Why I Walk #FridayFitness

I walk every day for two reasons.

1. To control pain

2. To settle my brain

I find that 3-5 miles at a pace of about one mile in fifteen minutes loosens up my joints enough to reduce most of the aching. When I don’t have that chronic pain, I can concentrate on other things. Like my writing.

Any author will tell you that one of the toughest aspects of writing fiction is too many ideas overlapping in a single story. That’s especially true when you’re writing thriller fiction in which parallel plots divert the readers’ attention from solving the real mystery. There are days when my brain is ready to explode.

That’s the second reason I take a long walk every day. It settles all those chaotic thoughts until they sift into some sort of logical pattern. Some ideas drift away entirely. Some cluster to the center. And at that center, MY center, is where the power and magic happen, whether in my novel or in my life.

You have to dive deeply to the core of your heart and soul. That takes focus and discipline. Walking is my way of getting both. Your method might be different, perhaps through yoga, meditation, hiking, swimming, boxing, or even some combination of physical activities. I encourage you to find the movement method that also allows you to develop a deep inner focus. It must be regular and sustained. This will change your creativity in powerfully good ways. For some of you, the results might be immediate. For others, it might take a while, but you will see positive change. 

Just try it. Start today. Wind, rain, or shine. Or even snow, like in my stretch of the middle.

Trust me on this.