“I can get back on” – A Rowbiker’s Nine Month Report

At 45, I thought my fit and active days were past me. Practically from the time that I could walk, I was on a bicycle for what seemed like most of my waking hours. In high school, I was on the swim, track and cross-country teams. During college, I continued to ride my bicycle everywhere. Up to the age of 35, I had been in great shape – until my work hours became more demanding and working out became a distant passion.

Consequently, my body was showing the results – my weight increased while my energy levels decreased, and my cholesterol level started going up. My cholesterol continued to increase to the point where my doctor prescribed me a triglyceride medicine to help, and was ready to put me on an additional medication because the first one wasn’t doing the trick. Even though I knew (and my doctor lectured) that it would be best for me to start working out again, it was hard to get back into it; it just seemed onerous and boring.

It was then that I read an article about Joel Fogel and his Rowbike and saw a video of Lee Cole climbing the Twin Peaks. Finally, a fun way to exercise! Not only was it a total body workout, but the Rowbike was an exercise that I was interested in doing. I took the plunge and purchased my own 720 Sport.

Since then I’ve been rowing almost every single day. At first, it was tough to make it up the slightest incline. Now, I ride about four miles a day and can make it up several types of hills. My body has felt the benefits as well. I no longer take medicine to help keep my cholesterol levels low. I lost ten pounds in the first four months, and since then, I’ve continue to drop excess weight and inches off the middle, and added inches to the chest, thighs and biceps. More surprising, I actually look forward to getting up at 5:30 a.m. on weekdays to work out!

Thank you Rowbike for making fitness so much fun (or is it making fun so fit?)!

— Ed Trembicki-Guy