At least for me, cycling is the best form of exercise. I had an old used bike fixed up and went on my inaugural ride yesterday. I remember now how much I love it. To ride along Lake Michigan on a beautiful summer day and feel wind on my skin … it’s a good thing, as Martha would say.

As exercise, I love it because I can go as fast or as slow as I want, I’m actually going someplace and doing something and seeing people, not sitting in a health club with a bunch of sweaty people around. And I don’t tire as easily when cycling, since what tire first for me are my feet and my butt.

Well, both are at rest — more or less — when I’m on the bike. And if I get a little winded I can just pedal hard and let the momentum take me for a bit until I recover. There’s less temptation to stop more often. It’s probably not the best form of exercise; I’m sure there’s some fitness trainer who’d tell me that much. But for me, for now, it’s a lot better than nothing.

And fun to boot. Life can’t be all bad, in spite of what goes on in the world.