Photo: richardmasoner, Flickr

Day 1: Eight o'clock at night, I suddenly realized that I'd completely forgotten to exercise. I'd taken my kids out for a long bike ride earlier in the day -- which is probably why I forgot -- but that doesn't count as exercise for me. My 4-year-old goes slow enough that I do more pedaling backwards than forwards.

Since my bike was still out, I jumped on it for a fast and furious ride that made both my thighs and lungs burn. I was enjoying myself so much, I didn't notice the clouds rolling in and got stuck three miles from home in a downpour. Still, soaked to the skin or not, I tasted the sweet victory of breaking a sweat and reaching my goal for the day.

Thirty minutes isn't hard, and it can even be broken down into several shorter workouts over the course of they day.

Kaley Cuoco, who shot to fame on 8 Simple Rules and currently stars in The Big Bang Theory, gets fit in the saddle.

After she's done working, Cuoco heads to the stables to ride her horse, Falcon. It gives her a chance to escape from the stresses of her day and to get a great workout at the same time. Cuoco says: "It's the perfect combination of a mental and physical workout. After an hour, I'm exhausted. I work muscles I don't use otherwise: My legs, butt, core -- everything is sore."

For a change in routine, Cuoco finds fitness in another type of saddle. She loves taking spinning classes at her gym. She says, "Doing something I really enjoy has made a huge difference in my motivation level."

Source

Forget too-tight bike shorts and geeky-looking cycling accessories -- biking is now considered the chic new way to get fit. That's right -- it may not be a new way to work out, but it's highly fashionable these days. Hot celebs like Agyness Deyn, Chloe Sevigny and Jennifer Aniston are apparently new owners of fancy bikes, according to the Daily Mail.

According to Caz Nicklin of CycleChic.co.uk, "There is nothing more glamorous than gliding down the street in a lovely floaty dress. It's almost as if we have come full circle. In its day, cycling was groundbreaking for women. It brought us trousers and meant we could go places on our own. Now, it's back again as a stylish pastime."

So stylish, in fact, that you can buy Chanel and Gucci bikes -- with a price tag of about $9600 and $3300, respectively. Wow -- that's quite an expensive pasttime. My $50 garage-sale bike might not be as fashionable but it's just as good for a workout.

Source

Day 1: First day, first dilemma. This morning, I needed to take my three-year-old to story time at the library and then go get my allergy shot. The problem? The locations are on opposite sides of town, neither in walking distance. It hardly seemed right to kick off this "walking" week by hopping in my van the first chance I got. I had to get creative.

Since my husband was at home, we decided he would take our younger daughter to story time on his bike. I hopped on my own bicycle to ride to the allergist. It was the first time I'd ridden my bike without a child aboard in years, so it was kind of fun. It made me wonder why I don't use my bike for transportation more often.

Bicycle commuters know that keeping an eye out for danger on the road is an important part of their commute. My husband has been commuting by bike for several years. Though his route is short, he often comes home with a story to tell -- dogs who chase him, motorists who leap before they look, black ice, even squirrels who try to throw themselves under his tires.

I'm pretty sure, however, that in our urban neighborhood he won't have to worry about running into a bear. But Missoula man Jim Litz isn't so lucky. He was riding his bike to work recently -- cruising at about 25 mph -- when he came over a rise and discovered a black bear in front of him. He hit the bear head-on, flew over his handlebars, and the two went tumbling down the road. The bear took off, and Litz is left with some bumps and scrapes ... and a great story to share.

Riding your bike to work is the perfect way to make fitness a part of your daily routine. While bears may not be a risk-factor in your neighborhood, cars probably are. Stay safe on the road with these 10 tips for not getting hit from bicyclesafe.com.

Source

Last weekend, my family had a wonderful workout together on a local trail thanks to our jogging stroller. We contemplated breaking out the bicycle trailer, but opted for pushing something with wheels rather than pedaling.

Looks like we're going to have to stick to indoor workouts this weekend with heat and humidity off the charts. But it remains a goal of mine to put some more miles on our bicycle trailer this summer. Kids can kick back and enjoy the breeze as you cruise to your heart's content. They even have "windows" to look out of. And they keep them safe should you crash or tumble somewhere along your route.

Safety and maneuverability were big factors I considered when reviewing options for carting kids along on bikes. I grew up riding in the seats that attach to the bike, usually behind the rider. And they still exist, although they are much improved. There's also a seat that attaches to the front. And there are several trailers that have their own wheels and attach to the back of the bike. There are pros and cons to all of them. In the end, the trailers seemed the safest to me.

Here's a look at some of the options:

Source

When shopping for a bike, you have to make choices. Do you want one that's made for off-road or for biking around town? What about speedy versus sturdy?

If you've ever had to travel with a bike in a small car, you'll probably be as excited as I was about the idea of a bike that folds up (don't ask about the triathlon I drove to alone in my tiny little car -- let's just say that some names were called, things were said, and my relationship with the bike was never the same). However, I always assumed that a folding bike wouldn't be as good as a bike that doesn't fit into a suitcase -- I figured they would be flimsy and not a great choice for long rides.

Upon learning about SwissBike folding bicycles, I realized I was wrong.

Source

Have you ever been at the gym, kicking butt on the elliptical, only to look outside and see a perfect, gorgeous day that you're missing because you're in a gym? Or, do you like the idea of biking for fun, fitness, or transportation, but have less love for some of the things that come with biking (seat pain, hunched over position, catching on chain, etc.)? If so, you might want to get on the wait list for the elliptiGO Glide Bike.

The elliptiGO is a cross between a bike and an elliptical trainer, "combining the best aspects of running and cycling to create a fun and effective means of exercising outdoors." Since you're in a standing position while riding it, you have increased visibility and a distinct lack of pain in the genitals (because, be honest -- how many of you have opted out of a long bike ride because you knew how bad your privates would hurt afterward? I'm always amazed that true cyclists can ever have sex!).

It's easily modifiable, so you can go at your own pace using your own stride. There are eight gears, allowing you to work really hard and go as fast as 25 mph, or cruise along at closer to 6mph.

Source

As fabulous as we at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.

According to Crabby at Cranky Fitness, you may have a condition known as Bike in the Basement disorder if:

• you are still able to ride a bike,
• you have access to a bike,
• you live in a bike-friendly neighborhood,
• AND
• you still never ride your bike.
  
  

We can't have that, now can we? Especially not since spring has finally arrived and it's the perfect time of the year to get back out on two wheels. So if you're looking for a little motivation, check out these posts about getting back on your bike. You'll be so glad you did.

Source

Here's a little test to see how awake you are this Monday morning. Watch the video and count the number of passes the players with the white shirts make. When the video is finished, you can see just how aware you are.

The commercial was put out as a public service announcement, warning people to keep an eye out for cyclists. My husband, who commutes to work every day by bike, is one of the more careful cyclists I've met, and even he has had some close calls.

The warm spring air means that more people will be out on their bikes, so be aware that you may be sharing a line with someone on a bike. And if you're a cyclist, make sure that you're following the rules of the road.

Source

Bicyclists in NYC may soon have a new place to park their ride...in the city's first bicycle parking lot. The lot, if constructed, will be protected by an attendant, reducing a cyclists risks having their bike vandalized or stolen. The lot have a handful of free spaces for short-term use, but most users would have to pay a fee for parking.

The bikes-only lot would be located on 33rd Street, close to Penn Station, which city officials hope would make it convenient for commuters. In addition, the city has been making an effort to install more bike racks. Commuting by bike is an excellent way to get in your daily workout and reduce pollution at the same time.

Source

My mom worked for a neurological organization when I was growing up, so as a result, we were the kids who weren't allowed to jump on the trampoline or do anything fun without wearing a helmet. In elementary school, this was the equivalent of social suicide, but as I get older, I think my mom might have been on to something. Case in point: A recent study shows that kids falling off their bikes costs the healthcare system $200 Million a year.

Moreover, wearing a helmet reduces a child's risk of brain injury by 85%. So if your kid (or teen) isn't wearing a helmet, why not? Sure, it might make them cringe, but I promise, they'll forgive you one day.

Source

This is one of those gadgets that made me laugh out loud when I first saw it, and then with a name like "Geek-a-cycle" the giggles only got worse until my stomach hurt. I get that us time-pressed and stressed out Americans of today's world have a hard time finding time to exercise, but this doesn't look all that healthy to me. Is it ergonomical? Plus she's wearing dress clothes and dress shoes so she must not be planning on working up much of a sweat. And I'm sorry, but doesn't this much simpler gadget do pretty much the same thing without being nearly as embarrassing?

But hey, if it works for you then go for it. Exercise is exercise, and I'm the last one to knock anybody for trying. And on the bright side, laughter is great medicine so you'll be doing your coworkers a healthy favor, too.

Source

When you think of being "seasoned" in pretty much any sport you probably picture a pretty fit physique to go along with the skill. But that's not always the case -- interestingly enough there are some sports that you can work at regularly and get good at without necessarily fitting into a sport-specific shape: bicycling for example. Due to aerodynamics and the unique way the center of gravity is used bicycling is much more forgiving of body type and age than other sports like, say, running. It's not uncommon for cyclists to surprise you by not fitting the expected 'mold' of young and rail thin -- instead being of all ages and all body types.

Source

In the world of "fun ways to track your status while working out" cyclists have been a little left out when compared to walkers and runners, who can get heart rate monitors and shoes and mp3 players that tell them what's going on -- all while coordinating their efforts to music no less. Well now there's something specially designed for cyclists by cyclists: the CS600 by Polar. Put together with the help of six teams that competed in last year's Tour de France, it monitors not only your heart rate (of course), but also your bike's speed and altitude, which it sends wirelessly to your computer from it's convenient spot on the bike's handlebars.

Sound cool? It must be -- it costs upwards of $700.

Source