The Inactive Writer and Sedentary Lifestyle

 Dr. James Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, coined the phrase “Sitting is the new smoking”. Any extended sitting —in a car, at a computer or in front of a screen — can be harmful.

Research has documented that sitting for long periods of time is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression and anxiety. Studies have found decreased hip mobility is one of the main reasons that older people tend to fall. Chronic sitters have tight hip flexor muscles and weakening of the legs.

In addition, researchers from UCLA discovered that adults without dementia who spent more time sitting in the day had greater thinning of an area of the brain that is important for making memories (medial temporal lobe).

Sitting is the New Smoking, mayoclinic.org

Today's easy lifestyle and convenience comes with a myriad of problems that can be solved by simply being more active, going outdoors and not relying on transport all of the time.  The cost of inactivity has left people with things such as asthma, constant headaches, lung problems, the list goes on.

If people only realised how important exercise is and how it could relieve or cure many of their ills, the world would be a different place.  The problem today is that we're so used to the way we live, we can't seem to see the wood for the trees.

10 Writing Gifts for a Rainy Day

 

 April Rain Song 

Let the rain kiss you 

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops 

Let the rain sing you a lullaby 

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk 

The rain makes running pools in the gutter 

The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night 

And I love the rain. 

Langston Hughes

So far the British summer has been a bit of a wash out.  With very few days you could actually call summer.

Managing Chronic Pain as a Writer

 

Pain serves a purpose. Without it you are in danger. What you cannot feel you cannot take care of. 

Rebecca Solnit

Many people suffer with chronic pain, writers included.  Treatment is normally administered by way of a prescription.  Many prescribed drugs usually lead to a dismally low success rate.

Thankfully there is a more holistic approach to treatment that can be tailored to the person to help deal with their chronic pain.

Dealing With RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) as a Writer

It's not just factory workers and musicians that suffer from RSI, it's pretty common among the writing community as well.

Simply sitting at a desk for an hour or so every night, using a mouse and typing, strain will start to emerge.  RSI pain comes in different forms including cramp, weakness, aching pain, stiffness and throbbing.