I had been off the bike since last July and I could feel my legs and body losing their tone and strength. It was painful actually, in a reverse kind of way from the soreness that accompanies hard exercise. I thought there might be even be something with a label wrong with me.

However, I mounted my bike a few weeks ago and began to ride and did two club rides last weekend and whatever might have been wrong with me disappeared like magic. It was most evident when I went to the new Whole Foods store and squatted to see the contents of the lowest shelf. I laughed as I realized there was absolutely no pain or complaint from my legs or body and shot right back up when I was finished.

When I was a teenager doctors laughed at the notion that exercise and diet had anything to do with disease. It was all about microbes that attacked people randomly. Now any doctor who holds such a view should be banned from practicing. Medical researchers have continually confirmed that lack of exercise, especially aerobic exercise, is a prime predictor, perhaps cause of poor health.

Scientist are if anything being continually stunned by the benefits that they find associated with exercise. It is not just muscular strength and cardiovascular conditioning. The immune systems seems to be strengthened, mood, memory and cognitive ability all improve with regular intense workouts. All the systems of the bodies and the cells communicate within the body. It is my bet that the list of confirmed benefits will only increase with additional research.

Those of us "Crunchies" who are on the bike know there are benefits to riding, but we may not be aware of the extent of the benefits. It is certainly good to know that the benefits of riding far exceed the obvious ones of strength and endurance. And we should not hesitate to point that out to others who are more sedentary.