Thursday, August 27, 2015

Put a Bounce in Your Writing

We’re writers and the saying is ‘butt in chair and write.’ So we sit down and write, sometimes for hours.

This is called a static unmoving situation and can translate into immobility of joints and tension on the muscles that support those joints.
I’m guilty of this and thought my stiffness was just part of getting old.

The biggest thing to help to prevent the stiffness is small breaks. I set a timer for every hour.  Then I get up and take a walk. You can also stretch, do a five minute workout, whatever works for you. as long as you're moving those joints.
This will help bring mobility back to the joints and stretch the muscles.

It’s also important to increase your activity when you finish writing; workout at the gym, take a yoga class or try Tai chi. These will help counter the time spent in one position, hunched over the computer.

You can also change the way you write. I know someone who uses a standing desk because of her back. There are other ergonomic desks you can try. Or use a fitness ball. It’s fairly inexpensive, helps with your core muscles and gets you moving a little more than a regular chair.
You can also buy fitness ball chairs. (Who knew?)
If you're using a ball, keep your feet flat on the floor and you should be at eye level with your computer screen.

Whatever works for you, but you still need to take those breaks.

I’m bouncing along as I write this blog. I actually prefer it to the standard chair. And my timer just went so I’m off for a short walk to get more coffee. Anyone want to join me?

9 comments:

  1. Great tips, Beverly. Thanks... getting off my seat right now to stretch the legs!

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    1. You're welcome and I'm glad it motivated you to move. :)

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  2. Great article and a reminder to MOVE!

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  3. Great tips here! I love the wooden writing desk in your photo. How beautiful!

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    1. It's a portable writing desk. Glad you liked the tips.

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  4. Excellent tips! I'm currently working on a non-fiction project called Overcome your Sedentary Lifestyle, which will be out in January. I mention pretty much all of the things you did here, but I'd add a note of caution with using a physio-ball for daily computer work. Because it isn't a standard sized seat, it's difficult to get it set to exactly the right height. Your knees should be slightly below your hips and as you mentioned, feet flat on the floor. Other than adding or removing air from them--which also alters the firmness/supportiveness--they aren't readily adjustable. The actual ball chairs as shown above are a bit more flexible in terms of seat height, but still not great for the long term, IMO. It's definitely a personal choice and what works for one person may not work well for someone else. Thanks again for posting this vital info for your readers. We ALL need to move more! In fact, a minimum of 10 minutes of movement for every hour of sitting is required to combat the effects of being sedentary, so if you are sitting for even six hours a day, you need to do a total of an hour of exercise daily!

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    1. Wow - thanks PJ for your note of caution. I did know about inflation but thought the feet on the floor and eye level with the screen might cover it. Your additional information is awesome.
      Six hours of writing, one hour in the gym for me. Yikes!

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