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Today's picture: David Crowell, 38, is the "Invisible Bicyclist." Stay alert behind the wheel of your car or you may miss him. David commutes as much as he can from Charlestown, Ind. to the Kentucky Center for the Arts, where he's a database administrator. “My bicycling started as part of my weight loss effort. I started at about 300 pounds."
Weighing in at a little over 200 pounds today, David says he has a little ways to go yet. Check out his blog at Fatguy.org. Along with being a great blog for bicycling interests, it tells the two-year story of David's journey from “well over 300 pounds,” to a moderate 200 or so. And all he cut from his diet was sodas.
“As a teenager I was fit and healthy," David recalls. "My blood pressure was on the low side. I had the cardiovascular system of an athlete. I rode a bike, walked, ran, lifted weights, played basketball, and was generally quite active.
“That began to change once I started driving at age 16. I no longer needed any physical exertion to travel. I needed a job to pay for gas, so I had extra money to buy junk food. Initially my weight gain was slow and I didn't notice.
“When I got married in 1995, I was obese, but I didn't realize it. I assumed I was just a bit overweight. I denied being a fat guy for many years.”
But on Halloween day, 2007, David bought a scale and made a decision to change his life. He tried an elliptical machine for exercise, but found it way too boring. “I bought a bicycle in April, 2008, and that has been life-changing. I have since gotten rid of the elliptical."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree with David's plan.
Their researchers say physical activity such as walking or biking to everyday destinations is just as effective as more structured “workouts” at improving health. It also costs less than going to the gym, and since it's incorporated into a daily routine, you're more likely to keep it up! Finally, walking and cycling are low-impact and can be a fun way to spend time with friends and family.
To discover the health benefits of riding a bicycle, get one and join us!
David Crowell has rediscovered the joy of active transportation that temporarily ended when he started driving at age 16.
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PS: Remember, every lane is a bike lane. Share the road.
freewheelin
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Enjoy the ride home.
See you at pedalaround.blogspot.com
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Ewww lol
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