A Body In Motion

I’m sure that many of you have picked up at least one book about how to be a writer.  Or perhaps you’ve read books or blogs that focus on the tricks of the trade employed by your favorite writer.  Maybe you haven’t.  But if you have, and looked at several, there are two suggestions or “tricks” that almost every author recommends:

1)  Write every day.


2)  Exercise.

I’m still working on the first, but the second I started to take seriously and work into my routine.  I’ve been battling depression and low self-esteem for years, so one of my friends dragged my butt to the gym because, “It will make you feel better.”  I had never really gone to the gym before because A) for most of my adult life I’ve been either in college or at work, so there was no time, and B) it’s expensive.

However, it only took that one time to get me hooked.  I just felt…so good afterwards!  I was tired and my muscles ached…but it was a good feeling, one that meant I’d actually done something.  That was part of the reason I loved sparring so much and was proud of my bruises.  Sparring… :’-(  (My friends and I pretty much don’t spar anymore.  Most of them lost interest.)  They were a sign that I’d gotten off my lazy butt.  So, I bought myself a gym membership, and now go there three days a week.  I swim for about an hour, then, if I have time, I go to the weight room for roughly another hour.  Afterwards, I drink a protein shake and eat a tuna or turkey sandwich and feel energized for the rest of the day.

The benefits of exercise:

– Losing weight
– Increasing strength
– Increased focus
– Increased clarity of thought
– Increased energy
– Increased creativity
– Elevated mood
– Increased self-esteem

I’ve only just started, so it will be a while for some of the benefits, like weight loss, to show, but things like increased creativity and elevated mood I felt immediately, and that feeling is what draws me back to the gym.  I like it and it’s good for me, so why not?  Yes, getting a gym membership, even a monthly one, is expensive, but I figured, “Hey, I can always make more money….but I only have one body.  I should take care of it.”  If you also feel like you’ve fallen into a rut or would like some more energy to get through the day, try out an exercise routine (remembering not to try too much too quickly, lest you hurt yourself.  Consult with someone who knows what they are doing first.)  You won’t regret it!

**My heartfelt thanks goes to Aunt Nancy for teaching me about nutrition, to David for his patience with my rants and recommending Spontaneous Happiness by Dr. Weil, and to Fullmetal Obiwan for turning me into a gym-rat.  I couldn’t have made this step without you.