Fitness IQ: Rethinking the Bike  

When I was a kid, my parents owned an exercise bike. It sat in our basement — black and chrome and perfectly serviceable. I tried it a few times, pedaling frantically to nowhere.

It was boring work.

When I started exercising regularly, I didn’t consider adding indoor cycling to my routine, even though we owned an exercise bike. It belonged to my husband. I rarely thought about that exercise bike in my parents’ basement, but it must’ve made an impression on me. When I looked at his bike, I felt the same thing all over again — boredom. If there’s one thing that can squelch the inclination to exercise, it’s boredom, so I kept my distance. A while later, he got rid of the bike because he disliked it. I felt smug validation.

He told me it was the bike itself he disliked, not the activity. Being completely impartial because I had no plans to ever use it, I helped him choose a new one, never considering my preferences because it was irrelevant.

Then the bike came, and it actually looked inviting. It was sleek and easily adjustable. The design made me want to get on and take a ride. I felt a pull. Maybe it was time to reassess that automatic aversion I felt toward exercise bikes, I thought. I ordered a pair of cycling shoes. Then I tried a few cycling classes using a fitness app. To my surprise, I found I really enjoyed it.