>I tried it, (ten kilometer commute on a bicycle) and a month after I stopped it I was back to what I had been previously. Nothing gained.
You might've pushed too hard then, or perhaps you hate biking, which is fine. Did you commute to work and back as part of it? If so, I'd hazard a guess that that's why you might've hated it.. if I had to run to work I wouldn't feel rewarded. My opinion is that you should find something that you like. Try running, swimming, yoga, anything.
With respect to your second point... your whole body is not your mind, and it is prone to atrophy; it's biology and that's how it is. If you stop coding for a long period of time(or stop learning, for that matter), your abilities there will diminish too.
You ate yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that.
Your eating technique is likely not improving, so why keep it up? Same with sleep. Are you getting any better at breathing (actually, you would if you exercised).
I'm not suggesting that you should get back on your bike, maybe biking isn't for you. But I strongly believe that you should find a physical activity that you do enjoy. Too many people slog out in a gym as punishment for no reason, don't be one of those. There is enjoyment in physical activity.
The worst part of working out is when you feel like you have to do it.
A bicycle commute isn't fun, it isn't a game (well, I used to be a bike courier, and I'd play with traffic, so I do enjoy it at times).
Hopefully one day you'll find a sport that you enjoy and can't wait to get out and do. Your body and mind will thank you.
I'd recommend group activities. I run only occasionally, but joined a group run last week and really enjoyed it, so today I'm looking forward to running with the group.
Run, bike, soccer, ultimate frisbee, tai chi, yoga, rock climbing, tennis, squash, handball, etc.etc. keep trying until you find the one that's for you. I suspect if you do, you'll get introduced to many sports that you like.
I tried it, (ten kilometer commute on a bicycle) and a month after I stopped it I was back to what I had been previously. Nothing gained.
Now, this is just a personal anecdote, but I've noticed lot of exercises (lifting weights, cardio) have a learning curve and an "acquired taste" quality to them. I used to hate running on the treadmill when I was terribly unfit and could barely top out at 8-10 mins @6 mph, but once I slowly improved and could go for about 30 mins or so at a stretch, running suddenly became a joy (I believe it is to do with the endorphin rush) and now I look forward to running. The most difficult part about an exercise regimen is sticking at it long enough till it no longer becomes a chore.
You can think of it as analogous to spending 2 weeks fumbling around with vim and its "weird keybindings" but once you get the muscle memory going you'll wonder how you ever managed without it. And remembering new key-combos will also no longer be a chore.
Edit: You should visit reddit's /r/fitness. They have a lot of advice both physical and psychological and give enormous feedback in terms of your exercise routine.
Agreed. Reddit's /r/fitness has consistently great stuff.
Also (disclaimer: blatant, but hopefully worthwhile self-promotion), http://www.greatist.com is a source we're building for high-quality tips, news, & general info on health & fitness.
Like others have said, perhaps biking isn't your thing. For me, I like to keep my workouts short and intense (<20min) and make sure I get the most out of them.
Here are some things that I do:
* High Intensity Interval Training. Basically I sprint for 10-20secs, walk for 30sec-1min, 8 times.
* Density Training. Set a timer for 15min, do 3 pushups, rest 10secs, repeat until time runs out (once you cant do 3 pushups extend rest period to 20secs)
Best part of each of these is they require no equipment, can do them anywhere, anytime and you really only have to do them once or twice a week.
Ten kilometers on a bike are just warm up. With exercise it is never about distance traveled. It is about effort and time. If you're after fitness that is.
But there is another aspect you should consider. You can sit on a bike, pick a destination and have fun getting there. Have a look around, treat yourself to some of this wonderful world. Combine the geek and the mammal in you.
How can you possibly know that you were back to exactly what you were before, i.e. in terms of your cardiovascular system condition, etc.
Also, I'm not sure about the bicycle, but if I stop now after a few years of training with weights, I will still be stronger than when I started for a really long time, like years.
