Healthy Living Practices for Writers #3: Lower Cross Syndrome

By Mary Lynn Cloghesy and Jason Schembri

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It creeps behind you and lays in wait while you work, unnoticed. By the time you sense it, it’s too late. Your knees will go weak, nerves will fire down your back, and legs will crumple, making it hard to stand, once it has you in its grip. If it hasn’t crippled you, it will make escape difficult, if not impossible. Make no mistake: it’s coming for you. Is this a villain in my latest thriller, or an anti-hero targeting the writing community? No, it’s Lower Cross Syndrome (LCS), and it’s on the rise. A recent study revealed that Americans now sit for about 9.5 hours per day, a significant increase over the past fifty years. This condition is associated with accelerated aging and higher incidents of heart disease.

As if that weren’t bad enough, a whopping 80% of adults will suffer low back pain at some point in their lives, and scientific evidence suggests the condition will become chronic in 50-80% of confirmed cases. Worse yet, LCS is associated with a band of thugs that can do a lot of damage: knee injuries increase by 20-30%, sciatic nerve irritation affects 40% of people with LCS, and overall movement is reduced by 30-40%. So, how are we, as writers, supposed to combat such a formidable foe—especially since our primary occupational hazard is the amount of time we sit to write?

First, we need to shine a light on the issue, to understand what it is and how to prevent it; next, we need to make a plan, because if it’s not a problem now, it’s only a matter of time.

Lower Cross Syndrome: What is it? Why should you care? 

Lower Cross Syndrome is a postural pathology caused by muscular imbalances in the lower body, particularly the pelvis and lumbar (or lower) spine. It occurs when certain muscle groups become tight and overactive, while others become weak and underactive to compensate, leading to a characteristic pattern of dysfunction. Because the sacrum, or the triangular bone at the base of the spine, sits inside the pelvis and connects to the hips, its attachment points are negatively impacted as well. Here are the common causes:

• Prolonged sitting or poor posture

• Sedentary lifestyle

• Weak core muscles

• Overuse of certain muscle groups (e.g., tight hip flexors in athletes )

Why should you care? 

There are many reasons to care about LCS that not only relate to the troubling statistics regarding the number of individuals affected by it, but also to its harmful secondary conditions that can be multi-faceted and hard to diagnose. For example, Drop Toe (or Foot Drop) is a result of SI (sacroiliac) joint dysfunction, which is rooted in LCS. It isn’t just a posture problem—it’s a silent disruptor of daily life. 

If left unchecked, LCS can lead to chronic lower back pain, tight hips, poor mobility, and other preventable ailments. For anyone who spends long hours sitting—especially writers—LCS can gradually weaken core muscles and overwork the lower back, increasing the risk of injury and discomfort. Beyond the physical strain, it also affects energy levels, focus, and overall well-being. 

Here are the symptoms of LCS:

• A throbbing or stiff lower back

• Nerve pain that shoots down the leg

• Anterior pelvic tilt (excessive forward tilt)

• Weak core stability

• Dysfunction of the L5/S1 joint (where the flexible part of the spine meets the fused part)

• Tightness in the hip flexors and hamstrings

• Restricted or poor movement patterns in activities like squatting or running

For those scientists among us, here are the specific muscles involved in LCS:

• Tight/Overactive Muscles:

• Hip flexors (e.g., iliopsoas, rectus femoris)

• Lower back muscles (e.g., erector spinae)

• Weak/Inhibited Muscles:

• Abdominal muscles (e.g., transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis)

• Gluteal muscles (e.g., gluteus maximus, gluteus medius)

What can you do about it?

The good news? With proper awareness, movement, and targeted exercises, LCS can be managed, allowing you to move freely and live pain-free. Most, if not all, of us will face this culprit at some point in our lives, but don’t despair, taking proactive steps to address the muscle imbalances in LCS can make a significant difference. Whether you are suffering from LCS, or taking preventative action, the key lies in strengthening weakened muscles, particularly in the core and glutes, while loosening tight muscles, such as the hip flexors and lower back. 

It’s important to incorporate exercises into your routine that target these areas, take movement breaks, and increase your awareness of what’s happening to your body as you write. Depending on the extent of the condition, meaning how your joints, ligaments, and muscles have been transformed by LCS, various treatment modalities may be necessary to relieve tension and disrupt pain cycles. 

Some individuals may require medical intervention in the form of surgery, or other treatment programs, so if you have advanced LCS, please consult a physician. For the majority of writers, who are not afflicted by advanced LCS, whether you opt for self-care techniques or professional support, consistency is crucial. Here are some solutions to consider:

• Physical Therapy or Chiropractic Care

• A physical therapist or chiropractor can design a program tailored to your specific needs, focusing on alignment and muscle strength.

• Massage or Fascial Therapy

• Deep tissue and/or trigger point massage can help release tension in the lower back and hips. Fascial therapy is a manual modality that targets tight or scarred connective tissue.

• Yoga or Pilates

• These movement systems focus on both flexibility and strength, helping to balance the muscles that are overactive and underactive in LCS.

• Tool Facilitated Stretching and Foam Rolling

• A variety of tools are available to help reset the muscles, focusing on lengthening tight hip flexors, quads, and lower back muscles. For example, Gaiam Restore Back Stretch.

• Use a foam roller to release tension in the glutes and hamstrings. A tennis ball works too.

• Personal Training and/or Strengthening Exercises

• Personal trainers will identify movement patterns and areas of concern that you might not be aware of. 

• Glute bridges, squats, and deadlifts can help activate and strengthen the glutes and core. Planks and pelvic tilts strengthen the abdominal muscles and lower back. There are many online videos that can help you create a home-based practice.

• Postural and Ergonomic Awareness

• Maintain a neutral spine while sitting or standing to avoid exacerbating muscle imbalances. Also, consider a standing desk or a chair designed to accommodate different sitting positions, such as the Pipersong Meditation Chair.

• Consider ergonomic adjustments to your workspace to promote better posture.

Healthy Living Top Tip

Our top healthy living tip for this edition: support equals release. 

As mentioned in our previous article on Upper Cross Syndrome, do not to pull on tight muscles. You’ll likely do more damage than good as “stuck” muscles need to be coaxed to move, or they can tear at the attachment points. Your body will begin to let go when you give it the support it needs to feel safe enough to do so — not a bad metaphor for life. 

For example, if you have been sitting to write for three hours or more, stop and put your legs up the wall (ONLY if you DON’T have a heart condition, high blood pressure, a lower body hernia, or Glaucoma, of course). Slide your pelvis back at least twelve inches, so that your hamstrings are soft. (note: only those who stretch often will benefit from keeping their pelvis next to the wall, as the angle is too steep for most folks.) Allow the blood flow to reverse by keeping your feet above your head, then start to pump the calves, as they are the “heart” of the lower body, returning blood to the heart. 

By using the floor to support your entire torso, then positioning your legs so they lean into the hip sockets, you’re providing maximum support. The muscles in the pelvis will start to release, and the spine will lengthen too.  

LCS is a scary condition but do not fear, tireless writers. Arm yourself with knowledge and a strategy, and you’ll be slaying that scoundrel in no time.

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Authors: Mary Lynn Cloghesy & Jason Schembri. Mary Lynn formerly co-owned a therapeutic clinic, and Jason is a long-term weight loss and healthy living coach. Together, they host a writing and hiking retreat in the Canadian Rockies.

Using a 500-Word Diet to Complete Your First Draft

By Terri Bowen

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There are a lot of fun aspects to being a writer: creating imaginary worlds, bringing fascinating characters to life, feeling like a rockstar when someone says they dig your work, and conducting weird research that would look downright creepy under normal circumstances, to name a few. On the other end of that are the not-so-fun parts: writer’s block, wrestling with self-doubt, carving out time to write, or discovering a major plot hole halfway through. Still, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been daydreaming about seeing your book in print since you were a kid. With the gusto of a caffeinated jackrabbit, you decide it’s time to crank out that first novel. You’ve done all the meticulous outlining of a plotter, complete with storyboards and music playlists. Or maybe you’re a rebel, a pantser, prepared to fly by the seat of your, well, pants, occasionally utilizing barely legible notes scribbled on grocery receipts. Either way, you’re ready to dive in. Splash!

Things go along swimmingly at first. Then one day, your regular job gets a little too hectic, leaving you too tired to write. The next day, you have too many errands to run, leaving you with no time to crank out a few pages. Another day, you’ve managed to catch the latest bug circulating in your house, and you can barely breathe through one nostril, let alone work on your book. And so on. Suddenly, two weeks have gone by, and your characters are left feeling abandoned while you berate your lack of discipline and time management. When you finally pick back up where you left off, your momentum is gone, and everything you write sounds more mind numbing than tax return instructions. Then you end up marinating in a vat of imposter syndrome while glumly scrolling through social media to watch the latest viral cat videos.

Sound familiar? If so, you’re probably beyond frustrated and wondering how to get back on track. (And if not, then carry on, you shining star!) I’ve had a lot of writing ups and downs in my day, and the biggest reason for the latter is this: life happens. As Scottish poet Robert Burns once said, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” And since I can function—more or less—without writing, my goal of authoring a book amidst the chaos ends up at the bottom of my to-do list. It starts to feel like a distant, arduous task at best, and a frivolous, ridiculous pipedream at worst. 

As I pondered this predicament a few months ago, I wondered, what if I treat writing as a necessity, as something I require in my life to be the best, most authentic version of me? What realistic, sustainable steps could I take to make that a reality? Would a drastic change in my perspective set things back in motion and keep them there? Bearing in mind my desire to finish my first draft by December 31st, I did the math to see how much I need to write daily to achieve that goal. This led to the creation of the 500-Word Diet. Allow me to explain.

As I recently wrote in an Instagram post, I’m now treating my writing journey like a health regimen. For me, 500 literary calories a day will keep me on a solid path to a finished draft by year’s end. It has become a reasonable daily word count that feels manageable and satisfactory. Instead of adhering to a specific amount of time, I’ve found that I can crank out 500 words even on my busiest, most exhausting days. It frequently ends up being more than that, but even when it’s the minimum, I feel good about my progress.

Like any dietary wellness plan worth its salt, there needs to be some flexibility, cheat days included. If I know I have a day coming up when it will be nearly impossible to accomplish my minimum daily word count, I make a point to cover it in the days beforehand. If I truly need a break, I take one knowing that I need to double my word count the next day. So far, the most I’ve accumulated is 1500 words due to missing two days. In those scenarios, I reminded myself how discouraged and depleted I would feel if I let it snowball any further. To keep myself happy and mentally nourished, I fed my brain—er, worked on my book—and caught back up. And if I’m feeling stuck, I throw in a placeholder note and push forward like I’m plowing my way through a plate of kale. I might not enjoy that particular “meal,” but I know it’s good for me, and I’m not sabotaging my regimen. Put in the work, get it down, and edit later. 

I’m happy to say that this approach has truly changed things for me, not just in terms of productivity, but also my mindset. Each word-count milestone I meet gives me a boost of confidence. I’m doing what I’ve always dreamed of, and it feels pretty good. 

I should also acknowledge that writing a first draft in bite-size pieces isn't particularly new or revolutionary. However, adjusting your perspective and categorizing your writing project as a need—especially if you have a full-time day job, are a parent, or have regular obligations that take up large portions of your schedule—gives you permission to make writing a priority, instead of something to be continuously shuffled until it gets lost in a creative black hole. We have all heard the importance of self-care, and how it enables us to be our best selves, and it's important to remember that dreams and goals are part of that self-care.

Now go tackle that first draft with the attention it deserves—even if it's 500 words at a time.

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Terri Bowen is a writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has authored countless poems, short stories, essays, press releases, human interest & financial articles, personal blogs, and screenplays and has nearly completed the first draft of her first novel, a suspense thriller. She is chronicling her writing journey on Instagram (@terribowenauthor).