Tag: exercise

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Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Healthy Habits For Writers and the Disabled

Recently I talked with an acquaintance who has an epileptic family member. Lately,  their family member suffered from intense seizures and my friend was curious about how I manage my seizures.

Although I’m not epileptic, my brain injury puts me at high risk for seizures and strokes. If I have a seizure, it’s a grand mal seizure, which are the worst you can have. And it usually takes a few days for me to recover from 100%.

I am glad it’s been over a decade since my last seizure. My friend asked how I stayed seizure-free for so long, especially without taking any anti-seizure medications. I explained to her the lifestyle changes I made in order to improve my health and reduce my risk of seizures naturally.

  • Get more sleep
  • Stay active
  • Stay well hydrated
  • Exercising my brain and body

Growing up I remember the health campaign, “Your mind is a terrible thing to waste.” However, I was ignorant and foolish and never took my health seriously. Like most people, I lived for the moment and was more concerned with being happy, than being healthy.

If we take our bodies and brains for granted, they will fail us sooner, rather than later. I have already explained how important it is for disabled persons to stay active to help keep the muscles from atrophying, and I’m not talking about stretching them either.

Stretching is a healthy habit, but when done wrong it is extremely bad for us. We all need to learn better health habits.

Healthy Habits

One of the surest signs someone does not know what they’re doing when it comes to exercise is stretching before they exercise. Most people confuse stretching for warming up, but warming up is meant to keep us from overstretching cold muscles and damaging them.

Whereas when the muscle is properly stretched, it releases lactic acid and reduces soreness and pain after exercise, these are basic health habits for staying strong and healthy.

It is important to remember that being healthy encompasses a lot more than just our bodies. Healthy bodies are only one piece of the puzzle to being healthy. Our brains and our nervous system are what control our bodies, we must not neglect our brains, that is why I limit caffeine intake, I don’t want to damage my nervous system any more than it already is from my TBI.

Mental health, emotional and spiritual well-being all impact our overall health. We can’t focus on our physical bodies without exercising and taking care of our mental health and that means eliminating the bad influences that distract or hinder us. This is especially important for writers.

Writers Health

A writer’s mental health and well-being are critical to our craft. Our brains are the most important tool in our toolboxes. Computers, pens, pencils, and editing apps are useless without a healthy and focused mind.

Overall health begins with the brain. If we want to be productive and healthy, we need to learn some basic health habits for maximizing our brain health.

  1. Quit smoking
  2. Stay physically active
  3. Manage a healthy blood pressure
  4. Maintain a healthy weight
  5. Eat healthy
  6. Manage blood sugar levels
  7. Stay engaged
  8. Get enough sleep

I cannot over-emphasize the need for sleep. Many people view being sleepy as a feeling of simply being tired, but this could mean you’re not getting enough sleep which is a vital function in life. Sleep plays such an important role in maintaining our bodies and our brains. It detoxes the brain, repairs damaged cells, regulates blood sugars and hormones; it takes more than just a few hours of sleep to get it all done.

Sleep is when writers often dream up new ideas or work out issues in what they’re writing about. It’s true we can’t control what we dream about, but, we do need to protect our sleeping hours and bedrooms from being misused. I have learned to stop practicing bad bedroom habits.

Watching TV, reading, writing, or playing on our phones in bed, reprograms our brains not to rest and sleep when we go to bed at night. I turn my phone off before I go to bed and put it on a charging stand. I don’t want my brain or body to think my bed is my workspace.

Work It out

One of the hardest lessons for many writers to learn is our bodies were never meant to be sedative. We are designed and enabled to move regularly. And movement is an important way for us to improve our health.

Our bodies are amazing instruments of movement. I took that for granted before my accident and losing the ability to walk and feed myself. Recently I shared with some other friends in the gym, I am paranoid about being sedentary and unable to move freely.

If God has given you the ability to move in any way, please don’t abuse it or take it for granted.You never know when you might lose those abilities. Unfortunately, 98% of the writer’s life is spent sitting down.

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Editing
  • Proofreading

As I write this, I am taking another rest week from the gym. But, I am not being lazy, just changing my activities up and focusing more on biking. Biking helps me sleep even better at night because I have worked my heart more.

Our fitness goal should always be to meet our target heart rate because that increases blood flow to the brain and the rest of our body. Maintaining a strong heart is the best way to improve our overall health.

Writer friend, do you have any healthy habit tips to share?

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Don’t Get Comfortable

My first week home from the rehab hospital, I suffered a seizure. It took days before I could feel the left side of my body. I was terrified. I was afraid all the hard work I had put in was lost and I would have to start all over again.

Turns out it wasn’t a medical issue, but a lifestyle one. In the hospital, I was given a strict diet, mainly drank water, and exercised regularly. At home, I ate whatever I wanted, and drank caffeinated sodas, and exercise was the farthest thing from my mind.

I had become comfortable after my recovery and I let my guard down. When I had a follow-up with my neurologist, the instructions were obvious:

  • Be more nutrition-conscious and drink more water, less caffeine.
  • Exercise regularly to keep my muscles stimulated.
  • Get plenty of rest.

A month after my seizure I began biking. It became an important part of my training to strengthen my left side. Later I joined a local gym and started strength training. Fortunately, the main fitness trainer had experience working with persons with disabilities and he was able to coach me on my journey.

It was then I learned the importance of switching up my workouts. From time to time we need to use different fitness routine to keep our bodies from getting comfortable and plateauing. This keeps the muscles confused which allows them to grow. Medical science has shown that it takes about 6 to 8 weeks to create a routine and 2 to 4 weeks to create muscle memory.

I have three eight-week exercise cycles and halfway through I reverse the weight process. When I tell you it shocks my body, I mean my body is sore and uncomfortable for weeks; which is what I want, because I tend to get bored when I get comfortable in my exercises.

Comfortable?

Being comfortable something we desire in most situations. The dictionary tells us being comfortable provides relaxation and puts us at ease. It’s a goal most of us want to achieve.

Most writers (me included) have certain goals in their writing career they are striving for: fame, fortune, a better lifestyle, or making a mark on this world. I’m sure there are other goals I could mention. Take the time to think about what motivates you to keep writing.

We spend hours at our computers or researching in libraries and sacrifice time with our family and loved ones. It’s human nature to want to get to the top.

A decade ago I had a chance to go to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado, over 14,000 feet above sea level. While the views were spectacular, I learned an important lesson.

Nothing grows on the mountaintop, no trees, grass, and certainly not flowers. That’s when I realized being on top might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

It can be barren at the top.

It reaffirms that often the journey is more beneficial than the destination. This is why writing coaches and professionals advise us to keep writing. Not necessarily to get our big break, but to keep growing our writing muscles and voices.

As we flex our writing muscles to create stories and articles we work more than just our hands and fingers, we flex the most powerful body part—our brains! Like strength training, training in the craft of writing requires consistent use of those muscles. It requires getting out of our comfort zones.

We can’t become lazy and apathetic just because we’ve reached our writing goals. I am reminded what Christian author Jerry Jenkins said, “In any writer. I look for the –ilities: humility, teachability, coachability, availability, and flexibility.”1

We must keep growing as a writer, which means we can’t become comfortable:

1. Keep learning the craft.

2. Keep reading.

3. Attend conferences and workshops.

4. Find a mentor or guide in the business.

5. Keep being creative.

6. And most importantly, keep writing.

If I don’t continue to exercise, my muscles can atrophy. Lack of use and growth can cause muscle tissue to deteriorate and waste away.

In the same way, how tragic would it be for writers to spend years seeking publication only to let their skills, passion, and creativity waste away?

Stay Rested!

I am not endorsing never taking a break or resting. Rest is integral to muscle growth, this is when the muscle rebuilds itself. Rest helps refresh us. Rest means different things to different people:

  • Sleep.
  • Not working.
  • Reading.
  • Absence of responsibility.

I can be on a bike ride 40 miles out and feel rested. My goal is to keep growing, not get comfortable!

1  Jenkins, J,B 2006 (Writing For the Soul) Writers Digest Books, Pge 105.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Keep It Going

Last month I shared I was emotionally struggling with writing; I hope my post encouraged others to keep pressing on.

Since it’s the beginning of the year and everyone is focusing on health goals after the holidays, I want to address how it affects the writing community: We need to be physically healthy to do what we do.

A drained body can suck the creativity out of us as easily as a rejection letter. Living with a traumatic brain injury shapes every facet of my life, from what I eat and drink to how and when I sleep.

  • Too much caffeine can overload my nervous system and cause a stroke or I may become dehydrated and have seizures.
  • Not enough sleep leaves me foggy or I can possibly blackout.

One of the biggest risks for TBI survivors is atrophy.  This is a wasting away of a body part or tissue – it results from lack of use or movement due to complications of a brain injury.

For me, the entire left side of my body is numb and has a lack of sensation. I’ve lost all fine-tuned motor skills in my left hand. Perhaps you’ve noticed stroke survivors not using limbs or leaning to one side. That is because part of the brain has been affected, which in turn affects that side or limb.

This is where Newton’s law of inertia comes into play. The basic idea is objects and people will stay at rest until something or someone causes movement and as long as there’s movement the item or person will keep moving.

Keep it going!

Now that the holidays are over and we are trying to stir from our winter slumber, even writing can seem problematic, no matter how disciplined we are in the craft.

We’ve tried to write every day. But the beginning of the year is an uphill battle. So let’s try applying some of the counter tactics to fight atrophy in our writing lives.

  1. Exercise regularly: walking is okay, but cardio is better. Cardiovascular exercise works our heart and makes it stronger for when we’re not able to work out or take a break from our computers.
  2. Schedule breaks to rest your brain (literally) and spur creativity: I have a daybed in my home office so I can lie down when I can’t focus on my writing. I also try to do physical activities after I eat. This helps to keep my body from storing food as fat and helps it break food down for energy.
  3. Never eat at your computer: we’ll be tempted to sit long periods of time mindlessly eating and racking up calories.
  4. Never skip meals: coffee is a quick fix, not the long-term nourishment our bodies and minds need.
  5. Drink plenty of water: coffee does not count; it actually counters the benefits of water since it is a diuretic; water helps nourish our brains and hydrates our organs. Imagine water being the conduit that helps move our creativity. I shoot for a minimum of 1 gallon/day.
  6. Get a good office chair with support: We sit a lot and need good posture.

One of the first lessons I learned through the Christian Writers Guild was to invest in a good desk and chair. I was taught that “carpal tunnel syndrome is the bane of writers.”[i] 

And “Keep the  90-90-90 rule: keep your elbows, hips, and knees at 90° angles.” [ii]

The right stuff!

At some point this year it will be time for me to once again purchase an office chair.  I decided to do some research on what to look for in an ideal office chair for writers. Below are a few factors to consider for committing to a key the only tool writers physically depend on to be productive.

  • Seat height: an office chair should be easily adjustable, pneumatic levers are the easiest. Height ranges from 16 to 21 inches work for most people. You should be able to have both feet flat on the floor with your thighs horizontal and your arms even with the height of the desk, without bending over.
  • Seat width and depth: you should have enough width and depth to support you comfortably, typically 17 to 20 inches wide.
  • Lumbar support: lower back support is key to optimal spine support and keeps it from curving.
  • Backrest: 12 to 19 inches and also adjustable.
  • Seat material: there should be enough padding to keep you comfortable during long periods of sitting. Cloth fabric that breathes is better than hard surfaces.
  • Adjustable armrests: your arms should be able to rest comfortably with your shoulders relaxed.
  • Swivel: I used to consider this a luxury, but swivel chairs allow users more freedom in moving without having to strain to reach high areas of a work desk.

And moving is the name of the game for staying healthy and keeping our hearts strong. During my research for this article, I discovered a new product endorsed by the Mayo Clinic to help sedative workers be more active while at work. Both Apple and Orbitz have utilized the HOVR system in their offices.

I am planning on purchasing the product this year myself as I spend more time working from home and doing what I enjoy, hopefully, this should help keep it going.

[i] Jenkins, Jerry Writing Essentials (2010) p 6.

[ii] Jenkins, Jerry Writing Essentials (2010) p 6.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Truamatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.