The Perfect Micro-Workout For Writers That Won’t Kill Your Flow

Get your exercise without losing precious writing time.

I spend most of my free time writing — for Medium, writing books and also freelancing.

This commitment means I don’t have a lot of spare time and it also means I do a lot of sitting.

How many of you writers out there can relate to this?

Since nobody wants to be unhealthy, I think it’s probably safe to assume that most of us would love to find an exercise program that’s manageable and not too time-consuming.

That’s where I’ve been for the last few months.

Recently we bought a treadmill, but sadly I’m not using it as much as I’d hoped I would. I enjoy it but finding a time in my day to devote to exercise has been problematic.

Our house is small and the basement is my daycare so we don’t have the kind of extra space that most people have in their homes.

The treadmill lives in our bedroom, which is right beside our daughter’s room and it’s also over the daycare.

That means that I can’t use it in the mornings when my daughter is sleeping (I probably could, but I’m not a jerk) or when the daycare kids are sleeping. So that rules out the two best times for me to exercise.

Also, I write in the morning, so exercising at that time would waste my best, most focused energy. When the daycare kids are sleeping, I’m eating my lunch and editing usually.

After work, I’m getting dinner ready, and I’m not an evening person.

I know people who go to the gym or a yoga class after dinner, but we don’t eat until around 7:30 so that’s not going to work. By 8 pm, I’m in my jammies, on my computer again doing courses, writing more, or getting caught up with my favorite Medium writers.

Even though I want to exercise, part of the problem is finding the right opportunity during the day.

Finding a time to exercise can be the trickiest part of getting your workout done, even if you don’t dread it.

I think this is why I’m always most successful when getting my exercise incidentally.

When I was a personal chef working in a big city, I bought a bike equipped with big saddlebags. I rode upwards of 3 hours every day around town to get my groceries and then to and from client’s houses.

I was the most fit I’ve ever been for that year and a half (until I got pregnant and it felt too dangerous).

I loved cycling, and it suited my day. I didn’t’ have to try to fit it in or go anywhere out of my way to do it.

That’s the kind of exercise that works best for me and is the most sustainable as far as having the habit stick.

But now I work at home. While it’s true that I’m moving around when I’m looking after the kids, it’s not like a proper workout.

When I closed my business for lockdown, I thought I’d have it made. I’d have whole days stretched out ahead of me, just waiting to be filled with everything I dream of doing. Exercise, reading, even more writing, lounging, napping, but all that happened was that I wasted more time and ate more.

I expected to become fit and focused but having all that extra time didn’t have the desired effect.

Also, I’ve been feeling old lately, and I know that if I don’t find some type of regular exercise to slot into my day, I’m going to start getting really old really fast.

I don't’ want that for myself.

Even though I’ve effectively quit drinking and I eat well (see: My life without bread), exercise is the one thing that’s lacking. It’s also the one thing I know will take me into the next 20 years gracefully.

In my 40’s I broke many bad habits, but in my 50’s I’m finding I need to be even more proactive if I’m going to stay healthy.

In your 20’s and 30’s you can basically do whatever you want, in your 40’s things begin to shift but you can still get away with neglecting yourself somewhat. But it’s the 50’s where the wheat is separated from the chaff, and people who don’t take care of themselves start to see a greatly reduced quality of life.

So the question is, how can a part-time writer with a full-time job and a side hustle fit a workout into my life?

I spend all of my spare time writing, and I can’t spare any of it.

When I’m not writing for myself, I’m running a side hustle that pays for my passion and doing some freelance writing for a local magazine. If I’m going to reach my writing goals while having a full-time job and side-hustle, where do I manufacture extra time to exercise?

A book I’d recently read mentioned putting small automatic habits into your life, and it was a good reminder of what usually sticks for me.

So I decided to give it a go.

I tried to see if I could come up with a micro workout that I could do many times a day instead of one long workout.

The result was a fantastic micro workout that I’ve been doing many times a day, sticking with and feeling significant effects from.

How did I figure it out?

This is the process I used to figure out what would work for me.

I racked my brain, trying to find moments in my day that would accommodate small workouts.

Also, where the most automatic place to insert a micro-workout would be.

Then I asked myself what I enjoy that’s realistic and doable, and I can turn into a mini-workout.

Like everyone, I’ve got a bunch of random fitness stuff around my house. I’ve tried a bunch of things: workout bands, that board that you twist on, kettlebells, yoga mat.

The first order of business was to get reacquainted with these to see which I enjoyed the most.

Even though I like all of those about the same (about 7 out of 10), the kettlebell is my favorite (about 8.5). I have one that’s not too heavy or light. For me, that’s about 2.5 lbs, and a workout that I actually was doing somewhat during lockdown was what I would condense for this purpose.

Part of my problem is that I don’t have time to fit a whole workout in, especially on weekdays.

Once I get up and get ready for the kids to come, I need to sit down and write, or I won’t have enough time to get something written that I can just edit later. If I work out at this time, I’ll waste my best brainpower slot.

But this is also when I’m most in the zone for working out, so that’s a problem.

Also, once the kids start arriving, I need to switch gears and focus on them. I obviously can’t do a workout when I’m working.

Here’s how I got around this.

Every time I get up out of my chair when I’m writing before I sit back down, I do this:

• 10 reps of swinging kettlebell
• 10 reps over my head
• 5 reps each arm curl and over my head

These are moves from this beginner’s workout that I just love.

That’s it, it’s just that easy.

It fits with my writing and doesn’t detract from my train of thought or flow. It’s nice and short, so it doesn’t interfere.

That’s why I call it my writer’s workout.

It fits perfectly when I’m writing.

If I’m sitting down at my computer and I have to get up to do something, I do this workout before I sit back down, every time.

I often get interrupted, whether it’s to get more coffee or go to the bathroom, or if I need to grab something from the other room. I might need to help my daughter get ready for school. Whatever the interruption, I make it a point of doing this little workout before I sit back down.

I do it for my morning writing stint, and then I do it again at my lunch stint.

If I’m at my computer for any reason, I make a point of doing that little workout before I sit back down no matter what.

Because it’s only 10 + 10 + 5 + 5 reps, it takes just a minute or two. Even if I’m working on something and I’m on a roll, it doesn’t interrupt my train of thought. I can quickly get back to whatever I’m doing.

But it’s enough because the weight is just heavy enough that my muscles can feel that they’ve been worked.

I tried to do 20+20+ 10 for each arm when I started, but it felt too long. It made me anxious to get back to work. When I shortened it, I had no problem just taking that extra minute, so it was easier to keep it consistent and keep doing it.

I’ve been doing this micro workout for over three weeks now, and I’ve been able to keep it up almost every day (I let myself off the hook on weekends).

I can feel my stomach muscles tightening and my arms getting more fit.

I’m probably doing it at least 10–20 times a day, and that works out to 100–200 reps that I’m not even noticing.

The best thing is that it fits so seamlessly into everything I’m already doing. I’m not feeling put out, rushed, or like I even have to think about it, and I’m still getting the results.

I’ve committed to doing this for at least a month because I know it will take that long to really see how it’s working.

Half the battle with anything is staying with it long enough to reap the rewards, so I know that if I just commit to that month, I’ll get some satisfaction.

So here’s how you can create your own micro workout:

• Find an exercise you enjoy that you can do in small bursts that is convenient.
• Take note of the little breaks that you automatically take often in your day.
• Try to fit the activity in short bursts into those breaks in a way that they can become automatic
• Force yourself to stick with it for at least a week, so you can refine your timing or your activity and have it become a mechanical part of your day.
• Then give yourself a longer timeline that you can commit to (I said I’d do it for at least a month) to see if you can reap some rewards

So far, I’ve done this for almost 3 weeks, and I’ve done it at least 5 days per week.

I do it in the mornings and on my lunch break, and it’s working out great.

It’s becoming something automatic that I just do before I sit back down every time.

So here’s a recap:

• Pick an exercise you can do in small bursts.
• Find a place you can slot it easily and often.
• Commit to doing it for long enough to make it a habit

I’m pleased that I’ve finally created a workout that fits into my day and doesn’t feel like an imposition.

For a writer who spends most of the day sitting, this might be just the ticket to better health without breaking the bank or your concentration.

Thanks for reading!

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