MRT2

Recently, a good friend had a heart attack that left him fighting for his life. Fortunately thanks to modern medicine, it looks like he will survive the ordeal. But here is the thing. Through the spring through fall, he rides 3 days a week, 1 to 2 hours per ride. In winter, he rides a stationary at the gym at what I would call a leisurely pace.

So I had to ask. Were there warning signs? Yes. Shortness of breath when walking up stairs, terrible back pain, and eventually tightness in the chest. So why didn't you get help sooner? Because, he said, how could I have advanced heart disease when I ride so much?

I have reluctantly concluded cycling alone isn't enough to prevent heart disease and other aging related diseases .

1. Cycling is a non weight bearing activity. While osteoporosis is mostly something that afflicts aging women, men can suffer from atrophy of lean muscle tissue.

2. Cycling does nothing for flexibility.

3. The seasonal nature of cycling for those who live in colder climates. Anybody who tends to lose 15 lbs every summer only to put it back on in the fall or winter knows what I mean.

4. Homeostasis. The body adjusts to any one activity and unless you progressively make it harder. Doing the exact same workout means you are actually allowing the body to get less fit as the body adjusts to the same workout every day or every other day. Anybody who has noticed their physique looks pretty much the same as it did last year, or the year before that knows what I mean.

I am certainly not giving up on riding, but I am no longer planning on relying on cycling as my primary form of exercise. Some might say I am crazy, but I am taking up martial arts, with cycling being a complementary part of my program.