Fitness, fun or both?

[Rusty Nails]

I must admit to being someone who has never been able to motivate myself to stick for long with any fitness regime or to do anything that I could actually call training.
When I was young, from teens through my fifties I played a lot of sport, team and individual, often averaging 3-4 days a week and found that my level of activity was enough without having to work on fitness, although I did enjoy a bit of running just for the fun of it before knee trouble put an end to it.
In my fifties, injuries and age started having an effect so that just before the age of 60 it was just recreational squash and badminton a couple of days a week. At that time I decided to join a gym but can only describe my involvement as half-hearted and a bit of a chore. Knee and back problems made me give up squash and badminton at 64 and the gym had long lost its sparkle so I decided to try out cycling again, which I had given up forty years earlier. 11 years on and I still love it, averaging 2-3 20-25 mile rides a week, when not recovering from something or other, but I do not regard it as keeping fit, or sport, just something to raise the spirits.
I realise now that if it was not for the fact that I loved all the activities I have done my lack of will power would have turned me into a couch potato.

I suppose this is a long winded way of asking how many on here treat their cycling seriously, possibly even methodically, as part of their fitness regime, or do other activities specifically to boost their fitness, especially as they get older and their fitness is not such a given.

 

[Ian H]

I keep fit in order to cycle or walk (mostly by cycling and walking). I wouldn't do either if it was a chore.

 

[matticus]

Definitely in the "both" category here.

 

[presta]

All the activities I've done have been for enjoyment, with fitness as a by-product. I'm too slow to be competitive, so I used to avoid PE at school as far as possible. I tended to compete against myself a lot, which was probably my downfall.

 

[Juan Kog]

I keep fit in order to cycle or walk (mostly by cycling and walking). I wouldn't do either if it was a chore.

I’m with Ian on this , I cycle and walk because I enjoy both .I gave up using a turbo trainer years ago , because it had become a massive CHORE .
As Rusty says it raises the spirits . I call it Velo therapy, it keeps me in a good place both mentally and physically.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Became more conscious of and disciplined for fitness after I hit 50. Cycling became the main activity and moved away from impact sports. Also learnt to not to push too hard but more on cardio. Also used cycling to smell the roses - scenery, travel, places, stop by cafes for food variety etc.

I am just glad despite we being at the tail end of our generation, we are seeing more focus in society in terms of health, fitness, more healthy food etc. I guess we are lucky. My Dad’s generation tend to let themselves go and it showed in appearance and I suspect NHS attendance.

 

[Oldhippy]

I have never followed a fitness regime of any kind but always had busy jobs, lighting rigger 20 years and social care 20 years a cyclist throughout and been a vegetarian all my life. At 58 I'm 10.5 stone and a 30 inch waist and still seem to be able to run rings round many half my age. Always active and healthy diet I suppose but never given it much attention.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I have never followed a fitness regime of any kind but always had busy jobs, lighting rigger 20 years and social care 20 years a cyclist throughout and been a vegetarian all my life. At 58 I'm 10.5 stone and a 30 inch waist and still seem to be able to run rings round many half my age. Always active and healthy diet I suppose but never given it much attention.

My jobs involved sitting on my backside a lot of the time, either in the office or the car. I am only a few lbs heavier than I was at 20, nowhere near as fit though, but I dread to think of the shape I would be now if it hadn't been for sport.

I believe that I was lucky to be born just after the war when food and luxuries were not as plentiful, or as full of crap and sugar, as they have been since the 1960s. The friends from my childhood that I am still in occasional contact with are also still fairly active and not overweight.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Fun, fitness and utility. I hated my commute when I had to drive it, so dull. Where as my cycle commute was great. I used to see my cycling as keeping me aerobically fit for my mountaineering. Having said that I’ve cycled and hill walked since young, without any gaps. Life long hobbies, it’s only now that I see how much difference it has made, compared to my sedentary peers. I had no idea about exercise and ageing when young. I just did my hobbies, never lost interest, as that’s what I enjoyed.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

This might inspire all to keep active

https://www.veloveritas.co.uk/2020/05/17/george-berwick-may20/

 

[Rusty Nails]

Fun, fitness and utility. I hated my commute when I had to drive it, so dull. Where as my cycle commute was great. I used to see my cycling as keeping me aerobically fit for my mountaineering. Having said that I’ve cycled and hill walked since young, without any gaps. Life long hobbies, it’s only now that I see how much difference it has made, compared to my sedentary peers. I had no idea about exercise and ageing when young. I just did my hobbies, never lost interest, as that’s what I enjoyed.

I was never in a position to commute to work by bike as I had to travel around a lot from the office, often at short notice. On the early morning rides I do these days I am always impressed by the bike commuters who seem to ride in almost all weathers, usually quite fast and often on bikes heavy with panniers. This must give them a good base of fitness as a by-product.

 

[classic33]

Fun, fitness and utility. I hated my commute when I had to drive it, so dull. Where as my cycle commute was great. I used to see my cycling as keeping me aerobically fit for my mountaineering. Having said that I’ve cycled and hill walked since young, without any gaps. Life long hobbies, it’s only now that I see how much difference it has made, compared to my sedentary peers. I had no idea about exercise and ageing when young. I just did my hobbies, never lost interest, as that’s what I enjoyed.

Much the same reasons myself. Not so much the fitness though. Cycling let me go further in the same time as walking, or the same distance in less time.
Used as a means of getting to work in some out of the way places, and became the daily means of travel to work in Leeds due to rail strikes. The same trip door to door, in much the same time. Due to being on the move nearly all the time.

If I didn't enjoy it, I doubt I'd be cycling.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I used to do various activities to support my forays into the mountains for walking/scrambling and, way back climbing.

Now it's a mish-mash of cycling/low-level walking/gym/turbo/treadmill/hill walking just to keep the Grim Reaper at bay.

Spoiler: Heresy alert...

Cycling/turbo/treadmill are pretty boring tbh - much prefer gym and walking activities.

 

[ianrauk]

I'm in the both camps also. I started to cycle to school and then to work. I gave it up for a while due to rock and roll lifestyle and families etc. Took it up again at the age of 40. I had reached near 16 stone and was very unfit. It took me a while to get back into the swing of things again and was hard work. But all the cycling joy memories came right back. So fast forward a good few years later and a few stone lighter, I'm still so enjoying my cycling immensely with the added bonus that I'm keeping fit.

 

[mudsticks]

I must admit to being someone who has never been able to motivate myself to stick for long with any fitness regime or to do anything that I could actually call training.
When I was young, from teens through my fifties I played a lot of sport, team and individual, often averaging 3-4 days a week and found that my level of activity was enough without having to work on fitness, although I did enjoy a bit of running just for the fun of it before knee trouble put an end to it.
In my fifties, injuries and age started having an effect so that just before the age of 60 it was just recreational squash and badminton a couple of days a week. At that time I decided to join a gym but can only describe my involvement as half-hearted and a bit of a chore. Knee and back problems made me give up squash and badminton at 64 and the gym had long lost its sparkle so I decided to try out cycling again, which I had given up forty years earlier. 11 years on and I still love it, averaging 2-3 20-25 mile rides a week, when not recovering from something or other, but I do not regard it as keeping fit, or sport, just something to raise the spirits.
I realise now that if it was not for the fact that I loved all the activities I have done my lack of will power would have turned me into a couch potato.

I suppose this is a long winded way of asking how many on here treat their cycling seriously, possibly even methodically, as part of their fitness regime, or do other activities specifically to boost their fitness, especially as they get older and their fitness is not such a given.

A bit of both really.

Most stuff I do for work, and pleasure involves being active.

But to stay aerobically fit enough for the longer and more strenuous trips I do, I need to top up with a bit of extra aerobic fittening.

So twice weekly runs or going out for a blast on the bike up any of our local hills. But I enjoy that too - good for the 'mental elf' as well 👍🏼

It's all very unscientific, not really 'training' but I think I'm 'in tune' enough with my body to work out how to stay 'fit enough' without injury...
The Yoga helps with all that.


I want to stay as fit as possible for as long as possible , as most things I enjoy require this.

Although I'm sane enough (just) to realise that my body's needs and capabilities will change as I age..