3 ways to help your sedentary body

A friend and fellow writer recently posted this question on our Catholic writers' listserve:

I am looking for your input, specifically your comments on my recent blog post that deals with the challenges of having a very sedentary job: freelance writing. When you spend 5-8 hours a day sitting at the computer, it is easy to lose good posture and to suffer from backaches and muscle tension... Is it necessary to sacrifice the body for writing? Please share your tips as I am desperate to know what they are!

If you found yourself nodding as you read her statement, you're not alone! Her question prompted an avalanche of sharing, advice, and suggestions.

Because I've developed a chronic/auto immune condition the past six or so years that affects my joints, I've had to not only address this question, but also to take it seriously.

My first big surgery was on my spinal cord/neck five years ago, when I had cervical spine surgery and fusion on my C-4 and C-5 vertebrae. I can't afford NOT to pay attention to my body when I sit to write for hours to work on any project.

So, if you need to reevaluate your work environment to help your physical needs, here's
3 suggestions to get you started:

my Diego

#1,  get up every hour and stretch, walk outside, check out your garden, look at the clouds, whatever… I have a great Siberian Husky named Diego that puts his head on my leg and reminds me to go out and play. And by the way, WAY TO GO to all of you who walk regularly, do yoga, etc!

#2,  be attentive to your position AS YOU WRITE -- in addition to sitting up straight, the rule for your spine is that your legs should be perpendicular to the floor. Read about this subject and take it seriously. There are lots of gadgets to help, but from my perspective the most important thing is to notice, be aware, of how you work in order to assess how to make your environment help you.

Here's a great visual guide to office ergonomics from the Mayo Clinic. 

#3,  If you are going to invest in something, and you have neck issues -- invest in a split keyboard that "opens" your shoulders by positioning your hands/arms further apart than a regular keyboard, easing the pressure on your neck. The one I have is called a Kinesis freestyle, and I use it with something called an Ascent that raises it in the middle for comfort. It took me a while to get used to it, but it has made all the difference. Here's a picture of my keyboard:

One final thought to ponder -- I don't believe that we have to "sacrifice" our body in order to pursue our vocation as writers. That's not godly behavior. Our loving God clearly wants us to be mindful of our mind, spirit, and body. As St Paul says in his letter to the Thessalonians:

"...perfect in holiness… May he preserve you whole and entire, spirit, soul, and BODY, irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." [1 Thes 5:23]

...in the midst of your ordinary lives

This morning as I sat listening to prayerful music outside with my sweet Siberian Husky Diego, I was suddenly startled by a familiar tune I’ve heard dozens of times, so I pressed stop and started the song over. Here are the words that jumped out at me:

Now is the time, in the midst of your ordinary lives.

Repent and believe in the gospel of Christ.

Cast all your worries like stones in the sea:

Come, follow me!

Now is the time—in the midst of your ordinary lives. How often do I imagine those scenes where Jesus calls each of the apostles to follow him as some sort of Hollywood setting, bright lights, neon signs, confident music playing in the background—as if they had a giant billboard assuring them what to do, one that is not available to me.

Needless to say, I've been pondering these words the rest of the day... 

If you’re not familiar with the music of Danielle Rose, you will be blown away by her lyrics. Rose, a musical missionary, graduated from the University of Notre Dame my son’s freshman year with a degree in music and theology.  As her official bio says:

"At the age of 17, she traveled to Delhi, India to volunteer with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. This experience gave her a desire to serve the poorest of the poor by offering her gift of music as a means of alleviating the spiritual poverty of America."

Here’s another piece from the lyrics of the song that blessed my day, “The Kingdom of God is at hand”:

 

The Kingdom of God is at hand - this is my Body.

The Kingdom of God is at hand - this is my Blood.

The Kingdom of God is at hand - the Body of Christ,

I believe, Amen.

Now the Kingdom is in your hands! 

Now is the time—in the midst of your ordinary lives.