Yesterday I pulled out my road bike. It had been sitting unused for many months and was a little dusty. The tires were rather flat. Both of those things I could easily fix.
So with air in the tires and the dust brushed off – I set off to ride down the street. I very quickly noticed my right shifter wasn’t engaging very well. It was slow, choppy and at times stuck. When I last road the bike it was in great shape. How had just sitting in my laundry room caused the shifter to stop working well?
The bike just like our bodies works best when it moves. Lack of movement caused dust, settling, lack of lubrication and break down of the parts. Think about your body after a sedentary winter? You may be a little paler, maybe you gained a spare tire, maybe you feel a little stiffer, and you also probably don’t move as well.
Our bodies were not designed to be shelved for months and put back in the race when the weather says it’s time! Being sedentary has the same negative effect on our bodies – we break down. Even if you managed to maintain your same overall weight or size – I guarantee your performance decreased without movement and exercise!
We can’t remain a well-oiled machine if we don’t work our muscles, fuel our muscles, and work to maintain our flexibility. When we do resume activity after a sedentary period we are much more likely to injury ourselves if we go full force. It is better to ease into that fitness routine. And it is better yet to avoid a being sedentary for a period of time! There are so many options on how you can move your body. Mix it up! Try new things! But just make sure you keep moving!
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