This is the time of year that everyone gets into the task of getting in shape and trying to lose those unwanted pounds. This is a time of high aspirations and very sore muscles. A time of broken promises and agonizing realizations. The promises broken are ones you made usually to yourself in the week leading up to the first of the year. The agonizing realizations often center on your awakening to the fact that you are much older than you were the last time that you started trying to get “in shape.”
I have lied to myself many times on the brink of a new year, just like I have tried to get myself back into shape on several occasions. I have tried several different methods to achieve the sought after goal. For me, there is no better way to start off a physical fitness routine than to ride a stationary bike. Specifically, I like the recumbent stationary bike.
My simple plan is as follows:
First, find a club or location with a recumbent bike. My preference is to find one near a television with closed captioning. Now, if you don’t belong to a gym, you can always go buy yourself one. I own one that is ok. I think it cost me a couple of hundred dollars. It has spent much of the two years since it arrived in a corner with clothes piled on it. I find that I actually like riding the cheaper, non-health-club quality, bike much more since I have gotten myself into the early stages of getting into shape. The somewhat uneven looseness of the home model is easier to stand when I am not concentrating on breathing fast enough to sustain my consciousness.
Second, ride the bike. Ride for 30 minutes. Ride steadily and consistently. Try not to stop at any time. Track your rate of exercise by the amount of calories you burn during the workout. Try to maintain a steady pace that keeps you working hard without overdoing it. Repeat this every day, increasing the amount of time and calories burned as you can. Work yourself up to 45 minutes or an hour. Push yourself, but don’t kill yourself. Push yourself to the limit some days and cruise on others. Mix it up.
Many say this is too boring and they can’t stand sitting on the bike that long. They have a point. But, a good book on tape or watching a good show on tv can certainly help the time fly by. Two episodes of "Seinfeld" can make an hour go by with little effort. The combination of an iPod and watching television with closed captioning can make the time go ever faster.
My basic physical fitness theory boils down to the idea that, when you need to get in shape, nothing helps you like cardio. That is not to say that weight training is not good for you – just the contrary. If you get yourself into decent cardiovascular shape, you can train with weights much more effectively. As I always tell William, “It is much more fun to play when you are in shape.”
It should be noted that I am not the physical example anyone should follow, nor am I in any way trained to give advice on health issues. I am a guy who has been there before and back again, and am presently on that bike an hour a day trying to buy some more time above ground. The goal is a little selfish, but sometimes self interest can be a great motivator. That is true for everyone, especially those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!
Bill James is a criminal defense attorney and co-founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway, and Fayetteville. He can be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com.