6 min read
Entering my 30s has been an exciting stage of life. My husband and I are embracing exciting projects as newlyweds in our new home, and we are surrounded by family and friends we adore. The challenging part? Changes to my body that I definitely didn’t expect. You know what I’m talking about—preserving muscle tone takes more effort, and work deadlines take precedence, meaning self-care gets pushed to the back-burner. Ugh.
That’s why I dubbed 2026 the “year of me.” I started eating healthier and I’m finding new ways to improve my fitness and wellness routine. Pilates classes and neighborhood walks are on my weekly rotation again. With summer in its prime, the nice weather inspired me to take my fitness outdoors every chance I get. I decided to dust off my bike (which was crammed into the back corner of our garage since we moved into our home three years ago) and started pedaling with intention more often.
Why cycling, you ask? Well, I was inspired to start this journey because the benefits of cycling are truly phenomenal: It can improve heart health, boost muscle strength, lower stress and anxiety levels, and promote an all-around better mood. And that’s not all. According to Dr. Mariam Zakhary, DO, Clinical Advisor of Ikon Recovery Center who is double board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as Sports Medicine, cycling provides full-body benefits.
“You can anticipate that your aerobic fitness level will improve, your legs will become stronger, your metabolic health will continue to benefit, and your overall energy levels will increase. Many people report a decrease in their resting heart rate and an improvement in their ability to perform physical exertion after six months of regular cycling,” Dr. Zakhary explains.
What’s not to love? Armed with that info, I decided to conduct a little experiment of my own. I decided to cycle every day for at least 30 minutes a day, for two weeks, and see how my body (and my mind!) changes. Here’s what happened.
I Cycled Everyday For Two Weeks. Here’s What Happened. Week 1
My first week consisted of riding a beach cruiser at the Jersey shore while on vacation, and it was truly refreshing. You get the picture: My face soaked up the sun while the salty breeze rushed through my hair.
I had my routine down-pat. Each morning, I started with five minutes of light lower-body stretching to warm up before hopping on my bike for a 30-minute ride. (Some days, I even extended my ride to 45 minutes because it was genuinely so enjoyable.)
My route consisted of roughly five miles of flat pavement lined with coastal homes, the shoreline, and bountiful hydrangeas. It felt much more peaceful to me than jogging or running, which are not always kind on the joints. I usually gravitate toward lower-impact workouts anyway, and cycling fit the bill. I was also able to cover more ground.
After my first cycling session, I quickly realized that bike shorts were invented for a reason, not just to look like a pro biker. They really protect against friction and chafing, so after the first day, I swapped out my breezy workout shorts for biker shorts. While my pelvic region and legs were a bit sore after the first couple of rides, they quickly adapted to my new routine by the end of the first week.
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In general, incentives work very well for me when it comes to powering through a workout. In this case, along the ride itself, my mind was focused on the end game: an iced strawberry matcha latte waiting for me at the coffee shop near the end of my route.
I can confidently say, week one was a success.
Week 2
The first week served as solid preparation riding into week two, when I cycled on my road bike. My surrounding community has a good number of hills I was able to weave into my ride, with some of my favorite routes being around my own neighborhood and Rockefeller State Park Preserve. The inclines of week two challenged my legs even further, and my bike gears were certainly put to good use.
I kept both weeks as similar as possible. Every ride lasted roughly 30 minutes per day and the distance was five miles or so. After the two-week period, I feel I would definitely be able to cover more ground in the same amount of time since my body is getting more accustomed to cycling. That said, during those two weeks, I wasn’t pushing myself to the max—I wanted to enjoy the rewards; not pay for them with fatigue and super-sore muscles.
The biggest difference between the two weeks besides the types of bikes and terrain? During week one, I was in 100% vacation mode, which made cycling all-around very enjoyable. Week two, however, I was back in my home office with much to do and deadlines to meet, making fitting in exercise—aka my bike ride—feel a little more like “work.” Determination to complete my test—and reaping the rewards—kept me going.
During the second week, my body and legs definitely felt more tired compared to week one. But hey—that just told me I was clearly doing something right.
My TakeawaysSwitching up my routine did more than just improve my fitness.
At the end of my two-week journey, I was pleased to find my body getting used to cycling. I was no longer sore and my legs started to feel stronger, which is one of my top fitness goals. But above all, the time and distance I completed each day worked wonders for my mental well-being. Escaping outdoors was exactly what I needed to either start my morning on the right foot or break up a hectic workday.
Another positive change? Pedaling helped me sleep like a baby the entire two weeks. Adding extra movement to my routine unexpectedly improved my sleep, which was a major win because I’m typically a terrible sleeper. And science backs this up. Research shows that regular exercise can reduce the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep and improve overall quality of sleep.
Healthy habits are contagious.
The hard work I put into cycling inspired me to adopt other healthy habits during my journey. For instance, I felt inclined to eat more nutritious meals. I also found myself snacking less—or when I did, I reached for fruit, a cup of oatmeal, veggies with hummus, or peanut butter-stuffed dates. The extra exercise also prompted me to drink more water than I usually do. A few days into my cycling test, I actually invested in a larger water bottle to help me stay hydrated. Hey—the more good stuff, the merrier!
Cycling is a solid complement to my routine rather than the main event.
Workouts don’t need to be all-or-nothing. Pilates is the “main event” in my fitness routine. However, since I genuinely enjoyed cycling, it’s now the perfect complement to my weekly workout regimen. The outdoor factor provides a refreshing escape to soak up some gentle cardio. A 15-to-20-minute leisurely bike ride around town is also easy to fit into my schedule. It doesn’t leave me feeling exhausted or interfere with my Pilates classes.
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The beauty of adding a versatile training modality to my routine is that I can tweak it as I progress. For instance, I may bike more and Pilates less as I become a more advanced cyclist.
Overall, week two proved to be more challenging than week one, but I’m glad I experienced two totally different types of bikes and rides. This helped me determine which is a better fit for my lifestyle and fitness routine. I am still bike riding one or two times a week with a similar time and distance in mind. This experiment served as great conditioning and inspiration for me to add another outdoor modality to my fitness routine, which is what I had hoped for.
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Alexa is a content strategist, editor, and writer based in Greenwich, Connecticut, who has more than 12 years of experience writing for travel, lifestyle, and fitness publications. Alexa’s work has appeared in Business Insider, Parade, Men’s Journal, Apartment Therapy, Men’s Fitness, Allrecipes, Family Handyman, Eat This, Not That!, Body Network, Everyday Health, SheBuysTravel, Tasting Table, Elite Daily, and more. When she’s not writing, you’ll likely find her at Pilates, hiking, designing her next tablescape, or jetting off on a getaway.