Earle Bower, a 76-year-old retired Greensboro executive, was a lifelong runner. For him it was a way of life; if he didn’t exercise, he didn’t feel right. He needed running to feel mentallly and physicially sharp, but stress and pain made him seek other avenues for exercise.
Running is tough on the body because of the pounding impact. As I got older I got stress fractures, constant knee pain and foot problems. I felt like I had a large smooth stone in my shoe. My foot was completely destabilized, surgery was the only solution. I had my foot fused, with steel screws to stabilize it and prevent lateral movement. But I could never run again.
I had to find a way to get no impact exercise. I tried swimming, but it was inconvenient and I wasn’t a swimmer; too much work for little gain.
I had always owned a bike but rarely used it. I didn’t think my foot could take climbing hills, but I tried. I found I could ride without pain if I stayed in the saddle and only stood briefly on the steepest hills. I started to ride 3-4 days a week.
A funny thing happened; my knee pain disappeared, my knees felt better than ever and no more stress fractures. The lack of impact solved both problems. I found that same joy in riding that I used to get running, now I prefer cycling for the feeling of freedom and speed.
So is cycling the perfect senior exercise? It’s low stress but requires balance; no problem for most people. New riders must use low gears for the least amount of pressure on the pedals. If you are pedaling very hard you could hurt your knees, not help them. Use the easiest gear possible and try to pedal at least 60 -70 complete revolutions per minute. Cyclists call it spinning; it really keeps your knees feeling great.
Riding in traffic can be dangerous. Always wear a helmet and a mirror and stay on the far right side of the lane riding with traffic, never against it. Riders must obey the same rules of the road as drivers. To be sure that drivers see you, wear the brightest clothing possible. After some close calls, I decided to develop high visibility bike jerseys. I call them see me® wear™ and market them on the internet at: www.seemewear.com.
Profits go to the rails-to-trails conservancy to build bike paths. The jerseys use fluorescent dyes for the ultimate visibility. Bicycling Magazine reported that drivers see fluorescent clothing at 5 ½ times greater distance than regular clothing.
If you are looking for a no impact way to exercise that’s good for your joints and knees, try cycling. Start slow and ride in an area you know. As you get more proficient and confident, add distance. Use common sense and increase the distance slowly. I think you’ll like the way it makes you feel.