Writing – good.
Sitting – bad.
Being sedentary is bad for our longevity, it increases our risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, pretty much every disease except Fatal Familial Insomnia*(with 9 cases worldwide, ever – getting FFI would be just exceptionally bad luck).
But writing usually involves long periods of sitting and typing, so how can a writer get that manuscript written, and still live long enough to see it through to publication, reprints, and the gold-embossed 25th anniversary edition? (Exceptionally good luck notwithstanding)
Happily, research has found that regular interruptions from sitting can reduce the risk. If you think your sitting time is getting dangerously long, try these 'writing exercises':
Stuck for the next word/sentence/plot development?
Get down on the floor and plank until you come up with something. This cures writer's block in a maximum of 90 seconds – if you can do it for longer, maybe you should be in the fitness industry instead of writing!
In the 'zone' and churning out the words?
Stop at the end of each page and do 10 shuttle runs (short and fast – don't lose writing momentum!)
Editing?
At the end of each page, do one squat for each lame/boring word or adverb you get rid of. (Be ruthless, and count each word in any sentences you chop - you'll end up with stronger writing AND a tighter butt – win/win!)
Setting targets?
Give yourself a set number of words to write in an hour (or timeframe of your choosing). Do 10 burpees if you meet the target. 15 burpees with push-ups if you don't.
Replace these exercises with others of your choosing if you like, although walking to the fridge for a piece of chocolate doesn't cut it – unless you live in a 10 story house and your fridge is 8+ floors away, and you take the stairs. Then go for it - you have the perfect balance of writing, eating chocolate and exercising.
Sitting – bad.
Being sedentary is bad for our longevity, it increases our risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, pretty much every disease except Fatal Familial Insomnia*(with 9 cases worldwide, ever – getting FFI would be just exceptionally bad luck).
But writing usually involves long periods of sitting and typing, so how can a writer get that manuscript written, and still live long enough to see it through to publication, reprints, and the gold-embossed 25th anniversary edition? (Exceptionally good luck notwithstanding)
Happily, research has found that regular interruptions from sitting can reduce the risk. If you think your sitting time is getting dangerously long, try these 'writing exercises':
Stuck for the next word/sentence/plot development?
Get down on the floor and plank until you come up with something. This cures writer's block in a maximum of 90 seconds – if you can do it for longer, maybe you should be in the fitness industry instead of writing!
In the 'zone' and churning out the words?
Stop at the end of each page and do 10 shuttle runs (short and fast – don't lose writing momentum!)
Editing?
At the end of each page, do one squat for each lame/boring word or adverb you get rid of. (Be ruthless, and count each word in any sentences you chop - you'll end up with stronger writing AND a tighter butt – win/win!)
Setting targets?
Give yourself a set number of words to write in an hour (or timeframe of your choosing). Do 10 burpees if you meet the target. 15 burpees with push-ups if you don't.
Replace these exercises with others of your choosing if you like, although walking to the fridge for a piece of chocolate doesn't cut it – unless you live in a 10 story house and your fridge is 8+ floors away, and you take the stairs. Then go for it - you have the perfect balance of writing, eating chocolate and exercising.
Best option - a treadmill with a plank to rest your laptop on. A gentle stroll through your writing session means guilt-free sedentary reading time!
*Real disease, bullshit facts. Remember, I am not a doctor, I'm a maker-upperer. In all likelihood, sitting also increases your risk of dying from FFI. If you haven't slept at all for more than 5 days in a row, you may have FFI. Don't sit down. See your doctor.
But FFI really is incredibly rare, so don't panic, you've probably got some other disease.
But FFI really is incredibly rare, so don't panic, you've probably got some other disease.
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