Exercise
If you want your mind to work, to be fully creative and concentrated, then you really need to exercise. What? Exercise? There is a reason you choose to sit behind a computer all day. Ah yes, but sadly the brain does not work so well without exercise. It doesn't have to be the hard, sweaty kind; walking is great. 'Why? WHY?' You cry to the heavens. Well, let me tell you why.
First: It stills the body's normal shouting and allows you to focus on the world inside your mind. Think of your body like a faithful dog. If you want to get anything done, you should take it for a walk and then give it a bone before sitting down, or else it will keep on nagging you. You might not think that your body is nagging you for a walk, but those little aches and pains may be reduced by getting some blood flowing through the muscles, or if necessary an over-the-counter painkiller. If you have done some light exercise before sitting down, and blood is happily flowing to all your muscles, they feel stretched and nicely warm, and this will help you slip into the flow much more easily.
Second: Exercise gives your mind time to process. Watching your thoughts at every moment is counterproductive. Go for a walk and let your conscious and subconscious conspire, half way through the walk, or when you return, you will find a little envelope slipped under the door and when you open it, fairy dust will spill out and fill the air.
Third: Your brain benefits from physical exercise. Increasing evidence indicates that exercise develops brain plasticity (how flexible you are in your thinking, and how well your brain can build its habits), and makes your thinking processes both faster and more clear. Get some blood pumping around that brain and increase your concentration.
Fourth: If you want to write as a lifestyle, then sitting down for the majority of your life needs some sort of compensation by making the most of the time you aren't sitting down.
Fifth: There are some things you need that you can't get inside. Sunlight on your retinas helps keep your circadian rhythm up to date, and so also helps you stay awake when you should. Sunlight also reduces depression, and refreshes the senses, and activates your vitamin D. You could just go outside and just lie in the grass for all this to happen, but why not do a bit of walking first? Or roll around while you are down there?
As stated before, it really doesn't have to be hard. Walking is good. I like to break a light sweat, but not go into anaerobic exercise. You should still be able to hold a conversation, with just slight puffs. This means your blood is pumping at an optimal level and your body hasn't started creating excess waste product such as lactic acid, which can add extra stress to your body to get rid of. Remember, we are all about stress minimisation. Though one or two hard sessions a week is fine if you are so inclined.
Stretching
If sitting all day, you really should spend some time stretching, because sitting is not a natural position to be in constantly. Years of constantly sitting makes your hip flexors shorten, which can result in lower back problems. Similarly, your glutes like to be gently stretched and used. Your neck and shoulders get tight from the tension you are placing in them, and your wrists and forearms are in danger from the strange repetitive motions you are making them do.
So when you suddenly feel as though inspiration has done a bunk, shrug your shoulders and stretch for five minutes. (Please note that because this is a short article, I've only gone into some stretches here. If you want a fully detailed account, please go to my book 'The Five Day Writer's Retreat' on Amazon).
Warm up: As you haven't been moving, the muscles won't be particularly warm, so it's not a great time to just demand they stretch out, and can in fact do damage. For each muscle group take a moment to warm them up. I recommend starting at the top of your head and work down. It's a nice organised method.
Neck and shoulders: Start by turning your head to either side a few times and then gently lowering your ear towards your shoulder and then the other ear to warm up. Finish this with shoulder rolls, lifting your shoulders up and around. After ten circles reverse and go back the other way. This should get the muscles nice and pliable. Then, keeping your shoulders square, gently lower your ear towards your shoulder and hold it there for 12 seconds. Come up to straight and drop your other ear to your other shoulder and hold for 12 seconds. You should feel the stretch on the opposite side. If you need a little bit extra, you can place the hand on the same side on your head and gently put weight on it to stretch further. Finally, with your head straight forward, drop your chin to your chest to stretch out the back of your neck and hold, then drop the back of your head down so you can stretch out the front of your neck and hold.
Hip flexor: stand with your feet together and then take one large step forward with your left leg. Keep your right leg as straight as you can, and bend your left leg forward until the knee is just over the toes. Try and push down into the stretch, which you should feel down the front of your right hip. Hold for 12 seconds, and then step back and repeat on the other side.
Glutes and hip flexors: this is best performed on a mat as you need to be on the ground. Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Bring your right knee up to your right hand, and your right foot across to your left hand. Slowly slide your left leg straight out behind you. You should feel the stretch in your right glute (aka your butt), and if you keep your chest up straight, also in your left hip flexor. This is similar to the yoga pose the 'half pigeon'. Hold this for about 20 seconds, then swap over.
If you do that every few hours, your body will thank you every day, and your spritely older self will thank you too!
If you want your mind to work, to be fully creative and concentrated, then you really need to exercise. What? Exercise? There is a reason you choose to sit behind a computer all day. Ah yes, but sadly the brain does not work so well without exercise. It doesn't have to be the hard, sweaty kind; walking is great. 'Why? WHY?' You cry to the heavens. Well, let me tell you why.
First: It stills the body's normal shouting and allows you to focus on the world inside your mind. Think of your body like a faithful dog. If you want to get anything done, you should take it for a walk and then give it a bone before sitting down, or else it will keep on nagging you. You might not think that your body is nagging you for a walk, but those little aches and pains may be reduced by getting some blood flowing through the muscles, or if necessary an over-the-counter painkiller. If you have done some light exercise before sitting down, and blood is happily flowing to all your muscles, they feel stretched and nicely warm, and this will help you slip into the flow much more easily.
Second: Exercise gives your mind time to process. Watching your thoughts at every moment is counterproductive. Go for a walk and let your conscious and subconscious conspire, half way through the walk, or when you return, you will find a little envelope slipped under the door and when you open it, fairy dust will spill out and fill the air.
Third: Your brain benefits from physical exercise. Increasing evidence indicates that exercise develops brain plasticity (how flexible you are in your thinking, and how well your brain can build its habits), and makes your thinking processes both faster and more clear. Get some blood pumping around that brain and increase your concentration.
Fourth: If you want to write as a lifestyle, then sitting down for the majority of your life needs some sort of compensation by making the most of the time you aren't sitting down.
Fifth: There are some things you need that you can't get inside. Sunlight on your retinas helps keep your circadian rhythm up to date, and so also helps you stay awake when you should. Sunlight also reduces depression, and refreshes the senses, and activates your vitamin D. You could just go outside and just lie in the grass for all this to happen, but why not do a bit of walking first? Or roll around while you are down there?
As stated before, it really doesn't have to be hard. Walking is good. I like to break a light sweat, but not go into anaerobic exercise. You should still be able to hold a conversation, with just slight puffs. This means your blood is pumping at an optimal level and your body hasn't started creating excess waste product such as lactic acid, which can add extra stress to your body to get rid of. Remember, we are all about stress minimisation. Though one or two hard sessions a week is fine if you are so inclined.
Stretching
If sitting all day, you really should spend some time stretching, because sitting is not a natural position to be in constantly. Years of constantly sitting makes your hip flexors shorten, which can result in lower back problems. Similarly, your glutes like to be gently stretched and used. Your neck and shoulders get tight from the tension you are placing in them, and your wrists and forearms are in danger from the strange repetitive motions you are making them do.
So when you suddenly feel as though inspiration has done a bunk, shrug your shoulders and stretch for five minutes. (Please note that because this is a short article, I've only gone into some stretches here. If you want a fully detailed account, please go to my book 'The Five Day Writer's Retreat' on Amazon).
Warm up: As you haven't been moving, the muscles won't be particularly warm, so it's not a great time to just demand they stretch out, and can in fact do damage. For each muscle group take a moment to warm them up. I recommend starting at the top of your head and work down. It's a nice organised method.
Neck and shoulders: Start by turning your head to either side a few times and then gently lowering your ear towards your shoulder and then the other ear to warm up. Finish this with shoulder rolls, lifting your shoulders up and around. After ten circles reverse and go back the other way. This should get the muscles nice and pliable. Then, keeping your shoulders square, gently lower your ear towards your shoulder and hold it there for 12 seconds. Come up to straight and drop your other ear to your other shoulder and hold for 12 seconds. You should feel the stretch on the opposite side. If you need a little bit extra, you can place the hand on the same side on your head and gently put weight on it to stretch further. Finally, with your head straight forward, drop your chin to your chest to stretch out the back of your neck and hold, then drop the back of your head down so you can stretch out the front of your neck and hold.
Hip flexor: stand with your feet together and then take one large step forward with your left leg. Keep your right leg as straight as you can, and bend your left leg forward until the knee is just over the toes. Try and push down into the stretch, which you should feel down the front of your right hip. Hold for 12 seconds, and then step back and repeat on the other side.
Glutes and hip flexors: this is best performed on a mat as you need to be on the ground. Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Bring your right knee up to your right hand, and your right foot across to your left hand. Slowly slide your left leg straight out behind you. You should feel the stretch in your right glute (aka your butt), and if you keep your chest up straight, also in your left hip flexor. This is similar to the yoga pose the 'half pigeon'. Hold this for about 20 seconds, then swap over.
If you do that every few hours, your body will thank you every day, and your spritely older self will thank you too!
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