In order to write well you have to experience life—the pains, the joys, the triumphs and periodic bursts of energy about being alive all provide great fodder for your writing. Passions, curiosities, and satisfying both will give you numerous and infinite article ideas. Traveling whether near your home or in other countries and observing people at coffee shops, in shopping malls, or on the streets will ignite questions that lead you down paths you never thought existed.
Gathering material for your best writing takes a lot of activity. However, for all of the activity involved in the upfront process, the actual process of writing takes an enormous amount of time spent sitting on your bum. Since most of us (me included) write as a hobby or as a second job, this means that we sit for an egregious amount of the day.
Take my schedule for example: commuting half an hour each way to work on Monday through Thursday, working 4 10-hour days each week in a cubicle, reading emails, running a website, soliciting advertisers, watching television, sleeping, etc. Quite frankly, I’ll bet that I only spend 2 hours daily in a standing position. You can see where this is going.
Even though I can still fit into the shirts from my high school days, I’ve begun to notice a physical manifestation of my writing lifestyle. In between my size 4 pants and my tops there is something that I can only describe by the slightly lewd yet illustrative phrase ‘muffin top’…and we’re not talking about the kind with chocolate chips.
I’m sure you can tell by now that I am not squeamish in the least when it comes to my weight. In my college years my metabolism slowed down its rabbit pace and I expanded to a healthier size 2 from a size zero. In my post college years (and even today) I am a womanly size 4. Yet the writer’s muffin top has got to go.
Managing this belly fat comes down to two very important factors: Getting exercise and maintaining a healthy diet. It does not cost anything to eat healthier, as it simply involves making the effort to manage your calories. The exercise portion of this plan will take more effort, but it is surely not an impossible task. Cardiovascular exercise is perhaps the easiest way to start, as 20-40 minutes of walking per day can help speed up your metabolism. As you become healthier, include some strength training in your routine. You don’t have to join an expensive gym to get this exercise, as there are plenty of free methods available.
Frugal by nature, I have devised a plan that focuses on increasing movement in my life without paying for it. Here’s how I will accomplish this:
- Free Pool — Our neighborhood has a pool that is open between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The cost is free, though the maintenance is partially paid through our annual association fee. Fortunately for us, we are one block away from the park and the pool!
- Trial Gym Membership Rotations — We are fortunate to live in a city, making this strategy quite easy. There are several competing gym companies such as 24 hour fitness, Bally’s Total Fitness, and the JCC. I plan on taking advantage of the free one and two-week trial offers to work out at these gyms on a rotational period. This will also be very helpful in getting through the hot and humid Houston summer when I will be less enthusiastic about exercising outside.
- Walking to the Bayou — There is a bayou about four blocks from our home. I periodically walk there and back, which I estimate to be about two miles. I plan to incorporate more of these walks over the summer.
- Free Hot Yoga — I have fallen in love with Hot Yoga. Not sure how I will weather it over the hot and humid Houston summer, but I am going to give it a try. There is a yoga studio here (YogaOne Studio) that offers free hot yoga and flow yoga classes at 8:00 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Being a bright and chipper morning person, this time works out perfectly for me. There is also free yoga offered outside at the park downtown that I may check out.
- Ride my Bike — My bike was stolen several years ago in my college town. I never took the time or money to replace it, though I missed riding a bike greatly. Fortunately when I moved to Houston, a coworker had a bike that he was giving away for free! It was a brand new one he had purchased for his teenage son several years ago not knowing that his son had entered the driving craze phase and would never make use of it. The bike now hangs in my garage and I can’t wait to give it a good purpose.
The results from all of this great, free exercise should be two-fold: I can crack down on my muffin top before it gets any worse, and greater flow of blood and oxygen throughout my body and brain will most likely lead to even more ideas to write about.
How about you: any other muffin tops out there? Do you find that exercise and movement helps with your writing?
I can totally relate with you, Amanda. I work in a cubicle 40 hours a week, and then I spend another 15 or so running my website. Then, of course, there is the occasional movie to be watched, and meal to be eaten, so my butt gets quite the workout. My midsection, however, does not.
My muffin tops are coming in nicely…. but lately, since we have rented a house, there is a HUGE yard to be mowed. I have to mow (with a push mower) about 1 hour, 4 days a week, just to keep up with the grass. While many of you may think that this is a waste of time, it’s actually a great forced workout. I have to push the mower, maneuver it around trees, lift it over stone paths, etc. My legs, arms, and midsection get a workout. Consequently, I have lost 6 pounds since we moved here 2 months ago! :) I can’t wait to do more and shed these muffin tops…
Hello fellow muffin-topper!
That sounds like fantastic exercise and a great excuse to be outside. That is something that I love about gardening and planting flowers/plants–it gives you a reason to go outside. Oftentimes I write a rough draft to an article, then take a break by putting a load of laundry in, watering plants, weeding, etc. Then back to writing, and the cycle begins again.
Funny story… I just won 2 free 1-year memberships to our local gym! Wow! I’m definitely getting rid of these muffin tops!
Score!
That’s a great prize; congratulations!
Amanda, I am completely in favor of your approach!!! I try to keep moving during the day in addition to regular exercise; up and down the stairs, chores etc. We also love TAE BO!! DVD’s are cheap and we also have options for “on demand” with our Verizon cable!
Sounds like a plan Barb! Anything to get off of our writer’s butts….
I can definitely relate to Derek’s approach to weight management. I generally lose weight in the warmer months, and put it on during the cooler period. I don’t think this is entirely attributable to yard work, but I do enjoy gardening.
Given the choices above, Amanda, I would jump on the bike. I don’t know how bike safe Houston is but here in Virginia Beach there are plenty of great rides. I also use this as social time, riding with friends on Saturday and Sunday mornings. While I don’t sit in a cubicle all day (I have in the past), the stay-at-home-Dad lifestyle comes with some elevated health risks. It’s great to pursue health.
Biking is pretty good here; I actually haven’t tried any trails yet, but I do like to bike up to the bayou and there is a nice path along it for miles, miles, and miles.
Thank goodness my 9-5 job requires me to be on my feet most of the time. I walk around and get a lot of movement in. Otherwise, I would need to exercise more. And also, having a lab puppy that needs to be walked daily helps keep off the pounds too!
My husband wants us to get a dog, bit I am afraid of the commitment! It would be a great excuse to walk though…
The idea of spending money for a gym doesn’t appeal to me. I signed up for a discount gym with a pretty cheap student price last semester and used it to do yoga 1-2 times a week (so it really was affordable) but other than that, I can get excited about incorporating more activity in my life that doesn’t require start up costs and monthly fees!
Someone gave me their old bike- it’s lovely but it’s clunky (a beach cruiser) getting it out of the basement of my apartment and trying to move it around was enough to make me not want to ride it. Maybe I could find one that doesn’t require heavy lifting!
Lugging your bike could be part of the exercise–consider it free weight training:).
I bought a gym membership and have gone 5 mornings a week. I love it and wish I’d done it sooner, because the group classes are fun and motivating. Walking on my own and DVDs just don’t hold my interest long enough, but I’ll keep going if there is a room full of people sweating it out with me! I got my membership at Costco for $300 for 2 years – $12.50 per month – which is affordable enough for even my small budget!
5 days a week is great–especially considering your schedule with school!
It’s actually been a nice break from my hard-on-the-brain school schedule and neediness of small children. It’s time to just do something good for me, which hasn’t been done since before kids. I’m working hard to keep it up!
Sounds like a great plan. Do you find that the high heat and humidity in Texas impact your outdoor exercising?
Absolutely! I lost so much energy in the summer here. It’s weird for me; I am from PA, so the summertime is seen as the time to really get outdoors. Here, summertime is time to spend indoors, and most of the rest of the year is for outdoors!
I joined a local gym last year and went 3 times the first week. I was very proud of myself and patting myself on the back for a job well done. I have not gone back ever since and it’s been 11 months. (**unpatting myself on the back**)
Bummer! I think that happens to a lot of people though with exercise, or any number of other life activities.
I enjoy riding my bike to work 3-4 days a week. Burns a few calories, and allows a little diversion before getting home and getting to the blog work. Lost a little so far this year. Cutting back on my carbs have helped too!
My work is 18 miles away…and yes…I have thought about riding to work. We’ll see if I get super courageous, as it would be along major highways!
Amanda, isn’t all about 10 pounds heavier for every decade we live after college? So far, it holds true for me! :)
I try to do online stuff and exercise in a 2:1 ratio i.e. if I spend 2 hours writing, I will exercise or play tennis for 1 hour. So far it’s worked out OK, but there’s no way I can get back to High School weight!
Oh dear–is that the rule? I guess I am holding true as well! 30s here we come….
Although I weigh less than I did in my twenties, I notice I am not as tone. I have to exercise more as I get older and achieve less results. I ride my bike for 90 minutes from 4-6 times a week depending season. In addition I work out with weights 5 times a week. I have no excuses since I have a home gym with power cage, bench, dumb bells, treadmill and mag trainer (stationary bike).
Sounds like quite the home gym! I have noticed that I am not as tone as well–definitely in my biceps. Then again, I used to play on the tennis team and milk cows so that would make sense. It doesn’t take strong biceps to type!
Your timing is spot on. This is exActly what I have been thinking about myself this week! I used to have a flat stomach and I want it back! I have been sitting on my bum WAY too much lately b/c exercise is the first thing that I cut out when I’m busy…which has been the case for the last 5 months. The good thing is with summer here I should be able to get more hiking in which is my favorite type of exercise. Thanks for the motivation – gonna go do some situps now! :) -Sydney
Oh yay Sydney! And hiking sounds fantastic–I love to do it, but haven’t in years. The same for canoeing–I love the activity, and yet haven’t at all in the last two years. I definitely need to incorporate more activities that I love into my day. Thanks for making me realize that!
I’ve gained over 100lbs since high school, where I played sports and walked a mile to and from school daily! That’s the main reason why I started my other site, in order to drop this weight once and for all, and use my family, friends, and the internet to keep me accountable! 16lbs down already.
You’re doing awesome! I’ve got about the same to lose and am down 11 lb. so far. Woot!
That’s great! You are such a focused and dedicated person, I’m sure you’ll drop down in no time!
I did the first 16lbs in a month, but I know that pace isn’t sustainable in the long run. Here is the last post of my month-long challenge if you care to look at the details: http://fatguyskinnywallet.com/the-first-fat-guy-challenge-final-weigh-in-did-we-meet-our-goal/
16 lbs. is a lot! I used to walk about a mile to our bus stop as well. Then I used to complain about it–now it would be nice:).
I haven’t work out since I took time off to bond with the little guy. My weight hasn’t changed much, but I know I lost some muscle tone. Once I go back to work full time, I’ll hit the gym again. I don’t like my muffin top. :(
Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one with a muffin top out there:). That’s great you have some paternity leave! Enjoy.
I’m glad I read this post (it was a gentle reminder to get outside!)- I literally have been on the computer working on my blog all day (except to go outside to walk the dog).
I usually lose some weight in the summer, but it hasn’t happened yet :(
Walking the dog is something:). Summers here are a bit torturous, so we won’t be outside much at all. Mornings and evenings are best.
I gave up my gym a while back and was surprised to find I don’t miss it a bit – probably because I wasn’t using it! LOL! Seriously, though, as you’ve pointed out, there are so many free ways to stay in shape.
I also live in Texas, so I’m a big fan of both free exercise AND air conditioning, and I can share two resources that might be help with your muffin top exorcism quest: the library and an online site I found with free full-length workout videos: http://www.exercisetv.tv. The library has lots of videos that you can check out for free, and the website is pretty sweet for finding new routines to keep things fresh. Go Amanda!
Thanks Suzanne! I have never actually tried exercise videos, but not a bad idea at all. BTW–love the phrase ‘muffin top exorcism quest’. :).
I try to get up at least once an hour at work and talk a walk, either to see a coworker or run to the bathroom. I’m very scared of sedentary weight gain so sometimes I’ll even drink lots of tea and water so that I have to get up! lol I’ve also been working on getting up earlier in the morning so I can do a 20 minute Turbo Jam workout :)
That’s such an interesting idea–drink more so that you have to go to the bathroom more to get up! The things we do:). At least you won’t be dehydrated either.
One of the best ways to get rid of the writers muffin top is to do what you did here…. Write about it! Once you become accountable the weight flies off! I photo journaled all my meals for a while and lost tons.
Interesting–I have never photo journaled before either. Thanks for the tip!
I’m definitely in this category – need to get up and moving several times a day, not only for physical well-being, but it helps get the blood flowing and get rid of writer’s block too. Thanks for the reminder to stand up and move around a bit!
You’re welcome! I hope I incorporate more movement in my life…
For those of us with office jobs, more movement is crucial! I’m still so young yet already I feel like my legs are just not used enough…
This might sound crazy, but I have a mini trampoline that I use to work out on! Its super cheap (I might have gotten it years ago for $25) and I run on it in place in front of the tv. Its actually really good for you if you have suffered injuries. I played soccer my entire life and my feet took some pounding on them over the years so running on pavement hurts. The trampoline doesn’t bother them at all and it helps me stay in shape!!
Neat idea! I haven’t heard of that before, but it sounds fun. I was on a trampoline (a big one) for the first time in probably 15 years the other day. A lot of fun–but I was actually a little scared with how high I jumped!
Exercise definitely has been a big part of my life and will continue to be. It’s a habit that if I don’t do it, I feel its effects in various departments of life.
A 20 minute walk or bike ride would definitely help get rid of the muffin top. I also find it more practical than going to the gym. :)
I need to get more exercise so appreciate these great ideas. I can’t take advantage of the free trial gym memberships because I hate the hard sell.
Hahahaha–at least you know your weakness:). I once made it through a Timeshare Sales speech–we’re talking intense pressure there!
Update everyone: I just went for a walk/run yesterday (and the run part I haven’t done in over a year)! I feel great:).
I always think that walking the dogs will do the truck. But as it happens, they like to stop and sniff along the way. So any exercise that I may have gotten is negated by the stopping and starting of the dogs. I will just have to get out and walk by myself :)
The problem with trial gym memberships is that you usually have to spend an hour with a representative from the gym, who will tour the gym with you, discuss your goals with you, etc., and then follow up with you later. It ends up taking a lot of time. I’ve never tried to do a trial rotation, but I have legitimately done trials for gyms I considered joining (before I picked the gym that I’ve been with for over a year), and the trial set-ups have always been time-consuming.