Finding Joy in Exercise: How Biking Became My Path to Health

I know that when I started my journey to lose weight I would have to find an exercise that I could enjoy if I was going to stick to it for the long haul. I had always loved riding my bike when I was young. I would ride it up to four miles a day to school. After moving to Salt Lake when I was 12, I still rode my bike, but when I went away to BYU, I stopped riding.

Thirty years later I thought the way for me to go was a stationary indoor bike. My friend called me one day when she saw some on sale. I went right down and ended up buying two bikes that were like the ones that I rode as a child. Two were great as if I had a flat on one I could still keep riding.

Six years later I have moved up to a light-weight fancy bike that cost 25 times more than my bike that I bought on sale. But I ride it almost every day. This summer I rode it 480 miles in one week as I rode across Iowa on the biggest bike ride in the world.

I have a lot of ladies who talk to me about exercise that say I just could not stay up on a bike. I then tell them that if I could not ride my two wheeler, I would go and buy an adult trike. I want to ride until the day I die. I love getting out in the sun and seeing the beautiful country that I live in.

In China the name for the USA is Meggaw, which means in Chinese “beautiful country.” Come today with me on my bike ride, and I will share with you the most recent ride that I found this fall as they finished a bike path in Salt Lake near my house. Sometimes I have so much fun I ride it twice. One day I even rode it for 30 minutes in the rain.

Here Is Mount Olympus from my front porch where I start my bike ride

This is just before I cross the freeway to go down into a small valley on the east side of Salt Lake City.

This is where the bike path begins. In the far distance you can see the city of Salt Lake.

Look back up the canyon after crossing the bike bridge. This canyon goes up to Park City which is about 20 miles up the valley.

Now I begin the ride down this little canyon on the new bike path. In the far distance is the Great Salt Lake.

This is looking east where I started at the base of the big mountain. You can see the beginning of the upper left corner of the photo. WOW what a great ride at 20 miles an hour–that is the speed limit down the path.

Now at the bottom of the canyon begins the climb back up the side of the valley. Great for developing those leg muscles.

Now I go down again and then have a 9% grade ride back up to Tanners Park which is on the upper left of the photo.

A view east across a ball diamond in Tanners Park, and you can see the top of Mount Olympic where I started.

Now the climb begins to go back home.

This is a long ride back home.

I turn right onto Wasatch Blvd where there is a small shopping strip.

By now the west sky has turned into a firework of color.

I live at the top of the street just ahead of the red truck.

Once home I can go to my back porch and see the rest of the sunset knowing that I have the best ride in the world and exercise that I love to do every day.

Maybe your love is not biking but keep looking as you will find that you will feel so good when you find that activity that is just right for you.