Flex Those Writing Muscles

Happy Thanksgiving!

One thing for which I am most recently thankful is I finally got the cast on my foot removed, I’ve been slowly regaining strength in my ankle, and starting in December I can start running again. Yay!

Fun fact about me: I am an athlete. I swim competitively and dabble in triathlons and trail running, so I love being on the go. But the foot cast, followed by a bout of bronchitis, has kept my immobilized the past few weeks. This week, however, I was able to get back to the gym. Sort of.

Flex Your Writing Muscles!

After having so much time off, it is difficult to regain the motivation to exercise every day. My body doesn’t respond to the workouts like it used to. I doubt myself. It’s more comfortable to sit on the couch than go to the pool. Blah, blah, blah with the excuses.

And of course this reminds me of writing. When life gets in the way, and I go for days (weeks?!) without writing creatively, my writing muscles atrophy. So when it’s time to write again, it’s difficult to find the motivation to do it. It doesn’t come as easily as it had when I was writing every day. I doubt myself. It’s more comfortable reading someone else’s writing than producing my own. Blah, blah, blah with the excuses.

What helps – in either the exercise or the writing scenarios – is knowing that it will be difficult and uncomfortable at first, but with a little practice, I’ll ease back into it. My muscles will loosen and strengthen, and I’ll get back into a rhythm.

During the holidays, it’s easy to skip the daily writing and exercise routines in favor of family and friends. So don’t feel (too) guilty if you go for days without writing or exercising. Know it may be a little uncomfortable to get back into it again, but you will. With any luck you’ll feel even stronger and more confident than before because you’ll now know you can overcome a little muscle fatigue.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Writing!

Like the writing AND exercising? Check out the WOW! archives to see more comparisons between writing and exercise in an interview with fitness guru Jillian Michaels.

Written by Anne Greenawalt: writer and athlete.