For the past couple of years I have wanted to begin exercising on a regular basis but one thing that prevented me was the thought of all the time it would require, time away from writing. The less time I spend writing and revising the longer it will take me to publish, so I felt that this wasn’t a trivial concern.
I took the plunge in the middle of January and have been using my local fitness center about 5 days a week, for approximately an hour each time. We are cuddling up to the middle of March as I write this so I thought I would share my thoughts on the results of my little experiment.
The number one thing that has happened, the most significant change, is that I have lost weight. Yea! Also, and perhaps more important, my back problems — I was experiencing quite a bit of pain in my lower back — have disappeared. AND when I run for the bus I no longer appear to be at death’s door. All of these things are wonderful but, collectively, they have made me feel much younger.
So, to come back to my original question: Is it worth it? Is the time spent exercising worth the lost writing time? As you’ve probably guessed, I don’t think there is a clear cut answer to that question but I can say that it was worth it for me. I am healthier, and probably happier, because of having started an exercise program and I can only hope that is reflected, in some way or other, in the quality of my writing.
Karen Woodward's Blog 