Originally Posted by
33yearslate
During the week, I ride 20 minutes in the morning before work, 20 minutes at lunch time, then, when possible, another 20-60 minutes after work ... Since getting the bike, my productivity while working remotely has increased dramatically. I think it's having a very positive impact on my mental health. I can feel my mind is somehow more focused after a quick 20 minute ride and I am procrastinating a lot less.
Funny how that all works, isn't it? Many have similar experiences. Myself included.
Years ago, I was a competitive distance runner and was completely different throughout the day if I couldn't get my hard, cardio-intensive morning workouts. But with a good hard bike ride and/or a solidly-challenging ~8-12mi run, I was "golden" to well beyond mid-day.
As you get stronger, which will take awhile of course, it'll be fun to see how much greater distances and challenges you end up doing, almost without even trying. Assuming you remain determined to carve out a good bit of time each day for you, you can begin squeezing as much as you can out of the time. Tougher rides get easier ... "bad" hills get easier to climb ... all those little skills you're learning now will begin to pay off as you get into more situations (different roads, different visibility, different weather conditions [ie, wind], and so on). Plus, as you suggest, it can be good for the mind and spirit as well. It's nicely one of the easy things to share with companions.
Enjoy the rides!