What worked for me

AlaninNewYork

I pedal a stationary bike backwards. I don’t put my hands on the handle bars. They are either at my sides or else I throw a soft 1 pound ball from hand to hand.

I generally do three twenty minute sessions every day. That’s not so much a goal I’ve set as how it has turned out. What is important is feeling how my body feels while I do this. I have pain issues; fibromyalgia, sciatica, pain in my knees, hips and back. In eight weeks the sciatica and most of the joint pains have disappeared. I’ve lost weight, have more energy and feel calmer inside.

Cycling backwards is easier than cycling forward, much easier on my knees. It gets my blood circulating. I go as fast or slow as I feel like going, so long as I’m under control. I pedal barefoot. Once I pedaled too fast and lost control. This is easy to do when you’re not using handlebars. I skinned my foot and almost fell off the bike. At age 69 such a fall can be bad.

I mostly pedal with my eyes closed. I have difficulty with sensory overload. Sight is a very complex sense. It taxes the brain. Sometimes I wear a blindfold to cut out all light. It helps me focus on how my body feels and deepens my breathing.

I begin by starting the timer. Two soft one pound balls sit on a nearby shelf. I pedal and when I feel like it I pick up a ball and begin gently throwing it back and forth. I listen to sounds on *******; calming music, white noise, the sound of rain, nature sounds... I change speeds, set the bike resistance level higher or lower, pedal with my hands at my side or throw a ball hand to hand.

I sit upright. I try to pedal from my core, my whole body, not just with my legs. As I’m peddling my body naturally aligns itself. My knees, hips and spine begin working together. I feel energized. A warm tingling sensation travels from my legs and lower torso to my upper body and finally to my head.

I have an inexpensive stationary bike. It sits on a 2’ x 3’ area rug. I don’t have to go anywhere to exercise. I just walk over and start pedaling. It’s become a meditation for me, gentle and soothing.

That’s it. Pretty simple but it’s changed my life for the better. I wake up awake and have more energy throughout the day. One unanticipated outcome has been that my appetite has decreased and with that a gradual but steady decrease in my weight. I think I used to overeat because I was in pain much of the time. Now I’m not.