Want to be a better writer? Consider your exercising routine.
How does your exercising routine complement your writing routine? Keep reading, then leave a comment to join this dialogue. And don’t forget to see today’s writing prompt at the bottom of the post.
In this post, I will not claim that all writers should adopt either an arduous or specific exercising routine to become better at implementing a writing routine. But I will claim that writers should at least consider the benefits of keeping an exercising routine and how that exercising routine could and should complement their writing routines.
We all know the unflattering stereotypes of writers and other creatives— that they’re moody, anxious, always sleep-deprived, disorganized, bad at math, socially awkward, perpetually unkempt, aspiring or recovering alcoholics without real initiative or drive to earn money, and so on. Basically, that they’re mentally, emotionally, and physically unhealthy.
But most writers who write for a living, and who already understand the benefits of keeping a daily writing routine, know how untrue and harmful those unflattering stereotypes are. Indeed, most established writers know how important their combined mental, emotional, and physical health is to their writing, as well as their ability to write on a routine basis. They also often think of writing as exercise.
No, writers like you and I don’t need to train for marathons and lift half of our own body weight every day to reap all the benefits that keeping an exercising routine offers. But we should at least consider starting and maintaining an exercising routine that complements our existing writing routines.
Personally, I do light exercises before I write each morning — jumping jacks, sit-ups, crunches, lunges, leg lifts, yoga poses, etc. — because it wakes me up and gets my blood flowing, which makes it easier for me to stay alert and focused once I finally sit down to write. Honestly, completing a few light exercises first thing in the morning makes me more alert and ready to write than drinking coffee does.
Then, after writing for two to three hours, I’ll take my dog Lilly for a walk. I use this walking time to not only stretch my legs and get my blood flowing again, but to let my mind wander. Being physically active outside while I’m surrounded by sunlight and trees and fresh air reinvigorates my mood and creativity. It also ends up improving my ability to concentrate and focus when I sit back down to write. I have noticed that I am crankier, more sluggish, and that my brain feels foggier, when I don’t take these mid-to-late-morning walks. I’ll often listen to music when I take these walks too, which also helps reignite my creativity and improve my mood.
After I’m done writing for the day, usually mid-to-late afternoon, I’ll exercise again for about thirty minutes. I’ll either run a few miles or do some strength training exercises. Then, after a few stretches, a smoothie, and a shower, I’ll read until dinner time.
My current exercising routine may or may not work for you and your writing routine, which is completely fine. You might want to run before you write each evening or attend a yoga class before you write in the afternoon, for instance, which is entirely up to you.
Regardless of what exercises you do and when, however, it is important to consider how finding an exercising routine will benefit and complement your writing routine.
Why?
Routine exercise will improve your focus, creativity, and emotional regulation through increased blood flow and endorphin release. It will also boost your energy levels, reduce your stress, and enhance your most important cognitive functions like memory, which will make it easier to overcome writer’s block and produce better, more authentic writing on a regular basis.
Succinctly put: Routine exercise will help you be the best writer that you can be, in a way that you can routinely rely on. And that is certainly worth considering if you want to be the best, most confident and productive writer you can be.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Share your exercising and writing routines with us. Leave a comment to join this dialogue, then share this post with others so they can join this dialogue too.
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© All Rights Reserved by K.E. Creighton; Creighton’s Compositions LLC.
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Today’s Writing Prompt
Writing Prompt: “Keep going.”
Write a scene in which one character tells another, “Keep going.”
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