As an author, of course I’m a devoted follower of BITCHOK.
Butt in the chair, hands on keyboard.
But what about GUAMI?
Get up and move it!
I don’t know about you, but as someone who’s spent a gazillion years in tights, I find my creative output suffers if I don’t move my body frequently.
(Not to mention my head threatening to explode.)
Truth is, plenty of studies have shown that the body and mind are intimately connected. The noggin needs oxygen and endorphins to function at its best.
And guess what? They recently found that even when people exercise an hour a day, if you go and sit for the next ten or twelve or sixteen hours, you bring on premature aging. Yeek.
I heard author Dan Brown does push-ups every half hour. And Charles Dickens was famous for walking miles through London, working out his stories.
I like to stand and dance at the keyboard. I tilt the screen up, move my chair back, turn up iTunes, and let my little booty and footsies go to town. That’s before I go leaping across the room. 
We humans aren’t meant to be sedentary. And not only because of our physical health.
That same emotional, magical streak that runs through our psyches urging us to create story worlds out of ether is the same thing that made our ancient ancestors paint in caves and dance in the moonlight.
So tell me, WG2E-Land, how do you keep your body and mind in sync while your writing? Do you take breaks? Have a set fitness routine? Get antsy and need a walk in the sunlight?
The Best of WG2E Keyboard Dancing Wishes — Alicia Street
Alicia Street is the author of Kiss Me, Dancer, Snow Dance and Aphrodisiac. Alicia is proud to be a part of the WG2E family.
Interesting! I don”t know how you get everything “groovin’ ” at the same time!!!
Actually, Jeanne, you don’t need to do everything at once. In fact, taking breaks from the computer is probably healthiest.
I completely agree with this. I normally start the day doing yoga, then write, but have regular five minute breaks to walk up and down. Gotta keep the energy flowing in the body as well as the mind!
Way to go, Sibel! Yoga in the a.m. rocks!
doing some fun fitness stuff is definitely part of my preferences
and it is amazing what a bit of itunes will do too 
It’s great when you can make it fun, Adam. Let’s hear it for itunes!
This is fabulous, Alicia!
Never heard of GUAMI! Too cute!
Since I write full-time, I have to force myself to GUAMI, and I do that by making myself get out of the house a bit and take a little Muse Therapy Trip…whether to a local gallery or coffee shop, antique store, flower shop, candy store, boutique, salon, Lake Michigan beaches, whatever…something to get my muses pumpin’ again and daydreamin’ about anything other than my current WIPS and/or business plans.
This is just a great topic and thanks sooo much for sharing it!
I can’t wait to hear what y’all do to GUAMI!!!
Thanks, D.D.!
I guess you never heard of GUAMI because I invented it.
And I agree with your Muse therapy wisdom — exercising in the house is great, but it’s also important to spark our muses with a change of scenery.
I also use Julia Cameron’s “Walking” techniques…I’m with her and Dickens…nothin’ works out those plot problems, both on your pages and in life too
, like a nice long walk.
Ditto!
Great post, Alicia! I’m with you – I’ve got to get up and move every once in a while… to go get food and drinks from the kitchen! Just kidding, kind of. I’d really like to see you taking a dance break from the keyboard. I’m not much of a dancer, but I do like walks and jogs. With two young boys, I’m never sitting at my keyboard for long stretches (more than 2 hours), even though I’d like that. So my exercise while writing often involves getting up, chasing the kids around, and scurrying back to the keyboard. Happy writing and dancing!
HI, Tamara! LOL – incidentally, I’ve noticed that if I’m wrestling with a particularly difficult problem in my WIP my dancing definitely veers toward the fridge for a comfort snack.
Great that you have two boys to keep you moving!
I had my hubby add two strips of wood to the bottom of one of those premade wall shelves which snug against the inside of my treadmill support arms. Then I bought a laptop riser which fits perfectly on the shelf, and holds my laptop at the right angle and height. Now I write while walking on my treadmill. It’s perfect. Frees my creativity and I don’t get neckaches from hunching over the computer, plusI get the added benefit of exercise!
Whoa, that’s cool, Carol Ann! And, boy, do I hear you on the aching neck. I do shoulder rolls as often as I can.
I have a toddler, so I get up PLENTY.
But, when we move to the new house, I’m going to get one of those big exercise balls to replace my chair with for a spell everyday.
Ergonomics are also VERY important. When I type, slouched on the couch, my next kills me, and I have bouts of peripheral neuropathy in my hands. Yuck.
Finally, regular breaks will also make you more productive.
I too, love to dance. So I’m with you Alicia. I love to turn on Youtube or Grooveshark and ditty-bop in my living room. My daughter will join in, and it’s giggles, and smiles, and great for getting the blood pumping. Only downside? My nearly three year old can say “I’m sexy and I know it.”
I have a friend who has an exercise ball as her chair. Didn’t feel right for me.
Dancing with toddlers is the best! Does your three year old tell this to people at the shopping mall? LOL!
Something else I read says we should make ourselves blink more often. When we’re staring at a computer screen all the time, we often forget. This is not good for our eyes. Thanks for the article, Alicia. It was a timely one for my husband and I.
Nancy Jill
Yes, Nancy! My eye doctor told me the same thing. She said extended computer use is making dry eye syndrome rampant, and she put me on daily eye drops.
I usually do my exercise in the morning, before I do typing/writing. I do get up now and then to watch the weather on TV, have a snack or drink.
Sounds good, Julie!
Great post! I don’t know about the premature aging deal – but as one who can no long engage in a lot of physical activity, I still have to take a break and get away from the computer. The reason (and everyone should keep this in mind)?? Swelling in the lower legs and feet – perfect blood clot conditions (similar to being on a long plane ride). It not only gives me a much needed break, it gets the blood circulating and wakes up the snoozing muses.
That’s a really important point, Jamie! I’ve heard of perfectly healthy people dying from clots that came from enforced immobility like long plane flights. Aside from moving around, I like to do a shoulder stand or headstand to reverse the flow. That’s also fun.
I’m reading Drop Dead Healthy by A. J. Jacobs now. It is a humorous and insightful look at getting healthy. In it he rigs up a treadmill desk. As writers, we face two challenges: putting our butts in chairs and getting down to the business of writing and keeping that butt from getting wider!
Well, said, Janice! Butt work from both sides! I’ve head of that book. I’ll definitely look for it.
Like you, I write to music and as you know I taught dance for fifteen years. I drink loads of water which means visits to the loo and before and after I do push ups, lunges, squats and I have a pilates wheel and ball and use light weights. I try to speed walk outdoora everyday. If the weather’s rubbish I use my treadmill listening to rock – it’s usually Gaga who gets me going at a clip.
When I write a love scene I listen to Enigma mixes to put me in the zone – works every single time.
Three years ago I had serious health issues and had five ops in eighteen months which meant I couldn’t exercise as much as usual and it’s taken me almost a year to get up to speed. Diet is another key issue because it’s too tempting to snack, read blogs as we’re networking never mind actually writing!
Great post, Alicia.