Question:
Has anyone primed themselves with an exercise bike first instead of walking?

I live in south Georgia and the weather is 90+ degrees most days and we do not have a mall. I bought an exercise bike in place of walking like my doc said. Has anyone had any results with that? I also work the grave yard shift and do not have time to walk in the afternoons and it is already hot an muggy by the time I leave work.    — Diana D. (posted on June 14, 2003)

June 14, 2003
I have a stationery bike and I alternate it with walking, but I'd like to offer another suggestion. Leslie Sansone has a set of tapes called WALK AWAY THE POUNDS. I just bought my second set of tapes from this series and have had great success with them. I'm 10 mos. out and have lost 141 pounds. I make it a priority to either ride the bike or do a minimum of the 1 mile tape--no matter how tired it am and I can truly say it does pay off. Her tapes are based upon 4-5 basic moves. The first set I had used weights and this second set I had uses an ab belt. Try them, you might like them.
   — Cathy S.

June 14, 2003
Great minds think alike! I was going to suggest the walk away the pounds also. I am preop but trying to get my mind ready.I started last Sunday doing the 2mile tape at first I could barely make it through the warmup now I am doing the entire 2 miles! and have lost about 4 lbs since starting the tape.
   — Lisa F.

June 14, 2003
I'm pre-op and purchased an exericse bike (non moving handlebars) a few weeks ago. I have arthritis so walking is very hard for me at times. I found a bike that was a perfect fit for my short legs ... most the stride/stretch was too long even with a recumbant ... and have been riding the last 2 1/2 weeks. I set a goal of 1103 miles which is the distance from my house to my 14 year old nieces and I'm tracking my mileage. So far I have traveled 63.5 miles. Do a minimum of 3 miles a day and at the most so far 11 miles (3/5/3)by breaking up the times. I really enjoy the bike and this one (Diamondback)rides so smoothly. It tracks my heart rate, calories burned, miles rode etc. I turn on the TV and go. Luckily too it is very quiet (almost no noise) so watching TV is easy when riding. Good luck. I hope you find a good solution for your exercise needs. My doctor had encouraged me to go back to the bike riding and I'm glad she did.
   — [Deactivated Member]

June 14, 2003
Any kind of exercise is better than none at all! I live in Alaska, so on the extremely cold days, I went to the gym and either rode the bike or walked on the treadmill. Keep up the good work!!
   — Diana L.

June 14, 2003
I used a stationary bike before my surgery. My surgeon asked me to try to lose a few pounds before surgery (not a requirement, just easier on the body he says), so I bought a used one for ten dollars. I could not do alot on it, but even 15 minutes a day helped me lose a bit before surgery. It was also late fall here and snow was already falling. It was a good alternative for exercise pre op, as I could stay in the house. I still use the bike along with the Leslie Sansone tapes like some of the other posters had described. Hope this helps. Hugs, Kim S. Open RNY Nov. 4/02 (-126 lbs.)
   — Kim S.

June 15, 2003
I'm also using one to get ready for surgery they are great when you work nights like me. Good luck Melisa
   — melisa789