Staying Fit When All You Do is Sit
It's hard to stay in shape when you have a job that requires you to spend hours a day in a chair in front of a computer. Some questions you might ask yourself are:
1) If I sit in this chair too long, will my rear end meld with the seat and make it impossible for me to ever leave it?
2) Will exercise make me more productive or take time away from an already hectic schedule?
3) Will I one day walk like one of those bent over old ladies because of all the hours I’ve spent hunched over my computer?
4) If I work a little less and exercise a little more, what difference would it really make?
It’s easy for writers, and others who spend a large part of their work day sitting, to get out of shape. People juggling a writing career with a full-time job may find it especially difficult to set aside 30-60 minutes to exercise. We all know that exercise has numerous health benefits, but who has the time?
A recent article in the IDEA Fitness Journal summarized a study conducted by The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm conducted that was published in the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (2011: 53 [8]). The purpose of the study was to determine the result of work productivity on workers who were given time off (2.5 hours per week) to exercise. Actual productivity of these workers was similar to that of people who didn’t get time off to exercise, but the exercise group reported that they felt more productive and took fewer days off due to illness. The bottom line was that taking time off to exercise didn’t decrease productivity, and in some cases, increased it.
Could the same be true for writers? Would I write the same number of pages even if I used some of my limited for exercise?
My personal experience has been that when I adhere to an exercise schedule and take breaks to exercise, I feel more mentally alert, more energetic, and more organized. It’s hard to get started though. Sometimes it can feel like trying to move a mountain, (or at least my mountain like butt).
A book I have found extremely helpful is 8 Minutes in the Morning by Jorge Cruise. He outlines a weight lifting program that addresses all the major muscle groups and can be accomplished in as little as 8 minutes a day. He cites evidence that when we exercise in the morning, we continue to burn calories all day. His book contains handle travel cards that you can slip into your wallet when you’re on the road. There is a diet plan and even inspirational motivators. So what are you waiting for? Everybody has at least 8 minutes.
