Why Writers Should Stretch: Simple Ways to Reduce Pain and Stay Healthy at Your Desk

From Edie: Sitting for hours can take a toll on writers’ bodies. Learn why writers should stretch and discover simple ways to reduce pain and stay healthy at your desk.

Why Writers Should Stretch: Simple Ways to Reduce Pain and Stay Healthy at Your Desk

by Sally Cressman @SCressman

While writers might not fly fighter jets, run marathons, or work on a ranch (okay, maybe in our stories), we should incorporate some physical activity, especially stretching. 

Stretching can benefit our bodies, minds, and muscles as we peck away at those keys, hunched over a computer for hours. It’s a simple habit that can help you feel better and ache less.

Moving Forward with Confidence on the Writer’s Journey

Guest post by Sally Cressman @SCressman

My husband and I hiked the trails of Acadia National Park in Maine a few years back. We’d walked in national parks before, but this was the first time we’d encountered cairns (pronounced kerns). Cairns are stones stacked by previous hikers to mark the trail route. As Drew and I are prone to getting lost, we rejoiced and continued confidently whenever we located one. We were on the right path.

Cairns are biblical. God told Joshua to remove twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River and place them on shore (Joshua 4). The stack of rocks marked the physical evidence of God’s power and a testimony of His faithfulness.

As writers, we need cairns in our lives too. In this ebb and flow of writing, discouraging seasons can drag on. We can get stuck on that one manuscript, glance at another writer and grow jealous, or navigate the journey alone for too long.