Get on your bike!

by gentlelifehacks | Aug 30, 2021 | Healthy living, Home and Garden, Lifestyle | 0 comments

Riding a bike through retirement

Who would have thought I would ever ride a bike again at my age?

Not me that’s for sure!

My first bicycle was a second-hand Raleigh.

Life in then “war torn” Rhodesia, with Sanctions, meant that we could not buy new things, so when I got my first bike for Christmas one year, I loved it no end!

Now nearing retirement, and I own my 3rd bike ever in my whole life.

At first I felt nervous about getting back in the saddle after so many years of avoiding bikes at all costs.

But now, surprisingly, I look forward to a 20 km cycle, along gravel paths along a river with hills and countryside to admire along the way!

The changing world we live in

We are in lockdown again with Covid-19 and more recently the Delta variant causing havoc everywhere, so going for a short ride is pure joy.

At first, after a long ride on my bike, I felt like I was walking bow legged, and was horrified at the thought that the muscles I was building might somehow give me “thunder thighs”.

After some of our longer rides, I could also hardly move my arms, but now it feels good.

Only today, my 67 year old partner decided that I needed practice “standing up on my bike” to navigate through the tiny turnstiles and narrow entrances, so he took me down to the local school to practice.

Like a kid, I did what I was told. As an Engineer, he sees things differently it seems.

Later, when we headed down a narrow path with low overhanging trees at great speed, and although the branch that whacked me in the head slowed me somewhat, and made me slightly hesitant, I quickly re-gained my confidence, so I guess it is a journey of trial and error, but an enjoyable one.

I hardly notice the bruises and cuts now from falling off my bike, like I did in the beginning!

Ten benefits of cycling

Improves balance and co-ordination
Helps manage many health issues by avoiding a sedentary lifestyle
Boosts energy and metabolism
Boosts mental health
Strengthens your leg, back and abdominal muscles
Promotes healthy weight management
Good for the knees
Releases happy endorphins
Puts less stress on your joints
Lowers stress levels

If you are trying to loose or maintain weight then I found a great app to use. It is called “myfitnesspal” – Read more here

You can burn upwards of 350 kilojoules in half an hour of cycling too, so what’s not to like!

“A bicycle ride around the world begins with a single pedal stroke”

©2021 gentlelifehacks.com|e-propertymatters.com| Author| Kathryn

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Smart gadgets

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Technology | 0 Comments

Renovating a home is not for the faint hearted Take it from one who knows! Smart wiring, or smart homes are often talked about and the digital natives amongst us know all the tricks. Just listening to some of the things required in our new smart home made my head...

Messy house or hoarder?

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Handy hints, Lifestyle, Opinion | 0 Comments

Sometimes it is hard to differentiate between hoarding and extreme clutter. Many times in my real estate career, I have come across people who do not see the clutter when they come to sell their homes. It is rude to point it out to them, and sometimes difficult to be...

Houses built from hemp

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Real Estate | 0 Comments

Some interesting ways of building homes over the years have included products such as Hemp. It has apparently been used globally as a natural building product for thousands of years. Recently a Western Australian couple hand built their three-bedroom home on a...

10 Simple Life Hacks to Stay Healthy and Active

by gentlelifehacks | 25/09/2024 | Health and Wellness | 0 Comments

Introduction to Healthy LivingIn today's fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can often feel overwhelming. However, implementing a few simple life hacks can significantly improve your well-being and help you stay active. This blog post explores effective...

10 warning signs to look out for when buying a house

by gentlelifehacks | 30/11/2021 | Handy hints, Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Real Estate, uncategorised | 0 Comments

Renovating is not always easy. Even the the tasks that look like they could be simple can turn out to me a mission to finish! Have you ever found a few cracked tiles in the kitchen and thought about replacing them? It is okay if you have spare matching tiles, but what...

A wise old donkey

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Lifehacks, Lifestyle, uncategorised | 0 Comments

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He...

Are you a hoarder?

by gentlelifehacks | 20/01/2023 | caregiving, Coping skills, Handy hints, Home and Garden, Lifestyle | 0 Comments

Are you a hoarder? They say you should always "declutter" when selling your home? When I was selling my own home after the death of my husband, I wondered if I was a hoarder! They say that hoarding is often a coping mechanism. Apparently if we are bereaved , or...