Health and the Writer by Camy Tang

Whether you’re a writer who also works a full-time job or are a busy stay-at-home-mom, it’s hard to stay healthy. I researched and figured out a bunch of tips and tricks to help me stay in shape without carving out of my precious writing time. I also found some tips to help me have just general better health. Pick and choose which of these will work for you.

When you can, walk

If you can, get in about 30 minutes of walking a day. It’s a nice time to relax and de-stress. Or you can use it to walk the dog and get him in shape, too. Or you can play music on your MP3 player. Or you can listen to an audiobook or a workshop on MP3.

If it’s raining or snowing, walk around the house. Denise Austin has a “Walk Away the Pounds” indoor walking video. Or heck, just pop in any short exercise video and just do it! Even 15 or 20 minutes is great for your metabolism and energy levels.

If you can’t fit in 30 minutes for walking or exercise, then take small segments during the day to get in a little extra walking. You don’t need your fancy-shmancy walking shoes.

Stop the taxi a few blocks short and walk the rest of the way. Park at the far end of the parking lot. Take the stairs. Walk to your child’s school and make them walk back with you. Walk to the post office. Walk to the grocery store (assuming you don’t have twenty bags of groceries to take back with you).

If you sit at a computer or desk all day, take ten minutes out of every hour to take a short walk. Go use the bathroom, take a hike around the building. Walking will also be good for your lower back if you don’t have an ergonomic chair.

eDiets has this statistic: “A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that walking briskly for half an hour just six times a month cut the risk of premature death in men and women by 44 percent.”

So walk!

Camy Tang is a novelist also fighting the battle of the bulge. Find out more about her and her books at http://www.camytang.com/, or enjoy the read on her blog at http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/.