Exercise For the Songwriter

No, I don't mean a writing exercise, I mean the physical sort of exercise. Sure, we can all just practice and practice our craft, and you might find that alone can help, but strengthening your actual muscles can help a lot, as well. Here are a few simple ways you can improve your writing and your attitude as well, by getting your body in shape.

AEROBIC EXERCISE

If you are a singer, or an instrumentalist, you probably remember how long sessions and/or gigs left you aching and weary. You should always check with a doctor first to make sure that an exercise regimen isn't too strenuous for you, but most of us can start slow, and work up to more activity later. Try looking in your public library and/or the Web and find some simple programs, or try getting into a local one that is low- or no-cost. Usually starting out walking a mile or two a day, then lengthening that slowly, and then slowly adding some jogging and doing this several times a week will often give you an immediate boost in energy and lift your mood. You will find that you can sing stronger, play guitar or bass longer, and stand behind your keyboard longer and not feel so drained by long practices. You will probably find that you feel more optimistic, and more ready to take on your craft, as well, since exercise puts more oxygen into your system and that often makes any blue moods disappear. Even ten minutes a day several times a week will make you feel much better. Take that quick walk around the neighborhood next time you feel stuck while writing-it does more good than you think.

WEIGHT WORK

Actually this is better for you than you might think. If you live in an apartment complex with a weight room, take advantage of this, and try to spend a few minutes every few days there. Even doing some simple leg lifts can really help you out in the long run when you have those long periods of standing holding a heavy guitar, or loading or unloading gear to and from the studio or to and from gigs. Start slow, and slowly build up weight and repetitions, and avoid trying to impress the other folks there and overdo it and injure yourself. Once again, consult with experts, or at least some reference material before starting an exercise regimen. None of this will do you any good if it injures you instead of making you stronger. This can even help singers, especially if you work on your abdominal muscles-you will probably find that you have less problems holding tone and length of notes the more you work on these muscle sets.

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