By Liz Talley
The title sounds like something you'd read in Ladies Home Journal, huh?
Or maybe a self-screen mammogram brochure. LOL. (Note to self: schedule mammogram)
But it's more of a treatise on how to avoid really, really bad back pain. Friends who follow me on twitter or facebook know about this horrid nagging in my back that has flared into a full-out back crisis. Those of you who stay away from social media are in the dark. Well, let me light a candle...
For one thing, I'm not *that* old. I turned 40 yrs old in August and then things started going downhill. You'd think I'd get a week to get use to impending middle age, but nope. Two days after my birthday party, I'm on a heating pad. Yeah. Welcome to your 40s, Liz.
No big deal. It aches because I'm writing. I know this and accept it as part of being a person who doesn't comb her hair until after lunch and thinks yoga pants should be standard uniform for all writers (who are those nuts who say they dress professional when they sit down at the computer?) So, yeah, I understand the old back gets a little sore at times...and the old rear end spreads as a result of
At first I didn't get it. Why? Why was this happening to me when I have a book due at the end of September?
But then I started thinking about how I approached my writing. About how I sat at the computer for a long period of time. About the time I spent playing on social media. And about how I'd given up things like yoga and zumba in effort to have more time in front of the computer.
Add all those things up and you'll see I needed to reassess my writerly self.
So in order to keep you from getting twisted into a pretzel and pandering for oxycotin, I thought I'd share with you my new list for being a healthy writer:
1. Maximize writing time. I can get 2000 words done in around 2 hours if I concentrate and don't skip over to facebook or random blogs.
2. Take breaks every 30-40 minutes.
3. Start the morning with yoga or a good solid 15-20 minutes of stretching
4. Move my body in new ways. No just walking. I need Zumba, Yoga, tennis, something that uses muscles that need working.
5. Sit with feel flat on the floor when I write. No wonky foot tucked up under me or legs crossed.
Even if you don't have back issues, those five things are good for you anyhow, right? I could add healthy snacks, but I'm trying to list things I can actually do. Healthy snacks I CAN do, but not without their fatter, more fun cousin -unhealthy snacks. I sort of need the fun cousins to make life, well, tolerable.
So, I'd love to hear your advice for being healthy. What do you do to make your body happy?Leave a comment and I will choose a lucky commentor to recieve one of my Boys of Bayou Bridge books. Your choice! Or if you have those, you can choose one of my Oak Stand, Texas books. And if you have those, I'll send you the Christmas book, The Spirit of Christmas, when I get my hot little hands on it :)
21 comments:
I try to offset the unhealthy snacks by walking each day. It's the only exercise I enjoy. Quite frankly I could walk all day. Give me a pair of comfortable runners & a bottle of water and off I go. I walk to run errands - that sounds like a contradiction in terms.
I like to walk, too, Marybelle. I'm still planning on keeping that as a staple. I usually walk a good three miles at lteast three times a week, along with some gym stuff. But I'm adding to that.
My friend whose husband is a cardiologist told her some to the healthiest hearts he's seen are in long term walkers. THat's the exercise he does :)
With fall upon us, I'm hoping for longer, cooler walks.
Long walks always make my back feel better. On good days I do three miles or so. It's a lot easier to do those miles when it's cooler!
And when my back is acting up? Icyhot. It's only short term relief, but it's still very welcome.
Hi Liz ~ My husband has chronic back pain. It's the result of several car accidents. He goes to a chiropractor on a regular basis. One of the most helpful exercises he's learnt is push up towards the sky one arm at a time and hold for ten seconds. Do not do this with two arms at a time. It's a quick way to stretch out his back muscles.
I've had debilitating back pain before, so I feel for you. Your post came with perfect timing because I woke up this morning with a stiff neck and shoulder. Every time I try to turn left...pain.
Your tips are great and the one about taking breaks is recommended for your eyes too. Uh...we won't get into what happens to them after 40 LOL (I can joke bc I'm 43 ;)...but seriously, apart from focus issues, they dry out because we don't blink frequently enough when staring at a computer screen.
For my back, I have two tennis balls held together with duct tape (wrapped around in a figure eight pattern). I got the tip from Prevention Magazine once, and it works to release pinched nerves. You lie down and put the balls at your lower back with the dip at the spine and do a mini sit up. Then scoot down an inch and repeat until you get up near your neck. It kind of hurts but you do your best. After several time a day for a day or so, I get relief.
Good luck! (And you know I have/get all your books so don't worry about the drawing ;)
Oh, y'all are so awesome! All these great stretches! And, Rula, the tennis ball idea. I really like that, too. I think I have some in the garage. I'll try Kaelee's stretch, too. My husband has already had back surgery for a disk impinging on a nerve? He started losing function in his leg. I really want to head that sort of thing off, though I suppose you can't head off car accidents. Lots of people with back issues - doesn't help that we all live stressed lives and literally carry our burdens in our back and shoulders.
I've been cycling through all my yoga poses and sinces it's cooler today, I will take a nice walk before lunch. But first a little time in the chair. Thanks for all the tips. Knew I'd get great advice here :)
I try to get outside as often as possible when the weather permits (I live in NJ). A lot of times I make a few laps around the block walking/jogging. But, sometimes I drag my beach chair out into the sun with whatever my current read is. In either case, I try to take some time away from the rat race to just relax a little. :)
I love Zumba. My class is full of thirty-somethings, so it's quite a challenge, but I look forward to going--which is a "must" for me to stick with an exercise regimen. I also walk 2-3 miles on the non-Zumba days. Love that, too. Last week I was in DC (did you miss me? :-). One day I walked 14 miles! Didn't know I had that in me! :-)
Yes, turning 40 does change your body. "It's just a number," your friends say. But yeah, your body starts to hurt as soon as the oldometer turns to that number.
I just had to cancel my Jazzercise membership. My schedule just doesn't work around the class times. So I'll need to come up with something else. But my day job has me on my feet all day and I'm wiped out by 4 o'clock. But I lost a whole pound since school started.
I have to write in a big ol' comfy chair. Feet on the ottoman, laptop in my lap. Pillow behind my back. Sitting at a table kills my neck. I try to stretch in between scenes and I suppose a few crunches would be a better way of curing writer's block than a game of solitaire.
Liz, I'm so sorry to hear about your back problems! When I had frozen shoulder a few years ago, my physiotherapist urged me (ordered me) to buy the best desk chair I could afford. We spend so much time in it, it's best to think of it as a tool. As authors, we need great tools!
There's a back stretch I love that might help. Lie on your side on a mat on the floor with your arms on the floor stretched straight out in front of you. Still on your side, keep your legs on the floor but pull up your legs so they form a ninety degree angle. Slowly raise your top arm and cross it over your body to lie on the floor behind you, allowing your head to follow the motion so, in effect, you are looking behind you. Keep your legs on the floor still facing in the original direction. Do this gently and carefully. Hold the stretch while your upper shoulder settles into the floor. I hope this makes sense the way I've described it. I love, love, love this stretch for my back. Hope your back gets better soon!!!
Two words, Liz.
Standing Desk.
No kidding. I went through the exact same problem last year, and the PT guy asked me how many hours a day I sat.
Um 17?
Our spines are made for walking, not sitting. If you get a standing desk, and stand 15 minutes out of an hour, your back pain will go in a week.
I know, I didn't believe it either. But it DID!
I also like to keep my body moving. I exercise regularly and eat healthy. I find when you play a sport you enjoy it feels less like a workout and more fun. When I'm thinking I like to walk around.
Bri - I'm so glad you enjoy your walks and down time. We sometimes forget how important it is to de-stress. Thank goodness, we know some good books with which to help us unwind, huh? ;)
Pamela - I went to zumba yesterday. Haven't done it in a while but I love it. I think it will help me move in new ways
Kristina - Glad I'm not the only one who thinks turning 40 unleashes something within. Jeez, I started noticing my wrinkles getting wrinklier and then the whole creaking thing when I get up.
I use to do Jazzercise - very similar to zumba, too. Hope you find some time to dance the day away :)
I will definitely try that, Mary. I've been feeling better since stretching.
And, Laura, yes. I'm going to try and figure out a make shift desk for me to stand at. Hubs says he'll help me :)
Taking up a sport sounds nice, Na. I like softball. Maybe I could try that. And then there's tennis. Right now, it's too hot though. But thanks for reminding me something that will help me move better.
I can already feel the difference when I stretch my arms high above my head - and that was when sitting at this computer! What great tips!!!
My tip is to do whatever you do with company. Then it doesn't feel like work. I play competitive badminton 2 to 5 nights a week from now till April, and then twice a week through the summer months. It is much more enjoyable to be "sweating with the oldies (people, that is)" than to be forcing myself to do stuff alone at home. I also walk with a girlfriend on non-badminton nights, weather permitting; if I went by myself, I would find all sorts of excuses not to go, but by having a companion, I don't give myself the chance to say no (although when I DO walk alone, I read a book on the trail at the same time - people think I'm nuts, but it isn't difficult to do when the trail is paved and has a yellow line down the centre, which I can see over my pages).
It's a constant struggle when we sit at the computer for so many hours daily. (If my butt could tell stories, LOL!) I sit on a "hemorrhoid cushion" to PREVENT hemorrhoids (from reappearing). I walk to improve my cardio/stamina and strengthen my knees. I play badminton to maintain my weight (rather than LOSE, darn it), plus I enjoy the social aspect of nightly play and weekend tournaments. I hold my legs out straight when watching television, as this strengthens my knees immeasurably. I do situps whenever I'm not in jeans and nobody can see me grimacing on the living room floor.
At 53, it's about maintaining. If you don't use it, you WILL lose it. Trust me.
Oh Liz, I feel your pain... my back is doing the same thing to me. I'm at my desk too long. I do have to put my feet up though to get relief. I also drive with the seat straight up to be able to drive comfortably. I do need to start exercising and stretching again. I haven't done any exercise in over a year now except to get up and walk around once in awhile. Overall my health is not good, but not bad either. I did make an appointment with a dietician when I get back from vacation next week and I have been wanting to go back to swimming. I did make the call to the pool to find out the hours for lapswimming, but haven't yet made the time to go. It doesn't help that they are open only during work hours, so I'll have to take long lunches and work later. :(.
Laney - I do walk with a fellow writer friend several days a week and try and make it to the gym and work out with hubby at least once a week. It does help to exercise with friends - makes the time fly and when it's hard, it's easier to bear with someone to grump with :)
Snookie - I suppose I'm serving as a reminder to stretch and move. In fact, I may head out for a short walk right now. Even just an around the block stroll helps, right?
BRI - you've won a book!
If you will email me your snail mail addy at liztalley@att.net, I will see that you get the book of your choice :)
I'll post the winner again on the main blog page :)
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