Your new prompt word this week is
BRIDGE
The first meaning that often comes to mind when thinking about this week’s prompt is a bridge over a passage of water, or a steep drop, for example. But of course it has multiple meanings – there is a card game called bridge, it’s part of a ship, as well as part of the body (think the bridge of your nose) and it’s a yoga pose. The word is also associated with music and you can have a bridge at the dentist to replace a missing tooth. What does this week’s prompt word mean to you?
Fact or fiction, prose or poetry, I would love to read your thoughts on this week’s prompt, but there’s no obligation to share your writing. Here is the work you shared on the last prompt EXERCISE.
I don’t have time to write right now. I have to go exercise.
Exercising One’s Life Away
While I’m alive I wonder why
I need to ever exercise?
My body might complain, but I
just hope one day I realize
there must be something more to this.
Question Hubris
“Expert” opinions are often just “tries”.
Their knowledge a narrow exercise.
Most won’t admit “They don’t know.”
So, when much hubris they show,
To question them is an action most wise.
exercise caution
sweat out impurities
self med
mind over heart and head
Peak
Bench Lake heavy lifts
Mount Rainier self-reflects—both
exercise restraint
The Hardware Exchange
During my temporary job of repurposing computers and rebuilding them at my former school, I was disappointed to see that there were some computers whose motherboards were bust, and some of them had their case covers broken.
As it would be an exercise in futility to try to re-assemble the broken parts and to get those motherboards to work again, I have chosen known good-looking computer cases and moved the working motherboards and other components from broken cases to working ones.
It took more effort as I had to line up the motherboard screws properly and ensure that cables were connected to their correct places. I also had to take out the most efficient CPU coolers from broken cases and place them to all the working computers, and they worked right.
At first, it took me over two hours to figure out the connections and the best way of reassembling the computers. As I learned, I managed to reassemble at an average of ten computers on a single day. I was given almost eighty (80) computers to repurpose and to upgrade.
During the rebuild process, I’ve identified failing hard drives, CPU coolers, RAM sticks, and power supplies. I put the failing parts aside, and I grabbed the working ones from the “server room” next to one of the fifth grade classrooms.
In the course of almost four weeks, all computers have been rebuilt successfully, and the broken ones were put in a separate place for disposal. However, I couldn’t find the case cover for one of them.
I was very happy with the results, and learned how to build computers from scratch. However, if I plan to build a new computer, it’s best for me to read the manual for correct installation.
A little exercise in describing just what's going on
The fog in your mind is where it does not belong
Step outside into another cool morning breeze
Goosebumps forewarn you of winters little tease
As you jog into the fresh dawn wearing a thong
-
Today's challenge is to exercise our twisted minds
To produce a limerick that sounds good in rhyme
I need more Starbucks to wake up, not an early jog
So I can start barking like your friendly Ernie Dawg
And combine these challenges one more time
Graeme Sandford:
Oh No, It's The Exercise Men!
One day, at about three of the clock in the morning, as the smugglers were offloading their latest cargo of tax-avoidance items at a small inlet upon the island of Looe (aka St. George’s Island, Looe Island, or, way back in time, St. Michael’s Island), there was a voice heard from the lookout, old George Penwithit, his voice still loud and doughty even after seventy-three winters and almost as many summers. ‘Boat approaching!’
‘Oh, no, it’s the Exercise Men!’ exclaimed William Telmother, the youngest of the gang.
Twenty minutes later they were all doing press-ups, star jumps, and crunches, before they were set out to run two laps of the island.
Lou By The Sea:
English homework : Write 5 points of advice on life using the word ‘exercise’ in each.
A bit steep for a 13 yr old lad from Bilerickie but okay, here goes ( with a tiny help from Mr Google)
Use your school exercise books to write down your homework. So called because your hands get good exercise when writing in them. I never knew this. 2.
Exercise caution when dealing with naked flames (as opposed to the flames that have clothes on.) 3.
Exercise restraint when thinking about Samantha in the sixth form. It can hurt. Mmm… 4.
Exercise your right to legal representation when (not if) you’re bound to do something illegal before you’re 21 5.
Exercise a lot at the gym. A six pack and perky pecs are highly desirable to all concerned. 6.
If you should get a demon in you, get it exercised (number 6 added for Brownie points)
Cathy Cade:
Reluctant Activity
Throughout my life I have avoided physical exercise. I’ve always felt that having to walk dogs every day (I’ve always had dogs) was quite enough activity. Apparently not, according to my arthritic hips…
Mental exercise is something else though. I enjoy puzzles, and since retirement I’ve surprised myself by tackling a wider range of both number and word puzzles than I once thought I was capable of. (Although cryptic crosswords still defeat me more often than not.) Perhaps writing is an aspect of this mental activity – maybe why I like the extra dimension of rhyming.
Sadly, like me, my muse is less keen on activity and struggles to come up with new inspiration for stories and rhymes. If it weren’t for Esther’s prompts, I would struggle to think up anything to blog about each week. I look on these prompts as exercise for my lazy muse.
…Perhaps with more practice, even my reluctant muse might learn to embrace activity.
My body… not so much.
The Limerick Guy:
Sonder, Ebullience and Serendipity
It is a fun mental exercise for me to try and take an interesting word (some that are not often used in conversation) and then put together five lines of wisdom, wit and rhyme using the word correctly…which sometimes requires me to take a bit of poetic license.
I’m a fellow that has come to sonder
And that has led me to ponder
How our individuality
Is a divine quality
And it is too precious to squander.
I have a positive attitude
I’m not one to kvetch and brood. (kvetch – Yiddish -to complain)
For me, it’s full speed ahead,
And with that said…
I’d say that I’m an ebullience dude.
When Life brings things into play
That turn my bright skies gray,
It’s a temporary condition.
I have faith it will transition
And serendipity will be coming my way
Pensitivity101:
There were three of us in the office getting married in 1991.
It was the second time for me, and the first for the other two, one of whom was getting married the day after us and the other on her thirtieth birthday a few months later.
The younger girl was excited about her forthcoming big day, and not wishing to take the shine off her, I’d kept quiet about mine. I took the Friday off and left a note in my desk for my supervisor explaining I was getting married, not just on annual leave.
Let’s backtrack at least twelve months.
The older girl and I struck up a friendship and used to go swimming in our lunch hour or early in the morning as basically it was the only exercise we both enjoyed, but being rather large ladies were self conscious about going on our own.
Exercise is usually better in company, not for competition but support, and laughing with someone when something goes wrong is a lot better than being laughed at by people you see once a week.
Our swimming sessions twice or three times a week extended to an aerobics class every Wednesday evening. I’d drive to her house and then we’d walk to the venue about a mile away for a bit more exercise, both of us determined to lose weight and look our best for our forthcoming weddings.
We had so much fun, and lost a considerable amount of weight too. It may have been more had we not dropped in to the chippy on the way back… Well, we had to keep our energy up for the mile walk home. Exercise is hard work!
Jules Pens Some Gems:
Mere Pennies…
Did I exercise restraint
While visiting the charity shop?
Followed by a visit
To the Library book store?
If you know me, then you know the answer…
Am I like a dragon hoarding treasure –
Time to add to the outgoing charity box.
One can hope that I exercise choices
That will fill that box to the brim…
To make room for all my ‘gold that does not glitter’
To be fair I have exercised some restraint
By not visiting a charity shop
Every day this week…
Could I go a month without such a visit?
If you know me, then you know the answer…
Susan Batten:
EXERCISE – yuck!
Yes, the word gives me the creeps. I’ve always been fat, so physical exercise just means pain, boredom and disaster. That said, I used to go on long walks on Sunday mornings, seven or eight kilometres, to “clear my head” and think my thoughts on my own. That gave me the chance to see the beautiful scenery through the seasons and dream a few dreams.
I’ve always been the one for mental exercises, though. I’ve chewed away pencils doing cryptic crosswords and word games of all kinds. I used to watch a ‘Numbers and Letters’ game show on Spanish TV and gave myself a pat on the back if I got one word in six. I also read in the foreign languages I’m familiar with – and some I know nothing about. I read three ”chapters” of a German “novel” – thinking how disjointed they were – before I realized they were short stories. I also still have an elementary short story in Italian, which I felt sure I would understand – such arrogance! But I did get through it.
As you can imagine, Esther’s blog, with its limericks and “story in”s suits me down to the ground.
Now I’ll take some exercise – as far as the kettle – and wonder what tomorrow’s challenge will bring.
Fandango:
Body And Mind
When I was a younger man, I went to a fitness center at least two to three times a week. I would work out on the various exercise machines for around 30 to 40 minutes and spend about 20 minutes running on the treadmill. Then I’d hop into the shower and, once dressed, I would either go the office or back home.
When my job required me to travel a lot, my fitness center activities plunged, as many of the hotels and motels I stayed at did not have adequate or decent fitness centers. But I was still able to go on Saturdays or Sundays for about an hour or two. And between steps at home, at work, and dog walks, I averaged about 10,000 steps a day.
And then I busted my hip, and a year later, my back. So these days, my exercise consists mainly of twice-weekly physical therapy sessions and about half a dozen at-home PT exercises daily.
I can’t do a whole lot of walking anymore, so my focus is on strengthening my core, my lower back and butt muscles, and improving my general flexibility. At some point, I hope to be able to actually get back to walking, and maybe even up to 10,000+ steps a day. But that, as my physical therapist tells me, is “high hanging fruit.”
Hey, that’s okay. I can still get around, even if it involves using a cane or a mobility scooter. I am still able to do my physical therapy exercises and stretches for my body.
But at this point in my life, mental exercise and conditioning is equally as important — possibly even more important — as physical exercise, which is why blogging is so vital to me. My body will eventually fail me, but until that happens, exercising my mind will be my prime directive.
michnavs:
A Commitment
At 50 I am proud to say I can lift heavy weights and have mastered more advanced yoga poses.
Exercise can sometimes feel like an obligation, a chore, something difficult, tiring, or even intimidating. But the truth is, staying active isn’t about achieving a perfect body or reaching a finish line in a few months. It’s a lifelong journey, and the key is to find ways to make movement enjoyable enough to keep coming back to it.
After years of being physically active, I’ve learned that there is no single exercise that is guaranteed to be fun forever. Our bodies, interests, schedules, and even our moods change. That’s why I believe in being creative, flexible, and willing to try something new.
Back in my college days, aerobics was all the rage, and I happily jumped into it. Later, as a mother, I discovered Taebo and enjoyed the energy and challenge it brought. In my late twenties, I added yoga to my routine, along with outdoor running and walking. As I grew older, I realized that I needed to focus more on strength, so I started lifting weights to build and maintain muscle especially important because we naturally lose muscle as we age. I also challenged myself with more advanced yoga poses, eventually mastering several that once seemed impossible.
Of course, not every day feels like a workout day. There are times when age, fatigue, or simply life gets in the way. On those days, I remind myself that something is always better than nothing. If I don’t feel up to lifting weights or doing yoga, I walk. Sometimes, a simple one-hour walk is all I need to keep my body moving and my mind refreshed.
For me, exercise is not about punishment, perfection, or competing with anyone else. It’s about listening to my body, discovering what it needs, and finding joy in movement. Some days I challenge myself; other days I simply take a walk and enjoy the outdoors.
The most important thing is to understand your needs, set realistic goals, and keep moving in whatever way works for you. Make exercise part of your lifestyle not something you do only when you’re trying to change your body. Find activities you enjoy, keep experimenting, and give yourself permission to adapt.
After all, exercise isn’t a short-term project. It’s a lifelong commitment to yourself, your health, and the person you want to become.
At 50 I am proud to say I can lift heavy weights and have mastered more advanced yoga poses.
poetisinta:
Amphibian Exercise
I went for a jog,
With a very fast frog,
He beat me by half a mile,
I said, 'Did you cheat?'
He said, 'Watch my feet!'
Then vanished
With a mischievous smile.
Thomas Wikman:
Dogs Make You Exercise And You Live Longer
og owners tend to live longer than others and one reason for that is that dogs force you to exercise. You should walk your dogs every day because they need the exercise and they love sniffing around. Dogs really enjoy their walk and so should you. If you have a large adult dog, you should walk it at least one hour per day. A Leonberger dog should have at least 1-2 hours of physical activity each day, which can include walks, hikes, swimming, or interactive play sessions. Sometimes they make you run for better and for worse, and running is good exercise, as long as you don’t fall. See the story on Thomas's post.
Exercising For Kicks
Shaun’s mum was always telling him to get more exercise. Always getting on at him to get out of his room and do something. Well, look at me now mum, he thought, I’m running! The purest form of exercise! No more complaints of “get off that XBox” or “you should be outside playing football” needed today. I’m running like the wind!
Haring through the middle of a town centre and whizzing past shops and people wasn’t ideal. So many obstacles to consider which the countryside doesn’t layer in on a Saturday morning run. He twisted around shoppers on the paths. He vaulted decorative flower boxes. Puddles splashed underfoot as he sprinted across roads and sprang over kerbs, dodging cars and their furiously honking horns.
Oh, he was getting his exercise, alright.
He wondered if she’d like her birthday gift. Top of the range pair of trainers and most expensive pair in the shop. Definitely weren’t easy to obtain.
He just needed to get home. And that depended on not being caught by the security guard.
When we hear the word exercise, most of us probably picture gyms, running shoes, weights and someone enthusiastically telling us to do just ten more.
Personally, I think carrying groceries into the house should occasionally qualify as an Olympic event.
But exercise comes in many forms.
We exercise our bodies when we walk, stretch, dance or move.
We exercise our minds when we read, learn something new, solve a puzzle or question something instead of simply accepting it.
We exercise our creativity every time we pick up a pen and stare at a blank page wondering what on earth we’re going to write.
And sometimes, life gives us exercises we never signed up for.
Exercising patience.
Exercising restraint.
Exercising the ability to count to ten before saying exactly what we’re thinking.
That one might be the hardest workout of all.
I’ve learned that exercise doesn’t always have to mean pushing ourselves harder or measuring how far we can go.
Sometimes it simply means keeping something moving.
The body.
The mind.
The imagination.
The spirit.
Even writing these weekly prompts is an exercise. One little word arrives, and suddenly the mind begins stretching in directions it hadn’t considered five minutes earlier.
Perhaps that’s why exercise matters.
Not because we have to become faster, stronger or better than someone else.
But because staying still for too long — physically, mentally or creatively — can make us forget just how much movement we still have inside us.
So today I’ll exercise my imagination.
Tomorrow?
Well…
I’ll exercise my right to decide tomorrow.
Exercise Is A Must
Exercise is something I know I need to make more of a priority in my life. I’ll be honest, though — exercising can be difficult when you’re blind. There are extra challenges that sighted people might not always think about, whether that’s getting around safely, finding suitable places to exercise, or simply feeling confident trying something new.
But I also know how important exercise can be, not just for physical health but for mental health too. Even a walk, some stretching, or a short workout can help clear my head, lift my mood, and give me a sense of achievement.
I’m trying to remind myself that exercise doesn’t have to mean doing something huge or intense. It’s about taking small steps, finding activities that work for me, and being consistent.
I definitely need to do more exercise, and I’m going to try to make it more of a part of my routine. It might be challenging, but looking after both my body and my mind is worth the effort.
My Exercise Plan
I exercise my right not to exercise
A fitness routine that I find quite nice
No squats, no lunges, no jogging for me
I’m keeping my muscles completely stress-free
I stretch for the remote, then rest my eyes
I exercise my right not to exercise
Being fit is hard
Walk along the yard
Better to go out with friend
Cycling and swimming
As the sun’s grinning
But sometimes it’s hard to bend
I watch what I eat
No treats even sweet
Avoid juice just drink water
Walk after dinner
Feel like a winner
In the garden I potter
I don’t sit and wait
In gym I do weight
Some cross-training and treadmill
Open the window
Drink tea with gingko
I’ll lose weight, I hope I will
Tossing and turning
Each day I’m learning
Retrace what I have gone through
Some change though sublime
And I take my time
To be fit these things I do
The Work No One Sees
I’ve learned that exercise isn’t always about movement. Some days I’m keeping my thoughts from running too far ahead. Other days I’m choosing patience when irritation tries to take over. And sometimes I’m letting go of something I’ve carried too long. These small efforts shape a life more than any workout ever could. They’re quiet, but they matter, and their effects stay with me long after the moment has passed.
Caution
everything seems
acceptable
in the
verbal
contract
but
do I
can I
trust him to stop
in that hot
sweaty
lusty
thrusty
moment
when his brain stops
thinking
and he’s heard that
I’ve got a fetish
for choking
it’s too late
to exercise caution
as a ghost
there is no
safe level of choking
stop the stupid
***
Image Credit: Pinterest
Esther Chilton 
Leave a comment