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Working out is a great way to relax and unwind after a day of stress and tension.
I enjoy a good workout-just as much as the next person. There is something about an intense workout that chips away at the stress I have in my everyday life. I'm not a jock. I'm not even super athletic-but I like the rush I get when I'm hot, sweaty, and out of breathe. The secret for me is trying new things-Pilates, kick-boxing and yoga. I even tried rock-climbing once (it was a beginners class and I dropped out after the second session.)

But I have to admit-there's another type of workout that I enjoy even more. It also leaves me exhausted-and erases the stress of everyday life. Writing helps me relax. Picture this image: a steady and rhythmic jab-the punches coming quick in succession. Constant. Jab. Jab. Jab. Faster now-jab-jab-jab-jab-the athlete is smiling.

Fingers on the keyboard, stretching to full extension-deliberate little punches-one letter at a time. Jab. Jab. I imagine the backspace key-as an uppercut. I even use combinations CTRL + C to copy CTRL+V to paste. The words always come-some days I have a good workout. I am focused-I get in I do my time and I get out. Jillian Michaels would be proud. But then I have those days when I don't want to go to the "gym" and I avoid my office like the room is filled with poisoned air.

I find excuses-I stall-but eventually I find my way back there. I sit down-figure out what core muscles I'm going to work. Non-fiction, fiction, editing, outlining, poetry or prose. I pick out a CD. I like to write to music-hard, loud rock music that pumps out enough energy to sustain me through my workout. I don't have a personal trainer. There's no agent cracking a whip and expecting me to bench 10,000 words a day. The equipment varies-paper, pencil, pen. If I choose to use free weights there is always Microsoft Word.

Like any hobby I don't always find the time to write-but I try to make a small commitment to myself to do a little each day. When I was learning how to be more active people would say-just start by going for a fifteen minute walk each day. That sounded pretty easy-I found a way to do it. Even if I had to cheat and park on the far side of the parking lot when went shopping. Or I would take the stairs instead of the elevator after lunch a few times a week. I found a way to sneak my workouts in during the course of the day.

I try and write 500 words everyday. It isn't a lot. It's not but some days it takes me 45 minutes of uninterrupted time. Some days I have to use fifteen minutes here, fifteen minutes there. I'll jot words down on a notepad or the back of my grocery list. I start with a thought or an idea. I use anything that comes to me and inspires me long enough that I find myself relaxing and drifting away with the possibility. I don't mind the work. I don't mind the exercise of writing. Mental exertion can leave you spent, exhausted, and too reflective to worry about the humdrum of the ordinary.

Writing is a hobby I would recommend to anyone-it doesn't require training or special equipment. It is fulfilling and challenging and one of the best mental workouts you can experience.

Learn more about this author, R. Warner.
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