Writer Unboxed

Fantabulous Fridays

Got Casual Fridays? If you work from home, every day can be Casual (Fri)day, but if you work in a corporate setting M-F, then you might especially love dress-down workdays. Lucky you, I’m on deadline, which means I’m steeped in health information, which means I sometimes stumble across tippy nibbles that writers might be able to benefit from.

Here’s the one I’m offering you today:

Researchers have recently shown that people in comfy clothing move more and thus burn more calories than people in traditional business attire. Why? Hmm, they think it might have to do with feeling all relaxed and limber in broken-in jeans and such. Point is, it’s important to move during the day, and we writers sometimes forget just HOW important it is. Exercise of all varieties (aerobic, strength training and stretching) can help stave off a bundle of nasty health conditions, including some of the biggest nasties: heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.

So whether you’re in Armani or Calvin, get up and move around every hour or so to get your blood pumping. Easy tips: Choose the stairs over the elevator. Walk out to the watercooler a little more often–or hit it on another floor entirely. And definitely exploit casual Fridays. Bunny slippers, anyone?

Therese Walsh co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006. Her debut novel, The Last Will of Moira Leahy, sold to Random House in a two-book deal in 2008, was named one of January Magazine’s Best Books of 2009, and was a Target Breakout Book in 2010. She's never been published with a lit magazine, but LOST's Carlton Cuse liked her haiku best on Twitter, and that made her pretty happy.