Sometimes one action or habit that you take can act as a catalyst for a whole lifestyle change.  At least that is what I am hoping.

For me, that habit is cycling.  Or to be more precise, getting back in the saddle and restarting an activity that I used in the past to lose weight and slim down.

One of my goals is to lose weight and be a little lot slimmer.  OK, so who doesn’t have that goal nowadays?  But for me, it is a little different.  I have done exactly this a good few years ago and managed to lose 2 stone (sorry for those of you metrics and our cousins across the pond who prefer pounds) and achieve a waist size of 32 inches.

I was able to keep that weight off and remain trim for about 5 years and the effects on my self-esteem as well as health were massive.  But slowly, the result of a more sedentary job, as well as eating and drinking a bit more than I used to, has caught up with me.

I hate the gym.  I just find it boring, expensive and it just doesn’t do it for me.  Running?, well I have short legs and a big body, so I’m not exactly designed for that either.  But cycling, now we’re talking!!

I love the effort and the calorie burn.  I enjoy the fact that it is a non-impact sport, and hope that my knees will thank me for it in the future.  As a means of toning a body I think it is great – have a look at pro-cyclists and their shape, it’s pretty impressive!

I also love the brain activity.  I don’t get bored on the bike, there is always a lot of thinking.  It may be working out the best line to take, thinking about the hill approaching and how to get ready for it’s ascent.  I have to motivate myself sometimes to get up a hill, telling myself that “yes I can do it”, despite the tearing feeling of under-worked lungs gasping for more oxygen and the slow ache building in tired leg muscles.  I love the feeling of achievement and mental strength when I make the top of the hill, gasping for breath, but still going.  (OK, I have done a small raised fist, just to myself in celebration when no one was looking – I am British you know)

And I love the sensation of speed, of moving fast with a well engineered machine, not having to think, just being in the flow.

So for me, cycling is it.

As a result of this I have recently bought a new road bike.  Yep, it cost a fair few quid.  But that also helped me to remember how important it was to resume this, to build fitness but also inner strength of character.  I have invested in myself and now feel I must make the best of that investment.

I have started to take her out and begin to build up the miles.  It’s been a slow start, but I am already getting to the stage where if I don’t go out regularly I begin to feel an itch, to go out, move and breath on the bike.

I’ll be sharing a few thought’s about the bike soon, as when I bought it there were not many reviews about, but for now I just wanted to say do one small thing to start changing your life, one thing that will at least make you think that you have started a new path.  Just one small step.  Today. And good luck!!