Bike and Game

I'm a runner.  I run for exercise multiple times per week.  At least, I do when it's not winter.

This is the first full winter that my family has been in our house.  We live in Minnesota which means that running in the winter isn't a viable option.  There's either too much snow or it's too cold out (-15 F last week) to run outside.  In the past I've had a treadmill while living with my parents, going to college, and living in apartments with my wife.  We don't have room for a treadmill in our townhouse but I decided I needed to do something to stay active all winter.

So I found a stationary bike that doesn't take up much room and can be folded up and put away if needed.  It was ok at first.  Not as good as running but still ok.  It gave me the something physical I needed even if it wasn't as enjoyable as running.

But very quickly I realized I could move the bike over in front of our main TV.  This is the TV with our PS4 and Wii U hooked up to it.  You see where this is going, right?

Now I bike daily while playing games.  I make progress in whatever the game of the month is.  Or I spend time with my evergreen games like Mario Kart 8, Smash Brothers, and Race the Sun.  Mario Kart 8 is especially motivating.  My body seems to think if I pedal faster I can drive faster in the game.

It's amazing!  I get to combine the exercise I need with the gaming I love.

I'm already seeing a ton of benefits.  I'm more consistent with exercise than I've ever been and I know it's because I have access to entertainment to distract me.  I don't have to worry so much about how my muscles are feeling or if I'm out of breath.  I just play my game of choice and occasionally glance at the bike odometer.

I've been able to go further and faster by keeping my mind off the exercise.  Occupying my mind seems to let me accomplish much more physically.

Not to mention that I'm often listening to a podcast at the same time.  I overload my brain with enough mental processes that I don't think about how hard it is to keep going.

My biking distances have skyrocketed compared to the first week I was biking without entertainment.

This whole thing makes me tempted to buy a Steambox and stream games from my new PC to my TV.  I'm still very happy with what I'm playing, but a wider selection of games is always nice.

I'm excited for the snow to melt and the spring to arrive.  But, until then, I'll be happily pedaling away while my mind is on something fun.