COVID-19: Fitness Incentive

Well, who has any idea about how this whole pandemic is going to end! 

However, I’m pretty sure of a few general consequences, and one of them is that many of us are going to be much fitter.

Take moi, for example. I’m not big on exercise. I don’t like being hot and sweaty or feeling physical pain.

However, getting out for a daily bike-ride has become a much more attractive prospect in this current environment. Of the legitimate grounds for leaving home, I can only access two. 

• Specific shopping: I continue my stroll to the local independent supermarket for daily necessities
• Work: as my home and place of daily work are one and the same, going to work doesn’t get me out
• Caring: my parents have long gone, my children don’t need caring for and I don’t yet have grandchildren
•  I don’t urgently need to go to medical appointments (although, we’ve had clarification on this one recently

​so that just leaves the exercise excuse. 

Getting out and exercising is not only looking much more attractive than the alternative these days but the very quiet roads have provided an opportunity to practice on routes I’d normally be too terrified to attempt.

I’ve been a cyclist-of-sorts for over 50 years and yet I’m not especially confident or competent. My original bike was one where you braked by pushing back on the pedals, there were no gears and I had a skirt guard to stop those flowing garments becoming entangled in the spokes. (My son has just asked me "what is a skirt guard?")

I need to be fitter and I need to have a better understanding of city bicycle etiquette and traffic negotiation. My ever patient husband has been coaching me in how to perform a right-from-left turn, avoid being tripped up by tram-tracks, watch out for car doors opening into the path of unsuspecting cyclists and thread my way through bike lanes bordered by bollards.  I’m still struggling to perform tasks requiring simultaneous co-ordination of various body parts eg look over my shoulder and continue in a straight line or both brake and indicate.

My current bike is a 20-something-years-old Malvern Star. It’s one of those solid (very solid) old workhorses that just keeps going.  It’s best feature is it’s beautiful colour. My son says I’d be surprised how much easier and more pleasurable I would find a new, lighter bike with brakes that actually work. Maybe …..

I’ve set my personal best top speed barrelling down Brunswick St, Fitzroy in the dark. We won’t mention that it is down hill with a tail-wind. It was fun!  I’d never have the courage to ride there in normal times. 

​Looking out on the streets I’m pretty sure that many, many of us are exercising far more than before our enforced confinement. What are the other good things to come out of this?