Perils of the Writer: Keeping Healthy While Writing

The other day I was being asked about my writing habits and discipline-- subjects I'm always happy to talk about-- when I got hit with this question:

"What's your healthiest habit as a writer?"

This is a fantastic question to which I had an immediate answer.  Writing is a business that isn't exactly good on your body.  Let's face it, the best writing advice out there is "Plant yourself in the chair and do it."  However, I'm at that age where planting myself in a chair for hours on end does neither my back nor my midsection any favors.  So I needed to balance between what my body needed and what my work needed.  

So the answer I gave was the solution to my problem:

I have a treadmill desk.

So now I'm able to work while walking at a regular pace for several hours.  I feel better, I tend to be more focused and productive, and my back doesn't scream at me when I stand up BECAUSE I'M ALREADY STANDING.  And it should keep me healthier for a long time to come.

Which is good, because I've got a lot of long-term plans with my writing.  I've got a reason to stick around and keep working.