"Write with passion. Rewrite with precision."

Pump Up Your Muse
With A Workout!

© 2011 by Deborah M. Hale

One of the big resolutions people tend to make in the New Year involves improving physical fit- ness. But for many romance writers, finding time to workout can be a huge challenge when your schedule is already packed with writing deadlines, promotion- al activities, family responsibilities and a non-writing job. It’s definitely worth the effort and time-juggling, though, and not just for the physi- cal benefits. Regular exercise can also pump up your creativity and make you better able to handle the ups and downs of the publica-tion rollercoaster.

One of the top mental benefits of exercise is increased blood flow to the brain. To perform optimally, the brain needs lots of oxygen and glucose – blood is the delivery service that carries these vital fuels. Exercise also increases the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which supports memory and mental processes. Writers who exercise may notice they are more alert and better able to concentrate for several hours after. If you have a particular time of day when your muse is likely to take a hike, try going for one yourself or getting some other form of exercise to help boost your productivity.

Another major benefit of exercise is the release of beta-endorphins, the “feel-good” hormones that help reduce feelings of anxiety, stress and depression. With rejections, revisions, bad reviews, tight dead-lines and all the other stresses that can plague writers, we need all the help we can get in that department! Exercise can also help you get a better night’s sleep, which further improves concen- tration and helps reduce stress. Types of exercise that call for deep concentration, like tai-chi, yoga and Pilates, go even further to promote calm and relaxation by putting the brain in a meditative state.

I never thought I would be doing exercise, let alone recommending it to others. I was a life-long couch potato with lousy coordination who never met a sport I didn’t hate. But after stress-related illness and creative burnout nearly put an end to my career, I started climbing on my exercycle every morning be-fore I was awake enough to stop myself. That gave me enough of a taste of the creative benefits of exercise that I started learning Taoist tai-chi. I soon discovered it was like a two-hour vacation from everything that caused me stress. Then after back problems sent me to a physiotherapist, she intro- duced me to a core-strengthening routine that has kept me pain free, as well as boosting my energy and creativity.

So think of regular exercise as a worthwhile investment of time and effort to power up your Muse and make you a more effective writer!

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