Staying fit as a writer

Staying fit as a writer

While working full time and writing, it became hard for me to stay in shape. This wasn't a vain observation--I have genetic health problems that exploded when I started spending all my time with butt glued to computer chair. The work environment also didn't help since I spent some time eating out for lunch with coworkers.

I researched and figured out a bunch of tips and tricks to help me stay in shape without carving out of my precious writing time. I also found some tips to help me have just general better health.

Ergonomics:

Make sure your workstation is comfortable--not to hot or too cold, all your writing necessities placed in easy reach. Your efficiency will soar when your writing space is set up properly around you.

Arrange your furniture to minimize joint and tendon stress. When typing, your knees and elbows should be at 90 degree angles, your shoulders relaxed, lower back adequately supported. When using the mouse, your arm shouldn’t reach or crook. The monitor should be directly in front of you, not to the side, with your eyes falling at approximately 1/3 from the top of the screen.

Take breaks often to stretch back, neck, and wrists—about once every 30-60 minutes, more if needed. Also, if you follow a regular light exercise program (below), your circulation will improve even when you’re sitting, and help your body resist repetitive motion injury.

Exercise:

Walk regularly, preferably at least 30 minutes every day. Use it as prime brainstorming time. Take with you a pad and pen or a small voice recorder. Or bring along your CD or MP3 player and listen to a recorded writing workshop.

Exercise bike or elliptical machine—a great place to brainstorm, read (either a writing-related book, market research, or just for fun), listen to a recorded writing workshop, or even watch TV if you have one in your living room.

Efficiency Alert: Multi-tasking and doing these things, even reading and watching TV for leisure, can free up time for writing later. For example, you watch that taped episode of “Desperate Housewives” while on your elliptical machine in the afternoon instead of later that evening at eight o’clock, enabling you to write during that time.

Weight-train. A pound of muscle, even when just resting, burns 30-50 calories during the course of a day. If you don’t belong to a gym, there are many simple muscle-building exercises that don’t require expensive or extensive equipment, especially exercises using a dumbbell or a yoga ball. Websites like http://www.efitness.com offer free newsletters with articles on weight-training exercises.

If you’re an early-bird, exercise first thing in the morning. Your metabolism is at an all-time low while sleeping, but early exercise kick-starts it. A heightened metabolism burns more calories throughout the day.

Fit in fitness wherever you can. Walk or bike to and from the grocery store. Park farther away from the building at work or the shopping mall so you have to walk (although be careful about parking in dangerous, isolated areas).

Water:

Drink more of it. At least 64 ounces a day, more if you drink caffeinated beverages (which dry you out). This will not only increase your body’s resting metabolism, it will also prevent urinary tract infections and enable your body to more easily flush toxins away.

Drink a bottle of water on the drive to and from work. Take a bottle of water into those meetings instead of a cup of coffee. Drink water at your desk in-between cups of java or tea.

Eating habits:

Rather than a “diet,” think about changing your eating habits and your health lifestyle. Choose to eat leaner meats, more vegetables and fruits, and more high-fiber foods. Make small changes at first, then larger ones.

Eat vegetables at every meal. This is an easy tip that helped me improve my eating habits. Fresh or frozen vegetables, raw or cooked, it doesn’t matter—just try to include one or more servings of vegetables (and/or fruit) at each meal. Veggies are high in fiber and will help to make you feel full.

Most fitness experts agree that it’s better to eat smaller meals every 3 hours than to eat the standard breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This doesn’t always fit with everyone’s lifestyle, but it’s a good goal to aim for if it appeals to you. This method stabilizes blood sugar levels rather than a huge increase and then drop right after a large meal like lunch.

Eating out:

Most restaurant servings are actually two or three portions. Try to only eat half of what’s on the plate. You can fill your stomach a little before the entrée comes with a side of steamed vegetables, a broth-based cup of soup, or a salad with the dressing on the side—that way, you aren’t tempted to eat your entire entrée.

You might also consider ordering vegetarian—those dishes tend to be slightly lower in calories and fat. Since I eat out a lot for lunch at work, I try to order vegetarian when I can. The high-fiber vegetables will make me feel full faster than meats, and I found I don’t have the afternoon food coma from a vegetarian lunch.

Another option is to order an appetizer for your meal instead of an entrée. If you don’t mind sharing with someone, order one healthier appetizer and one not-so-healthy appetizer and split the two.

Limit yourself to one or two pieces of the bread and butter on the table. Also, make sure you have a glass of water or a water bottle with you and drink plenty of it to cut the edge off your hunger. Try not to order high-sugar soft drinks at restaurants, especially with their free refills. Before you know it, you’ve drunk two to three cans of high-calorie, high sugar cola. A good alternative is iced tea with artificial sweetener or diet drinks.

Snacks:

Sometimes (this doesn’t work for everyone) it helps to snack on something small (and healthy) every 3 hours whether you’re hungry or not. That way, you’re not ravenous an hour before dinner and tempted to gobble down your food.

Prepackage it. Make small containers or baggies of specific portions of snacks. Weigh them on a kitchen scale if possible. It’ll take a little more time, but it’ll help you portion your snacking. When it’s snack time, you’ll have a convenient package ready to go.

If you're on a low carb diet, eat a small snack of protein (cheese, nuts, yogurt, cottage cheese, salami) before you go munching on carbs. It might take the edge off.

If you have your own tips and tricks, please email me at [e-mail]! I can always use new ideas and would love to add to this list.