Self-care and Exercise

I just noticed there was a Health section here and want to congratulate everyone who is making progress in self-care and exercise. It’s so important and I know I need to work much harder in this area. This is a side of the writing life that we don’t talk enough about.

Mobility is becoming a huge issue for me and it’s painful and scary. Currently I’m in physical therapy for arthritis in my lower back, hips, and knees, and we’ve also been working on some upper body strength training. I’m 69 and I’ve had a couple of falls in the last few months, and I need to start using a cane. I wish I could love exercising but I have to admit I really hate sweating. But I know if I don’t do these exercises it’s only going to get worse.

Being an author basically means being sedentary (for me at least) — sitting for hours and not wanting to get up and move when it’s going well and the words are flowing. But over time it does take its toll.

So I wanted to share this verse in hopes that it will help remind us to get up and move more. Ecclesiastes 12:12: “But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.”

(And I wonder what Solomon would say if he could see all the books being written today!)