Like many, the pandemic years brought unexpected shifts to my daily life, and with those changes came a gradual and unwelcome weight gain. It’s amazing how easily those extra pounds creep on. One day you look in the mirror and realize things need to change. After some unsuccessful attempts with conventional diets, I stumbled upon a solution that actually worked. It started with an exercise bike and a virtual journey across America.
The Running Problem: Knee Pain
Running had always been my go-to for fitness. From high school cross-country to adult jogs for stamina and weight management, I’d always turned to running. So, naturally, I thought pounding the pavement was the answer to my current weight woes. I invested in new running shoes, downloaded a fitness app, and scouted out local trails. Despite being in my fifties, I embraced trail running once again, relishing the fresh air and the challenge of hill climbs.
However, my enthusiasm was short-lived. Each time I ramped up my weekly mileage enough to actually start losing weight, my knees would flare up, becoming painful and inflamed. I tried everything – different running shoes, knee supports, even sticking to flat surfaces. Nothing seemed to prevent the knee pain.
ProForm Stationary Bike. Riding my Pro-Form Stationary Bike Across the Country. A Flourishing Life Society article body image 1
Image alt text: The author riding a ProForm exercise bike at home, illustrating the start of his cross-country virtual cycling journey for weight loss.
Discovering Interactive Exercise Bikes
My desire to get fit and stay healthy was strong. Those grandkids of mine are a great motivator, or so I tell myself! But I knew wanting to be healthy and actually achieving it were two different things. My knee issues provided a perfect excuse to abandon my fitness goals altogether. As Dr. Art Markman points out, “knowledge alone does not cause people to change their behavior. And even a commitment to change is not enough” (Markman, 2015). I needed something more engaging.
Then I saw an advertisement for a Peloton bike. It piqued my interest. A quick online search revealed the price, quickly dismissing that particular option. However, the concept of interactive spin classes and cycling trainers was very appealing.
My research continued, leading me to ProForm’s version of the interactive exercise bike. The Pro-TC model offered similar interactive features, working with an iFit subscription to provide access to spin classes and trainer-led bike rides from scenic locations worldwide. Proform even had a compelling offer – a free bike with a three-year iFit subscription commitment. Deal sealed.
The First Few Weeks on the Exercise Bike
Once assembled, my new exercise bike was ready for action. I hopped on and selected a gentle ride around a Norwegian lake. I managed just two miles. My legs were burning, and my heart was racing. I ended the workout, feeling slightly discouraged.
But my body adapted quickly. Soon, I was participating in various trainer-led sessions, cycling on virtual trails across the globe, and even trying out some high-energy spin classes.
Exploring the features further, I discovered the “create” workout option. Remarkably, I could link to Google Maps, plot a route, and the exercise bike would generate a customized workout. I virtually cycled through my childhood town of Tucson, explored the streets of Paris, and even visited Charleston.
The Google Maps feature wasn’t flawless. Instead of streaming video, like in the guided workouts, the screen displayed a slideshow of Google Street View photos. Occasionally, there were areas with no photo coverage at all. However, the bike intelligently responded to inclines by increasing resistance, and the gaps in photo coverage were infrequent. These minor shortcomings were easily overlooked.
Isabelle M. Baur and Roy F, Baumeister explain, “successful self-regulation allows people to subordinate short-term temptations to long-term goals, to trade the pleasure of immediate gratification for delayed rewards, and to tolerate the frustration that can be associated with persisting in the face of challenges or hard work” (Bauer & Baumeister, 2017. Kindle location: 2,097). I was regulating my desire for comfort with the long-term goal of fitness.
Yet, something was still missing. I needed a more overarching goal to tie these workouts together, something to provide more motivation than just completing individual bike rides.
Setting a Cross-Country Goal on the Exercise Bike
Then it struck me like a revelation. “I’m going to ride this exercise bike across the country,” I announced to my wife. Ever supportive of my sometimes outlandish ideas, she simply said, “You do that, Troy.”
I was ready to commit, and I knew I needed to start immediately. According to DiClemente, the preparation stage “entails developing a plan of action and creating the commitment needed to implement that plan” (DiClemente, 2005). Furthermore, Gregg Krech wisely cautions, “most procrastination is caused by a tendency to make a decision, in the present moment, based on what we feel like doing at that moment. And if we don’t feel like doing something NOW, then we’re not likely to feel like doing it later, because…later will just be another NOW” (Krech, 2014).
Seizing the wave of motivation, I immediately hopped on the exercise bike. And so began my virtual cross-country journey, starting right there in my living room in sunny California.
Initial progress was slow, just a few virtual miles at a time. But within a couple of weeks, I was consistently covering twenty miles or more each day. Soon, I was virtually conquering the Sierra Nevada mountains and descending into the digital landscapes of Nevada.
ProForm Stationary Bike. Riding my Pro-Form Stationary Bike Across the Country. A Flourishing Life Society article body image 2
Breaking Down the Journey with Smaller Goals
I realized that my grand goal of reaching Boston was made up of many smaller, achievable goals. Daily targets like, “I just want to make it to Reno today,” and weekly goals such as, “I want to reach the Utah border by the end of the week,” kept me motivated. We need goals to stay on track, but if the goal is too daunting, requiring weeks or months of effort, it’s easy to lose steam and abandon it.
This network of smaller goals continued to inspire consistent effort. I incorporated sprint intervals during long flat stretches and utilized the virtual terrain for hill workouts. Two months into my virtual ride, I felt a bit like Forrest Gump, pushing onward towards Nebraska.
Tangible Fitness Gains from Exercise Biking
This virtual cross-country ride wouldn’t be truly successful if it didn’t deliver on my initial fitness goal: weight loss. Here’s what happened to my body in the first six weeks of this exercise bike journey:
- I lost twenty pounds.
- My resting heart rate decreased from the low 70s to the mid-50s.
- My blood pressure dropped from a concerning 135/95 to a healthy 115/75.
A Successful Exercise Bike Journey to Boston
Eventually, I virtually arrived in Boston. Like most long-term goals, there were some bumps in the road. Somewhere in the Midwest, we relocated to a new home, forcing me to put my exercise bike into storage for a few months. At the new house, I strained my back working in the yard, temporarily halting my journey again during recovery. A few other unforeseen life events also caused delays.
However, the Boston goal remained in the back of my mind. I knew I had to complete the ride. I got back on the exercise bike and finished my virtual trek. To celebrate, my wife and I even took a trip to Boston. And the journey continues! I’m now virtually heading south from Boston towards the Florida Keys.
Associated Concepts
Final Thoughts from Psychology Fanatic
Embarking on a somewhat crazy goal, like a virtual cross-country exercise bike ride, certainly isn’t for everyone. My wife, for instance, finds the Google Street View photos uninspiring. She prefers her favorite iFit trainers and is achieving her own fitness goals in her own way, which is fantastic.
For me, cycling on my exercise bike has been a game-changer. My knees are happy, my fitness goals are being met, and I remain motivated as I virtually traverse the flatlands of middle America.
Last Update: August 15, 2024
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References:
Baumeister, Roy F.; Bauer, Isabelle M. (2017). Self-Regulatory Strength. K. D. Vohs, & R. F. Baumeister (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation: Third Edition: Research, Theory, and Applications. The Guilford Press; Third edition.
DiClemente, Carlos C. (2005) Addiction and Change, Second Edition: How Addictions Develop and Addicted People Recover. The Guilford Press; Second edition.
Krech, Gregg (2014). The Art of Taking Action: Lessons from Japanese Psychology. ToDo Institute Books.
Markman, Art (2015). Smart Change: Five Tools to Create New and Sustainable Habits in Yourself and Others. TarcherPerigee; Reprint edition.
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*Many of the quotes from books come books I have read cover to cover. I created an extensive library of notes from these books. I make reference to these books when using them to support or add to an article topic. Most of these books I read on a kindle reader. The Kindle location references seen through Psychology Fanatic is how kindle notes saves my highlights.
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