A Writer’s Exercise Program
By Amber Leggette-Aldrich
- Weight Lifting: Repeatedly lifting a 12oz coffee mug from desk to lips and back. Do this exercise several times throughout the day and evening for firm biceps.
- Cardiovascular Workout: Hitting the delete button by accident and having all your work erased an hour before your assignment is due. This really gets your heart pumping and blood circulating as you jump up and down while screaming “NO”.
- Stretches: Reaching for the computer paper on the shelf behind you and then reaching to put it in the printer. Make sure paper and printer are on opposite sides of your work area for an equal stretch.
- Reflexes: Trying to catch yourself before falling out of your chair from reaching for the paper or printer. This is especially important if your chair has wheels.
- More Reflexes: Trying to catch the cat before he runs across your keyboard and knocks your coffee over.
- Toning Work: Replacing the ink cartridges in your printer.
- Squats: Getting up and down from your chair for frequent bathroom breaks. A sign you are doing well on your weight lifting (see #1).
- Frequent Massages: Scratching your head while staring at a blank screen. This promotes good circulation and helps stir up new ideas, or daydreaming.
- Knee Rotations: Swiveling side to side in your chair while talking on the phone, wishing you were still working on your writing. This can be combined with the Frequent Massages (#8). Then it is considered “multi-tasking”.
- Breathing Exercises: Blowing all the cat hair off of the desk, or sighs of exasperation. Either one will work, so long as you inhale and exhale deeply.
- Walking/Jogging: Daily trips to the mailbox looking for that big fat check from your publisher for your latest bestseller, or your fan mail. (I don’t get to do this one, as I don’t have a bestseller or fans yet.)
- Endurance: Repeatedly getting up and doing this all over again each day because you are a writer. It’s who you are.
- Yoga Position: Giving our self a frequent pat on the back to maintain positive reinforcement of why we do this. Other benefits include, getting to those hard to reach spots when they itch.
LOL!! Now THIS is a true writer workout XD
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I do most of these exercises everyday, lol 🙂
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Thanks for the reblog, btw.
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my pleasure! too funny not to lol!
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My 11 yr old son read it and asked if he could do this for P.E., lol!
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Well, when you think about it? it IS P.E 😛
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In a stretchy and bendy sort of way 😛
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I think he gets more exercise than this in his sleep. I’m still trying to figure out how to drain the energy out of just his little toe. That would suffice me for the whole week. 🙂
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I know what you mean! they have endless energy those lil ones X(
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Yes they do. If anyone ever figures out how to harness that energy, the fuel crisis would be solved. 🙂
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No kidding, we’d have enough to travel 10 solar systems 😛
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I wonder if I should have qualified “Watching kids run around” as one of the exercises. Sure makes me feel tired enough. 🙂
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mmmmm I think we can include that under the cardio category just below the stretches lol 😛
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Reblogged this on My story to you.. and commented:
Writers boot camp here we go!
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I do this workout. At least three days a week. Rest of week. I must work.
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I do this almost everyday, though I don’t get paid for much of it. What kind of writing do you do?
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Everything. I have poetry, story and books waiting to be edited. Publisher like my work. I was told I was a epic writer. I was born 500 years too late. Writing is hard work. I do all I can. I must work to eat and pay rent. Good to meet you.
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Good to meet you too. I look forward to reading your works, and I wish you success along your journey. 🙂
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This is hilarious! Now i can tell my friends “Yeah, of course I work out!”
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Hey, “patting ourselves on the back”, #13 under “Yoga Positions”. Thanks for the encouragement and inspiration! Will make update to post later. 🙂
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This post is every writer’s treat! Funny, and very true!
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