Fitness is the source of energy for both body and mind. A study in the University of Arizona recently revealed that higher BMI may lead to increased inflammation which can negatively impact brain function and cognition.
In order to stay fit, you need to exercise regularly, eat healthy and make positive changes in your lifestyle. And, if you are physically fit, you become mentally strong with clear vision and thinking. So, basically, staying fit can make you a better thinker and a better writer.
If you are struggling to write (and don't exercise or go for walks), go put on those walking shoes or gym gear and feel the difference.
Kavita Devgan, a popular weight management consultant and author of Don't Diet, says, "Exercise helps sharpen the mind; it improves mental functioning by enhancing oxygen-rich blood flow to particular areas of the brain."
So, here's how you can write better if you exercise regularly.
It makes you disciplined and organized
Five years back I decided to go for regular evening walks. In a couple of days, I had become more active and organized. I'd finish my pending work and leave for my brisk walk every evening, without fail. A sense of being fit encouraged me to manage my time well. It was a good feeling.
I realized that an active brain resides in an active body.
Whatever you do, you need to be disciplined. Bringing yourself to exercise daily and then sticking to it is a form of discipline too. When it comes to writing, we often complain about not having time without realizing how much of it we waste in procrastinating. Exercising regularly makes your life more organized, and your organized life fills you with new energy and inspires you to not waste time.
So, if you exercise to stay fit, live an organized life, you have enough time to write.
It makes you more focused
"Fitness in whichever manner you choose makes your body and mind realize that you can conquer anything. For me, running worked best. It made me more focused," says Madhuri Banerjee, popular author, film writer and a fitness enthusiast.
Imagine a disorganized lifestyle—you stay up late and munch on snacks at odd times. You wake up the next morning feeling sluggish. You may drag yourself up to finish household chores or go to an office job, but you can't write when you are gripped by fatigue. Studies suggest that regular exercising improves the quality of sleep and reduces stress. Better sleep and a stress-free life mean a clear and focused mind. A clear and focused mind means better writing!
It improves brain health
Research shows that regular exercisers score better on word association and memorization tests than non-exercisers. It increases stress resilience, speeds up the memory and boosts brain cell growth. Healthy brains have better imagination and creativity.
It generates ideas
Ideas are a writer's best friends, and writers can't do without their best friends. But, how can exercising and staying fit generate ideas?
When I go for my walks, I consider it my "me time"—time to think and churn the wheels of imagination. When you go out for walks or even the gym, you listen and observe. You meet different people. Stories hide in these conversations, actions, behaviours and settings.
If you are struggling to write (and don't exercise or go for walks), go put on those walking shoes or gym gear and feel the difference.
