Is exercise a chore? Do you think “drat, I’ve got to go to the gym” Is it boring? When we were kids, we didn’t drag ourselves through exercise, we played. We had fun. For me, the key to sticking with an exercise program is for it to be something fun, something to look forward to. Something that in itself is a reward.
Bicycling does it for me. The sensation of speed, the freedom of covering long distances under my own power, the pride of getting stronger and faster are all more powerful than my overall loathing of exercise.
This diary is important to me. I'm overweight. After losing weight years ago when I first discovered cycling, I gained weight back and I weighed 261 pounds last May. I'm down almost to 191. Through careful, healthy eating and enthusiastic exercise, I've lost almost 70 pounds. I still have a long way to go.
I realize that this diary is a bit frivolous, when public employees in Wisconsin and across the nation need our support. This diary is long, and it doesn't begin to cover all the questions it should. But I hope it helps.