by Patricia Bradley, @PTBradley1

Happy 2020! I’m sure you’ve all joined the gym and started that new diet…No? Hmm. Might not be a bad idea if you’re a writer. You do know sitting is the new smoking, right? If not, research says “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting.” Check out this article.

So what do you do if you’re a writer and you spend most of your time sitting at your computer? Well, you could purchase a stand-up desk. There are benefits as this article points out. And while these desks are expensive, there are workarounds. I have a small computer desk that allows me to adjust it to a standing position, but I rarely use it. I simply don’t create as well standing and typing. So I try to get up and move around more during the day.

And although aerobic exercise doesn’t take the place of sitting less, it will help you overall. I do water aerobics and Pilates. In fact, I’ve been doing Pilates over fifteen years now and can touch the floor flat-handed without bending my knees. Something I couldn’t do in my twenties or thirties. Besides keeping me flexible, it has strengthened my core, allowing me to sit at the computer without killing my back.

And then there’s your shoulders. Sitting hunched over a computer will tighten the muscles in your neck and shoulders. A good exercise for keeping those muscles loosened is to hold one side of your head with the opposite arm and pull toward you armpit. Here’s a photo.

But I think my favorite is getting blood flowing to my brain. If you can’t do the headstand (see photo) just lay on a mat on the floor near a closed door and place your feet as high as you can get them on the door. (See photo) Lay there for at least five minutes, more if you have the time. That will get blood flowing to your brain and that helps with creativity. I do this at least once a day, usually around the time my story stops flowing. This always gets me back in the groove. 

Now for your diet. We all know everything in moderation, and it really works, but just know that if you eat a high-carb lunch, you will become sluggish, usually within fifteen minutes of eating. So try to stick to high-protein lunches. And lots of fruit. Did you know apples helped keep you awake better than caffeine? 

That’s all the tips for this month, but consider taking them. It might help increase your word count.

JUSTICE DELIVERED

Carly Smith came by her trust issues honestly. A victim of sex trafficking, she’s been at the mercy of merciless men, ignored by law enforcement officers who should have helped her, and seemingly rejected by her family. She can’t even trust herself to do the right thing. Though she escaped her captors and is working hard on building a new life, the past continues to haunt her when she discovers that the man she couldn’t bring herself to report to police for fear of reliving her captivity is still out there, luring vulnerable girls under the guise of being a modeling agent.

When her own niece is kidnapped, Carly must overcome her fears and come forward with the information she has before it’s too late. When that proves to be not enough, she’ll have to go after the perpetrators herself.

Winner of an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in Suspense and a 2018 Carol finalist, Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi with her rescue kitty, Suzy. Her romantic suspense books include the Logan Point series and the Memphis Cold Case Novels. She also has written sweet romances for Harlequin Heartwarming available as e-books.