Writer's Butt - Part 1

Do you have Writer's Butt?
Sitting too long on a regular basis creates more than completed manuscripts. 

Doing yoga never got me that mythical "yoga butt," but "writer's butt" definably crept up on me. Duringthe time I was writing Relaxing the Writer I dealt with a sore hip andresearched several therapies and therapists and tried a few "props"and techniques.
The "Writer's Butt" series will first look at the problem and then ways tomake the problem smaller.

Writer's Butt - Part 1
Before the internet, writingincluded a lot more physical tasks. Writers walked to a stationery shop forpaper and ink or a few blocks to a library, drove or took a bus or subway to alarge research library, or traveled to a distant city to peruse specializedcollections and conduct interviews.
In libraries the writer pulledopen card catalog drawers and flexed fingers through the cards, hiked throughmiles of stacks, stretched up or squatted down, then lifted and carriedtwenty-pound tomes to a carrel.
Some writers still doold-fashioned tasks, but many more turn on computers to find research materialsin London or Tokyo. Others use Wikipedia as their all-night convenience store.


The scariest fact I found in myresearch was a 2010 study by the American Cancer Society which lumped writerswith obsessive TV watchers in the field of "inactivity studies" concerned withhealth, longevity, and obesity. The study found that sitting time was independently associated with mortality,regardless of physical activity.
Todd Sinett, author of TheTruth About Back Pain, says sitting not only lessens blood flow to the discsthat cushion your spine (wearing them out and stressing your back), but puts30% more pressure on the spine than standing or walking. 80% of Americanssuffer from back pain at some point in their lives. If you don't already haveissues, you need preventative measures.
If that's not enough, a 2011study in the American Journal ofEpidemiology reported that people who spent a decade or more doingsedentary work were almost twice as likely to develop cancer of the lower coloncompared to those with physically active jobs, regardless of all recreationalphysical activities. Inactivity also may encourage tumor growth due toinflammation.
What's a writer to do whenhours at a gym or track cannot make up for time spent sitting at a desk?
Basic tips:
Take breaks Stand upfrequently Move around



Excerpt from Relaxing the Writer Chapter 2 The Ergonomic Writer





Recent Articles:
"To Decrease Cancer Risk, Stand Up" by Sophie Quinton in the National Journal (November 3, 2011)


"Weaving Actitivy into Your Work Day Important to Maintain Good Health,"
James Levine, M.D. PhD, Endocrinology Mayo Clinic in Mayo Clinic Medical Edge Newspaper (November 4, 2011)