Writing and Exercise Go Hand in Hand

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today after a week of vacationing and writing. We took the boys to a water park. It was fun, but we were ready to come home. Family vacations are important. They give us an opportunity to connect with our kids again. They’re especially important this year because of the pandemic. I’m so glad things are finally starting to open, and we can travel now.

But enough about that. Today I’d like to talk about staying active, especially for writers or people who sit at a desk for eight hours a day. It’s so important to get up and move. I’m trying to exercise at least five days a week. I was able to achieve that goal last week, but it’s harder when I’m working.

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It’s important for writers to get up and move because writing is such a sedentary occupation. Did you know that sitting more than three hours a day can take two years off your life? Even if you exercise regularly, you still need to get up and move around every couple of hours. Take a break and go for a quick walk. Get the blood flowing again.

The benefits of exercise are not just physical. It helps with depression and anxiety. Exercise increases serotonin levels and dopamine levels which explains the fact you’re happier after you work out. I find that when I’m feeling anxious, going for a quick run helps reduce my angst.

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I’ve also found that when I get stuck in my manuscript, if I step away from my work and go for a run or a hike, I can usually work out the problem. When I’m running, my brain works differently and I’m able to work out solutions to my story problems.

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Any type of exercise will do. I run and do palates, but you could do Yoga or Zumba. Anything that gets your blood flowing. I used to do Yoga when I was younger and I’m going to start it up again just because I need the variety. How about you? What kind of exercise do you do? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

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Is the Answer Pre-Packaged Meals?

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today after a busy week of work, running, and writing. I’m hoping to send a few more query letters out this weekend, so wish me luck!

My hubby bought me a Fitbit so I can check my heartrate when I’m running and count my steps for the day. It helps me keep my focus on exercising, especially now when I can get outside to run. I want to stay healthy, so I can see my kids get married and have kids of their own. So many people my age are having health issues, and I’ve had a scare of my own. I’m trying to avoid any more by exercising and eating right.

The exercise part I’ve got down, but the eating right is another matter. I do pretty good normally, but I still love my ice-cream and chocolate on occasion. Sometimes on more than one occasion. 😉

I have to be careful because when you get right down to it, you can’t exercise a bad diet away. I see a trend cropping up where companies are sending you boxed meals that you just take out of the freezer and put in the microwave or oven. Their claim to fame is that they are good for you with just the right amount of protein and carbs.

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There’s also a new diet out there, it’s called Optavia. This is where you eat five fuelings a day and then a lean and green meal at night. You have to buy all your food from the company and by doing this you’ll lose weight. It works, too. I’ve got a friend who’s lost approximately thirty pounds in a short period of time, and she’s still going strong. My question is, when you’ve lost enough weight, what do you do?

According to my friend, you transition back to eating normal meals, but I’m skeptical because it was those normal meals that made you overweight in the first place. This is a new program and people claim they’ve been able to keep the weight off. However, I’ve found the way they keep the weight off is by continuing to purchase the food from the company, and it’s not cheap. Now, this is okay if you feel a lot better and can afford it, but I want to know what’s in the food. What are they eating?

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If it’s just low-carb meals. You can do that without spending top dollar for their meals. I have another friend who is following the keto plan. She’s lost sixty-five pounds. It took her a couple of years to do it, but I feel this might be the healthier approach.

Then there’s the fact, that our bodies do need carbohydrates, but they have to be the complex carbs not the sweets so many of us are addicted to. I think if you do that you don’t have to spend so much money on these special diets or special meals.

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One thing these two things have going for them is time. Both save you time. It takes a lot of time to cook a good meal and then clean up after it’s been consumed. We’d all love a little more time in our day, wouldn’t we?

So, do you think these special diets and these special mail-order meals are here to stay? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

Becoming Internally Oriented

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’ve been busy with work and writing and I’ve also taken a few days off to spend with the family. It’s important to do this. We’re trying to create some lasting memories with our kids. They’re growing up so fast and time feels like it’s slipping away.

Even though they believe they know everything and don’t want to listen to our advice or wisdom, they’re still sweet kids. So, the terrible teens aren’t so terrible. However, this shift in perspective from relying on our advice to trying to make decisions on their own, I see a loss. There’s so much wisdom the older generation has that the younger generation needs.

In ancient times, our elders were respected, and their advice was sought out. When did this change? And why? Now, society tries to make our mature adults feel as if they have nothing of value to offer. They try to push them aside and shove them out of the limelight.

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Did this change when manufacturers started creating products to make us look younger? When did we buy into the idea that looking young was the only worthwhile state of being? We’ve become too externally oriented as a society. We need to focus on how we feel. Do we feel healthy?

Look at all the products on the market that really aren’t good for us. All that processed food is killing us by making us overweight. Do you know many diseases are manifested because of being overweight? Diabetes, Cancer, and Heart Disease just to name a few. Our young people need to be aware of this.

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They sit in front of their computers playing video games for hours at a time. What is this doing to their bones? They need physical activity to make them healthy and strong. I try to get my boys outside and most days I’m successful, but is it enough?

That’s why listening to our elders is more important than ever now. With the way the media “spins” things, and the way manufacturers disregard the effects their products have on the people and the earth, we’re all vulnerable. No one knows what to believe anymore.

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How can we turn this around? First, we need to become internally oriented. Focus on our feelings and our health. We need to turn off the TV and Social Media, where they work on keeping you engaged by posting pictures in your feed based on previous likes.

We can turn this around by focusing on our health and making sure we get enough nutrients as well as sunshine and exercise. It really is that simple.

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How about you? Do you have any ideas how we can turn this around? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

Happy 4th of July!

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