Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Everybody now: Get up, stand up...

Today I happened across Poets & Writers’ article, Get Up, Stand Up for Your Writing. Though it provides no citations to back it up, it states: Sitting down to write can lead to a decline in mental acumen (to which I add, and physical fitness). Maybe it’s just a well-known fact, although I remember reading somewhere that thinking burns calories. Don’t quote me on that.

At left is an example of how not to sit.

So, I trolled the Web for resources because lately, I’ve been feeling a bit of the writer’s spread myself. While this might look funny, I’ve actually used my exercise ball at my computer and could feel the difference in my legs.

Web MD has two pages dedicated to desk exercises: 60-second Olympics and Stretching Exercises at your Desk.

A Guide to Desk Yoga says its exercises are designed prevent carpal tunnel and repetitive stress injuries.

About.com has three pages for deskercize: office exercise and desk exercise and isometric exercises (and you don't have to be an entrepreneur to do them!)

WikiHow shows you How to exercise while sitting at your computer and UC Living Well’s Deskercise is broken down by body part. And who could resist being a FitSugar?

For those of you who like visual cues, check out Desk Therapy’s video or fit4real.ca’s 3-minute desk exercises on YouTube or CVS Health Rerources Desk Exercises. Or print out this chart and post it by your desk or this chart

I don’t recommend this one, though.

The old advice to “apply butt to chair” might be adapted to “apply fingers to keyboard,” but either way, it’s how stories are written (whether or not you begin with pen and paper).

And now I can’t get Bob Marley out of my head. (sigh) Everybody sing along!