If You're Getting Older, Fatter and Unhealthier Then Try Road Cycling

If you're getting a little older then I sympathise. I am too, I'm due to hit 56 this year. And just like most other people I faced the same issues with weight, fitness and interests as many others. Fortunately I found a solution to all 3.

It was when I hit 50 that, perhaps because of that milestone, I began to ask myself whether I was happy with my state of health and fitness. I was a little overweight, I certainly wasn't very fit, and after seeing friends being warned by their doctor to lose weight and get fit or else, I decided I needed to do something about it myself.

The solutio
I came up with was to take up road cycling, and I've never regretted it. Road cycling has provided an answer to all the problems that were beginning to build.

Cycling has helped me maintain my weight within reasonable bounds, increase my fitness out of sight, has provided me with a new and unexpectedly fun interest and opened up a range of social contacts.

In my view road cycling is a wonderful activity for the older person who is looking for a new interest, looking to maintain their fitness and weight and to meet new people.

Of course there's many other options. You could always join the gym. Personally I don't like gyms, or weights. Maybe that's just me but I find gyms unattractive.

You could always take up jogging. Whilst I did some jogging in my earlier years it's not easy on my knees, and I find it extremely difficult to work up the enthusiasm to go out jogging 3 or 4 times a week.

You could always take up swimming. I did that for a while but found that interminable black line that you stare at the entire time drove me nuts. I found swimming to be extremely boring, and again I couldn't take it up for any length of time and maintain the enthusiasm.

But when I came across road cycling it was a breath of fresh air. It's fun, it's low impact, it is good for your fitness and it's extremely social. Get together with a group of 20 or 30 other older cyclists and you'd be surprised how much fun it can be getting fit.

Of course you have to work a little at it to begin with. There's some skills to learn, some gear to buy and people to get to know, but once you're started I expect you'll love it.

You'll be dealing with such things as flat tyres and dropped chains, but these are small inconveniences in an otherwise exciting new pastime that ticks many of the boxes that the older person needs ticked.

So if you're approaching 50, if the weight is creeping up a little, if you struggle to climb the stairs, maybe it's time for you to take a look at your options for getting healthy, fitter and losing weight. In my view, for the older person, you can't go past road cycling.

Give it a try.