding that I absolutely need to take a physical break in order to get things firing up up there again mentally. Tonight, I had only a half-hour to work out. I almost didn't because it just didn't seem worth it. But I went anyway, and I even worked up a sweat. I'll confess, though, that I was reading while working the equipment. I guess I need to work on putting away the book. That will be hard for me. What might help...is taking up swimming again; something I used to do 2 to 3 times a week. I tried it after a long lapse a couple weeks ago and found it so refreshing, and no books allowed. Even if I did that juts once a week...
Okay, now I'm just rambling. Can you tell it's late and I need to give my brain a rest?
Thanks for the great post. :)
Go, you!! I'm bad. I do get a good walk in every day with my dog, but I know my muscles, especially my back, need a bit more than that. I enjoy Pilates, but it's taking the time needed to do it. I'm not a gym person, so signing up for classes probably wouldn't work for me. It's just discipline really. Now you're inspiring me to get back on track!
Hi Rosslyn-- I SO hear you. I always neglect my time to exercise yet when I take the time to do it, I find my mind clearer and my writing better. In fact, often when I face a chapter that seems daunting, I'll take a short walk and the ideas will start flowing. (and I'm saying this when it's been MONTHS since I've worked out)
I'm glad to find this resonating with writing friends! I just did "Holy Yoga," a Christian version of yoga on DVD. It is wonderful, easy to put on at home, and low impact for those who need such things. Gotta love my bad feet. :-)
Roxane, something like this might be a helpful way to put away the book, because having a trainer on DVD and music helps me to focus on what she's telling me instead of letting my mind wander to my to-do list. It's especially nice because she encourages praise and gratitude through some of the positions. One could easily pray through the workout too.
Hi Rosslyn -
Congrats on your commitment to get fit.
Illness in my family and the Christmas vacation conspired against my normal 3-4 workouts per week. I managed to exercise three times last week, but then I threw my back out.
Hopefully, next week things will return to normal. My brain and everything else works better when I get to the gym.
Blessings,
Susan :)
I've gotten worse and worse about keeping up my exercise habits, but I feel so much better when I hit the gym. And I actually love to exercise when I'm plotting a new project (now). My mind just runs free through the possibilities. Then I run home and write it all down.
Yes. Absolutely. We must exercise body, mind, and spirit. Good for you getting back on the bike!
Hi Rosslyn,
I'm enjoying reading everyone's posts. I've been struggling to shape up and after running around taking care of a million things during the holidays I'm really feeling it. I spent way too much time in the chair yesterday at work and now I've got a swore hip. I did use the ellipical at the gym though on Sunday and Tuesday.
If we don't take care of ourselves. No one else will. It only gets harder as we get older. Thanks for the encouragement.:)
Good for you for dragging that DVD out. I have a few I use and my treadmil. Walking always makes me think better and clearer about my story.
Good for you! You're an inspiration.
When we lived in a different city I used to go to a nearby pool and swim in the early afternoons. It energized me for hours afterwards. Years and three moves later, I live rurally and my exercise of choice is walking. The problem now is that my arthritis is aggravated by anything other than a short stroll so it hardly seems worth the effort. I know the fresh air is invigorating, however, so I still go out, even if the leisurely pace doesn't do much to improve my fitness.
If I didn't exercise, I could never survive. At LEAST five times a week!
Am turning the last pages of Omnivore's Dilemma, just in case you want to go to the next level of health improvement.:)
Blessings,
Patti
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