Exercise helps my general health and improves my mental health too. A win-win. And it may help my writing
Swimming in Aarhus
Since April I have been swimming regularly at the indoor swimming pool “Spanien” in Aarhus. I try to swim twice a week and I was going to switch to the indoor swim stadium “Ingerslev” where they have real lanes but I have heard the water there is 25 degrees now because of the energy crisis. Here at “Spanien” they are going to keep it at 28 degrees so I am staying for now.
My exercise program 2–3 months at a time
Now my aim is to plan my exercise 2–3 months at a time. It can involve swimming, long brisk walks in nature, lifting weights in the gym and pilates. I want to keep making it varied as I know from experience that I get bored with the same type of exercise. I have to keep enjoying it. I started at a gym and I work with a new program I put together with the help from the gym. It always helps to make a change and doing something different. For now, I am really enjoying my new gym membership.
Fighting the “black dog”
The last two weeks I have experienced a slight setback in my swimming because of depression threatening to come back. That “black dog” always looming around the corner. So struggled with the swimming and only did 1000 meters and then 500 and only went one time last week but now back to 1500 meters today. It is always a struggle but if I can just do something, even if I have a bad week. I hope to continue the swimming twice a week and the gym two-three times a week.
My new writing routine
I try to exercise as the first thing in the day and then I am trying to build the habit of writing afterwards. I feel my writing slowly gets better and I am pivoting more towards a niche, maybe being the overall topic a healthy lifestyle. After I experience a crisis with my writing I either write better, more focused or I become more productive. Becoming sufficiently productive is my only concern now. The exercise could help me. Writing is technically a hobby but I am trying to treat it more and more as work and in the long term I hope to make a living from it.
