by Beth K. Vogt, @bethvogt

It’s often said the writing life is a solitary life. 

Most of us would also agree the writing life is a sedentary life. The invention of standing and treadmill desks is changing the whole “backside in chair” mentality, but there’s still a lot of writing = sitting mentality – and reality – for most writers.

I’m not going to use scare tactics like mentioning how physical inactivity may increase our risk of cancer or anxiety or depression to motivate us to move more. Instead, I’ll share three easy steps (see what I did there?) to increase our activity:

1. Invest in a smart watch, like a Fitbit or Apple watch. I’m picking no favorite brand here. Make your selection and then strap on your watch, which becomes an electronic exercise coach, prompting you to walk a certain number of steps each day. A minimum of 10 thousand steps per day is recommended, but you may need to establish your baseline first. My watch gives me the options to set a reminder to get up and move every hour, which is helpful when I’m lasered in on a deadline. I can also join challenges with friends to prompt me to stay on my goal.
2. Find a workout partner. Your partner can be the two-footed or four-footed kind. I walk with a writer-friend who lives nearby. Admittedly, we have to be flexible to life demands. We talk about both our real lives and our writing lives, and we also brainstorm our stories. Dogs make great workout buddies, too, because they need to be walked on a daily basis. Or consider joining a Facebook group dedicated to staying healthy, where members hold each other accountable to eating well and exercising.
3. Have some fun. Don’t make this all about losing weight or some overwhelming “have to do this” goal. Try something new and enjoy yourself while you get moving. Join a cross-fit gym or Take a barre class or try fencing. Grab your camera and go hiking. Or inflate the tires on your bike and go for a nice ride in your neighborhood. 

What about you? How do you get up and out of your chair?

Moments We Forget  by Beth K. Vogt

Jillian Thatcher has spent most of her life playing the family peacemaker, caught in the middle between her driven, talented older sister and her younger, spotlight-stealing twin sisters. Then on the night of her engagement party, a cancer diagnosis threatens to once again steal her chance to shine.

Now, Jillian’s on the road to recovery after finally finishing chemo and radiation, but residual effects of the treatment keep her from reclaiming her life as she’d hoped. And just when her dreams might be falling into place, a life-altering revelation from her husband sends her reeling again.

Will Jillian ever achieve her own dreams, or will she always be “just Jillian,” the less-than Thatcher sister? Can she count on her sisters as she tries to step into a stronger place, or are they stuck in their childhood roles forever?

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” Beth’s first novel for Tyndale House Publishers, Things I Never Told You, released in May 2018. Moments We Forget, book two in the Thatcher Sisters series, releases May 2019. Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding Series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Novel Rocket and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.