The Fit Life: A Guide For Writers
Years ago, I did fitness for a living. I was a certified personal trainer and reflexologist. I lived in the gym 10-14 hours a day. That life helped me rebound from three childbirths, one of which happened 14 months after another. I was strong, flexible, and had tons of endurance.
And I took it for granted.
Eventually, I accepted an office management job at a physical therapy clinic. After that, I came home to care for my busy children, caregive for my aging parents, and tend to my passion: to write fiction full time. For the last couple of years, I’ve found myself sitting more than ever before, glued to my laptop. I’ve also developed terrible lower back/hip problems, struggled with maintaining a healthy weight, and lost most of my flexibility. The thing is, I know so many writers in this same situation. It’s too easy to get so focused on our career that we forget to also care for our physical health and conditioning so that we can keep that career.
It’s been a while, but I’m digging back into the recesses of my knowledge to hopefully help not only myself but others as well. I’ve decided to treat myself like I would’ve treated a former client: with tough love, support, and encouragement.
[image error]
Here’s a list of things I would’ve talked about if someone in my situation (a writer or person with a sedentary job) would’ve walked through the gym door 15 years ago.
I would’ve warned that sitting is deadly. It increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia, blood clots, obesity, back problems, muscle loss, and stroke.
I would’ve explained that it’s hard to battle the negative effects of sitting. Even if you exercise 30-60 minutes a day, that work can be undone by sitting all day. The legs and glutes become inactive and receive less blood flow, and important postural and stabilization muscles shorten and tighten. Over time, this has a detrimental effect on hip and pelvic stabilization (something I’m suffering with now), the strength of your core will decrease, and the gluteal muscles will lengthen, which leads to ‘butt amnesia.’ Your glutes simply fail to activate as they should, which causes overcompensation by other muscles. This is not good.
I would’ve pulled out the tough love: You can pay for this lifestyle with pain, misery, and maybe even surgeries, or you can make an effort to interrupt the damage. The choice is yours.
[image error]
How to Interrupt the Damaging Effects of Sitting
The best way to interrupt the damage of sitting is to stand and move! This is easier said than done, but here’s a few solutions.
Try a standing desk. I’ve avoided the standing desk like the plague, because who wants to stand for hours? This has been my mentality, and I’m having to adjust that attitude unless I want to end up having hip surgery before I’m 50.
My Fix: I bought an adjustable elevated desk from Amazon to try out. It’s under $50. I wasn’t sure if I’d actually use it, so I didn’t want to invest hundreds of dollars yet. There are so many kinds of standing desks. There are even desks for treadmills–which boggles my mind. I would hurt myself! But, we’re all different. Find what works for you. I’m starting slowly, easing myself into standing for longer periods. Right now, for January, I’m doing two 30 minute to an hour sessions between 9am and 4pm, and I’m so surprised that I LOVE standing. I set a timer on my phone and go. I’m also standing while I eat my lunch. That’s an extra couple hours of standing every day that I didn’t do before. ***I AM going to upgrade my setup. The elevated desk I mention is fine and serves several uses, but I’m 6’1″, so even though my arms are at the right angle, my head is down too far. I’m looking at a larger platform so my iMac can sit in front of me to prevent any neck issues. I’m also ordering the anti-fatigue mat listed further down in this post.
Get moving! Make an effort to not sit for longer than an hour or hour and a half at most at a time. This one is tough for me. I get focused and time flies.
My fix: I have two. 1) I set an alarm on my phone and 2) I’m incorporating two 15-20 minute walks into my day. In the morning, I deal with my planner, my to-do list, replying to emails, breakfast, cleaning, dogs, social media, etc. My writing day typically begins by 9am and ends around 4 or 4:30. I’m bad about cooking dinner at that time, then getting back to work (sitting), but I’m working on making myself honor a quitting time. My alarms are set for: 10am–I drink a bottle of water, march in place, and do some stretches to get the blood flowing. Then I’m standing and working until I feel the need to sit, usually after 45 minutes. Another break happens at 11:30. At this time, I eat lunch and do my first walk, so I’m moving or on my feet for a solid 40 minutes at least. My third break is at 2. I go for walk #2 and get more water or a protein drink. ***I‘m noticing that this helps with productivity in my writing life too, because the structured time prevents me from slacking. After that, I stand and work until I begin to feel it in my back, because I do have SI Joint pain and problems right now. Then I sit with a lumbar pillow behind me for the rest of the work day.
Know what ails you. If you’re having physical problems from sitting, see a doctor. Find out what’s going on and ask for a plan to correct the issue. I know that I have a lot of instability happening in my sacroiliac joints. I know my back–all of it– is weak. I know my hip flexors are shortened and need stretched. I know my glutes and quads need attention and strengthening. Make an effort to get to the root of the problem and get a plan together, because you can exacerbate matters if you do the wrong things.
Take it slowly. There’s no need to go crazy. It takes time to undo years of sitting or bad posture. Don’t commit to more than your body or your commitment can handle. Gradually increasing standing and moving time, and doing it in smaller bouts at first, is best.
Lose weight. If you’ve put on some pounds, getting up more will help with your metabolism. But shedding some pounds will also help. It’s tough work for a body to carry around extra weight.
[image error]
Items You Might Find of Use
An ergonomic chair. Ton of options out there. I have this chair from Gaiam. It works, but you can also use a big stability ball. This will help engage your core. My goal in January is to do a variety of things: Using this chair, standing, and possibly a kneeling chair as seen below. Anything to get my butt out of the recliner that has destroyed my back.
[image error]Gaiam Balance Ball Chair
An elevated desk. This is an affordable option in case you’re not quite sold on standing desks.
[image error]Adjustable Laptop Table/Standing Desk
A Kneeling Chair: This would be handy to add to a range of positioning through the day.
[image error]Kneeling Chair
An ergonomic anti-fatigue standing mat: This is on my next Amazon order.
[image error]Anti-Fatigue Standing Mat
A good yoga mat and foam roller set. Once you get the okay from a physician, learn how to use a foam roller. I have a deep tissue roller, and though it’s not the easiest thing to do, it works to loosen tight muscles. I also advise, if your doc sends you to physical therapy for an evaluation, to GO. Learn the exercises and stick with them. Core exercises are everything, and I don’t mean sit-ups and crunches. The core is the basis of our stabilization. Without it, we buckle.
[image error]Foam Roller
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to chat with me! I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction.
Happy New Year, and Happy Health!
[image error]
