A Brilliant Way to Enjoy the Summer

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We’re springing into summer, and into perfect weather for outdoor activities—we’re already there in Malibu. I’ve been catching some rays (and vitamin D as a result) while hiking, paddle boarding, cycling, and playing Ultimate Frisbee. The key word in that last sentence is “playing”—it’s central to how I stay in shape and enjoy life. But it wasn’t always this way.

As many of you probably know, my love of low level aerobic activity and sport as play developed from a 20 year career as a competitive endurance athlete. I logged tens of thousands of training miles pounding the pavement and hammering the bike, developing all sorts of physical ailments in the process. At the age of 28, I was diagnosed with debilitating osteoarthritis, and eventually succumbed to chronic hip tendonitis and nagging recurrent upper respiratory infections. I continued my pattern of chronic cardio, and subjected my body to dangerous levels of continuous systemic inflammation that suppressed my immune system and elevated oxidative damage to the point where my precious muscle and joint tissue was quite literally being torn apart.

I had no recourse but to ditch the chronic cardio chaos and opt for gentler movement methods. I learned to train like our hunter-gatherer ancestors who clocked in at least 3 to 5 hours a week of low-intensity aerobic work. I built my aerobic capacity slowly and steadily, protected my adrenal health and immune system, and trained my body to derive more energy from fat and less from glucose, and gradually my injuries repaired and my health dramatically improved. All by moving my body more…and more slowly.

Biking is a great low-level activity to incorporate into your day-to-day life now that the weather is improving, and a fun way to burn fat, build and preserve lean muscle, and maintain optimal health—if you do it right. These days it’s not about racing, endurance, or accumulating miles on my bike; it’s about play, enjoyment, and relaxation on the open road.

That’s why I’ve partnered with a new company called Brilliant Bicycle. Brilliant Bicycles are especially designed for the casual rider who wants to commute, ride on weekends, and just generally cruise—not for the endurance athlete looking to break records at high-intensity speeds. They’ve just launched today, so go check them out.

I’ve been putting my money where my mouth is in regards to the investments I’ve been making, investing in ethical companies whose missions are aligned with my own. Brilliant Bicycles is all about simplicity, so the casual rider can focus on necessities (size, color) instead of technical details they don’t need for their ride and that only make the bike more expensive. Brilliant bikes cut out the middlemen, so there are no outsourced manufacturers, distributors, or retail spaces jacking up the costs. They ship your bike direct to your house. Upon receipt, you can be riding in a matter of minutes. All told you get elegant design at exceptional cost savings with a great experience from the time you order to the time you’re cruising…and that’s a mission I’m thrilled to back. If bicycling is your thing, then I encourage you to learn more about Brilliant Bicycles.

Whether it’s on the bike, on a board, or on your own two feet, I hope you enjoy the great outdoors this season, priming your Primal health system with some fat-activating low-level movement. Stay tuned for today’s regularly scheduled blog post, and Grok on!

Filed under: Fitness