I don’t know about you but I often ignore things like eating meals and going to the gym in favor of a deadline or a project I’m in the middle of. But, my chosen profession as a freelance writer demands that my mind is always sharp. When I don’t eat, my mind feels sluggish. When I don’t exercise, my muscles tense up as I’m sitting down for long periods of time.

In other words, ignoring my body’s basic needs is not a good thing. So, I thought I’d share with you an article that I wrote and had published a while ago at Absolute Write about developing an exercise routine. In addition to the suggestions in the article, I’d also make sure to drink plenty of water and eat healthfully.

Exercise and the Writer

You have a deadline and have been sitting in front of the screen for hours. Your neck hurts. Your eyes start to glaze. You really need to get up and walk around but if you do, you’re afraid you might not get the work done.

As freelance writers, we often sit for long periods of time working on our material. We write queries, work on articles, and continually do writing exercises to improve ourselves. But what about our physical self? Exercise is essential to a healthy mind and body and can ultimately help both our writing and creativity.

Writing can be mentally draining. We look for that perfect word, strive for that perfect sentence. At the same time, our bodies are virtually frozen in place.

As I write this, I am aware that no matter how good my posture is, my shoulder feels tense and my neck could use a good stretch. I’ll get up after I finish this paragraph, I tell myself. But, I’m afraid that if I get up I’ll lose my concentration.

Does any of this sound familiar? We know that we have to exercise in order to stay healthy, but how many of us actually do?

Well, the good news is that exercise can help your creativity, not hurt it. Walking or jogging often helps me work through any difficult spots in a project, or come up with ideas. Stepping away from my laptop and onto the pavement allows my mind to rest and reset. Plus, there is something relaxing about the rhythmic way your feet pound on the pavement.

Here are some ways you can incorporate exercise into your day:

Take mini-walks. Sometimes, it is difficult finding a large block of time to go for physical activity. So, to solve this problem, I take mini-walks. It seems easier to schedule three ten-minute walks than one thirty-minute session.

One-minute breaks. These short breaks are a great way to fit in some strength exercises. If you take ten one-minute breaks each day, you just did ten minutes of strength work. Here are eight exercises that work your whole body: pushups, sit-ups, plies, calf raises, squats, bicep curls, triceps dips, and trunk twists. Remember to consult with an expert if you aren’t sure of the technique and make sure you only do these exercises every other day.

Stretching is a great way to prevent your neck and shoulder muscles from tensing up. Every ten minutes or so, stop what you are doing. Do some neck rolls, stretch your shoulders, get up and walk around the room to stretch your legs. For variety, you might want to contact an expert or buy a book or DVD on how to stretch.

Make it fun. Which activities do you enjoy? What did you enjoy when you were a kid? Get in touch with your inner child. Climb those monkey bars or swing on the swing. Play hop-scotch. Jump rope. Play with your kids.

Reward yourself. Is the promise of fitting into those jeans not enough? Maybe you need some other incentive. Set a goal and then when you reach it, reward yourself with a new book, a massage, a new outfit– whatever makes you happy.

Longer workouts. Even though you can get exercise by dispersing it throughout the day, a longer workout definitely has its benefits. It feels luxurious to spend some time away from your job. Pick an activity you enjoy and do it for an hour and a half.

Train for an event. Do you enjoy running or walking? Consider training for a 5k, 10k, half marathon, or a marathon. I am training for the Chicago marathon and I find that the regimented training schedules keep me on track. You can even run for charity.

Listen to your body. Definitely pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you. Do you feel tired? Maybe you need to get your body moving. Tense? Do some stretches. Restless? Burn off some of that energy on a power walk.

In the time it took me to write this article I managed to squeeze in ten minutes of strength exercises. I got up to stretch my shoulders, and then I decided to grab my weights and do a few exercises. Soon, I realized that I loved the short breaks. I could think about my writing and structure the next few sentences. As soon as I felt my concentration starting to wane, I’d get up and do another set.

So, even though I have a set running schedule because of my marathon training, I find that these short breaks really help both my body and my mind. Even though I am cutting into my writing time by getting up to do some exercises, I find that the time I do spend writing is more focused.