My new rig

Hubs got me a pretty cool new bicycle recently.  I haven’t used the bike much yet and I’ll blame that on the cold weather we’ve had since I got it 🙂  BUT our intention is go ride together in the evenings and on weekends.  We spend a lot of time at our jobs and doing yard work and housework, so sometimes we need to just take a ride around the neighborhood to chill for a bit.  Good for the bod, mind and for the relationship.

So this bike is super cute…don’t you think?

I took it out for a spin recently in the neighborhood, on my lunch hour and snapped a few photos while I was out.  As you can see it’s a quiet, beautiful, peaceful place tucked away in the not so quiet city limits.

BEFORE my ride, I was feeling quite stressed from work and out of shape from couch-potato-ing.  AFTER the ride however…what a feeling.  I was tired, I was keenly aware of the muscles in my legs (as they were quite wobbly and not cooperating), I was relieved to have resolved some dilemmas that I was able to think through AND I was feeling so healthy from the fresh air flowing through my lungs. Exhilarating!

It is totally true that exercise improves mood.  Even one short ride  helped.  I wonder how much happier I’d be if I actually exercised on a regular basis 🤔 .  According to www.livestrong.com ‘s article “How Does Exercise Help the Brain” by Karen S. Garvin, it’s the increased levels of serotonin from exercise that works like a natural antidepressant.   Sweet!  Also learning and memory functions can get a boost which is great for someone like me who is almost “mid-century modern”.  The memory isn’t what it used to be.  

Now that the weather is starting to warm up, at least here in NC, I hope to spend more time on my new bike.  Next time I’ll drag hubby along!