Because I am a writer myself, and because Booktalk is directed to writers, readers, editors and other interested parties, I’m composing this from the viewpoint of a yarnspinner. As title states, however, anyone, in almost any field of endeavor, can benefit.

It’s obvious that writing and its related arts are sedentary fields; most of us sit in front of a computer for hours every day, or every night, depending on our working style, breathing the same old air and wondering why the stuff we produce isn’t setting the world on its ear.

Here’s the reason, folks. It isn’t that you’ve lost it, or never had "it" in the first place, that you aren’t brilliant, or talented. Your brain isn’t getting enough oxygen!

I’ll just bet you’ve heard that a thousand times. My question is, what have you done about it? The fact that you know something, when combined with a quarter, will enable you to make a phone call. It’s what you do that matters, not what you know.

My personal exercise choice is a sturdily-built treadmill, strategically placed so I can indulge my television preferences while I work out—the shopping channel and A&E. I’ve probably owned just about every other piece of equipment on the market, but for me the treadmill is best. I can use it any hour of the day or night, and weather, always a reliable excuse in the Puget Sound area, is no longer an issue.

I’ve been walking faithfully for a couple of months now, I’ve lost twenty-two pounds at this writing, and that’s the least of the benefits I’ve received. I can honestly say that I would keep on keeping on even if I didn’t lose an ounce.

Am I crazy? Well, yes, but that has nothing to do with the current topic.

Exercise has given me abundant energy and Rambo-like stamina, both of which I need for the ambitious writing and promotion projects I have planned for the immediate future. I sleep well, awake refreshed, and move through my day at a pace I wouldn’t have believed possible before I got serious about fitness.

As we all know, in this changing and fiercely competitive market, it takes more that a good book to reach the lofty heights of success. Today, an entrepreneurial spirit is required, not to mention an unwavering personal confidence and a steady flow of creative ideas, not only for the story currently growing in the hard-drive of our computer, but for ways to improve ourselves and our skills, and then improve some more. (Don’t look for this necessity to change; it’s here to stay.)

Which brings me to another dividend of regular exercise (sorry, the now-and-then, hit-or-miss approach to fitness simply won’t work)—IDEAS. I’ve never had so many ideas in my life as I’ve gotten since I struck out on the road to health and wellness! It’s as though I’ve let the genie out of some inner bottle—I’m constantly making notes of some new flash of inspiration. In fact, the onslaught has been so momentous that I invested in one of those little voice memo gizmos, just so I wouldn’t lose a thought while driving or slogging along on the treadmill.

Last, but certainly not least, exercise improves self-esteem and personal appearance. Who among us cannot use some help in those areas? Writing is no longer a strictly solitary profession; we have to ‘get out amongst ‘em’, as my grandfather used to say, to see and be seen. To network. (The subject of another article.) Nothing, but nothing, is as effective, whether you’re selling a manuscript face to face or promoting a finished book, as meeting the people, live and in person.

If you have big dreams, and less time than ever, take my advice. Drag out that piece of equipment you bought on an infomercial and use it. Sign up for aerobic classes at the health club. Walk around the block.

Give it six weeks, and see if your dreams don’t seem a little more possible, and your time a little easier to manage.

New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller has written more than thirty novels, with more than ten million copies of her books in print.