I Heart My Bike!

Ever since we left California (and the treadmill conveniently situated in front of the tv), I've been concerned about getting back into an exercise routine.

I was on such a kick there for a while, working out every day, really paying attention to what I was eating...and then we moved.  The routine changed, and I lost my motivation.

Yes, we've been forced to walk the dog, rather than open the sliding door and let her run around in the backyard.  But, for whatever reason, despite the 20 miles of walking trails that we have behind our apartment, I don't feel like I get a very good workout simply walking the dog.

Also, and I realize this is a bit of a waste, I still have not paid a visit to our apartment complex's workout room.  Perhaps I was traumatized by the fitness center in my last apartment (where I found dog crap in the corner and some mystery goo that kept making the treadmill stick), or maybe I'm just incredibly lazy.  Whatever the explanation, I'm just not feeling it.

Because of all this, I have a new appreciation for my stationary bike. 

I love it!

First, and this shows what kind of a lazy bum I really am, I love that I get to sit down while I pedal along.  Yes, my tushy is numb after about 5 minutes, but somehow the sitting down part overrides the part of my brain that recognizes what I'm doing as exercise, and that makes me happy.

Second, I find that I can increase my speed with relative ease (as opposed to increasing the speed on the treadmill, which makes me feel like I'm going to die).

Third, it seems like I get better results on my bike.  As I plug away on the treadmill, it seems to take forever for the little red lights to complete a full "lap" on the digital track, and by the end, even though I'm sweating like a pig, panting like a dog, and have a face that very closely resembles a tomato, I have only burned 45 calories.  On the bike, I zip along, rapidly pedaling away mile after mile, and by the end of my "journey", I can click through all the options telling me how far I went, what my average speed was, and most importantly, how many calories I burned. 

Today, for example, I was on the bike for about 30 minutes.  I rode almost 9 miles, and burned 500 calories - yes!

It's this sense of satisfaction that will inspire me to lug the bike out of the spare bedroom on a daily basis, park my booty in front of the tv, and pedal away hundreds of calories at a time.

I heart my bike!!!