WHO'S READY? ... COME ON ... YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO ...

Happy HUMP day everyone.

Well since it's Wednesday and in the middle of the week, I thought I'd bring in a SPECIAL GUEST BLOGGER to get us moving for the rest of the week ...

Today my new blogger buddy, Morgan Shamy is going to entertain us with her AMAZING routine to stay in shape while writing. As we all know, writer's are VERY sedentary, so we need to eat right and KEEP MOVING!

Morgan is kind enough to be my first guest fitness blogger, so let's all dust off our high school pompoms and give a CHEER for MORGAN!  YAY MORGAN! Take it away!

MICHAEL…….DI GESU….IT’S TIME……FOR A……FITNESS POST…..

LOL! I promise I’m not mocking the title of your blog, Michael… 

Anyway. Fitness. And writing. Staying fit while writing. 

Oxymoron? Definitely not. 

A little back-story: I grew up in the hardcore ballet world… so image and fitness has been ingrained in me from an early age. You spend hours and hours staring at yourself in the mirror wearing nothing but a leotard and tights all day. It’s all about having long thin lines, looking better than the girl next to you, pushing your body past limits you didn’t think was possible. Being consumed in that world can mess with your head. (I have tons of comparisons between the writing world and the dance world, but that’s another post) 

But since I started writing, I don’t have that physical push anymore. My love for sweat and bodily anguish turned into a love for complex storylines and formulating the perfect sentence. But because of my past, it’s important for me to stay fit even though I’m not spending hours a day dancing anymore. It’s something that’s embedded in me, a part of who I am. 

But I’m not willing to sacrifice my writing for time at the gym. I have friends and family members who are obsessed with working out. It’s what they do. It’s their hobby—which can be great, but I don’t have time for that—let me rephrase—I don’t want that to be a priority, not with four kids and wanting to spend any free time I have writing. Yes, there are those balanced people who plan each moment of their day down to the last minute and can fit everything in (Do these people really exist?), but I’m not one of them.  

With all things, you have to put forth effort to have results. So how do you stay fit, work, maintain a household, do dishes, laundry, homework, socialize, support your community, taxi kids around, blog, read, and have time to write?

Well, there are certain things I do, but they may be weird, so don’t laugh… 

First, the obvious. It’s all about what you put in your body. Having the control to put away the bag of potato chips, the bag of fruit loops, the popcorn, anything you can blindly eat while writing. What’s funny is I totally write better if I’m chewing something! Sounds strange, but true. The motion must create an alternate distraction or something that allows my mind to open up. See? Weird. So I chew on carrot sticks. Gum. Celery. Raisins. Anything that takes a while to chew, and won’t put in those unnecessary calories. 

Next? I never just sit. And this is where it gets stranger. I have the habit of working my muscles even while resting. I’m never completely relaxed. I’m always working my abs, keeping them tight, holding them strong. I lift my leg and see how long I can hold it in the air just to feel my muscles burn. I’m not sure if it’s just a dancer thing, but I like to feel my muscles tense at all times. And it works! Even when I’m sitting, I can be getting stronger. 

Last? Get up and dance. You don’t need to set aside a chunk of time each day to work out. I do short bursts throughout my day. We do this thing at our house where I’ll randomly blast music and we’ll all get up and dance. I always get the urge to run up and down the stairs—or jump around with the kids. Short bursts of exercise are great—it gets the blood pumping and can clear the writer’s head within seconds. And it’s easier than getting a sitter or hauling everybody out of the house to get in a workout. 

And also, on the flip side, don’t forget to eat. I know sometimes, I get so consumed in a project, the hours will go by and I’ll start wondering why I have a headache. Or why the words aren’t flowing. And it’s because I haven’t eaten. Food fuels the brain, and we need those healthy calories to maintain that brainpower. 

I know for me, when I feel better, I write better. 

Thanks so much, Michael, for letting me come visit today! I think this fitness series is great—and you are the perfect host! 

Thank you, Morgan. I really appreciate you stopping by and giving us you special insight into fitness and writing. You are THE best. I hope to see you back in December with some wonderful tips during the holiday season.

I hope you all will visit bi-monthly for posts on fitness and healthy eating from me and my SPECIAL guests. Next month on October 1st, L. Diane Wolfe will be giving us her tips for staying healthy.

Also, this coming Friday I will be posting another Flash Fiction piece for the Romantic Friday Writers, so I hope to see you all then. 

Have a great day everyone and thanks for visiting. I always makes my day!