February 2012
The Healing Power of Exercise, Neal for Real!
We recently received this amazing story and heartfelt endorsement. Kevin Neal of Chula Vista, CA, about a month away from turning 49, has been an indoor cycling coach for the last 12 years. He is currently a teacher at the Gonzalez Sports Academy in San Diego. (http://www.gonzalezsportsacademy.com) He is also a three time cancer survivor; leukemia, prostate and yes, even breast. Kevin also had his right hip replaced and survived a head first, one story fall into concrete…all this within a 3-4 year time span! He believes, “I have survived all this through my belief that God has gotten me through this because I’ve nurtured my body with fitness.” He’s always been active and cycling, both outdoor and indoor, is one of his favorite past-times. So naturally, Kevin and the RealRyder® bike were a perfect fit!
“…I’ve been teaching indoor cycling/Spinning®/etc for over 12 years and I started teaching on the RealRyder® indoor cycles late last year. Words don’t express the increase of intensity and mental stimulation that the RealRyder brings to the game. Not only do you have to ride a wheel that is almost twice the weight of the average indoor cycle, but you have to use your entire body to maintain balance, take turns, stabilize the bike, take flats, take hills, not to mention endure the entire ride as a whole!!! When I first rode the RealRyder bike, I was doing a practice ‘run’ and I exhausted myself halfway through my normal routine. (My ‘normal’ would stand up at the tough level on any regular indoor cycle.) I continued through and toughed it out for the hour and I can truly attest that everything (fitness level, heart rate, power out, calorie burn, and MENTAL game) is increased on these bikes!”
All of Kevin’s consistent training created a solid foundation for all that his body was about to endure, it instilled a ‘fight’ mode as he refers to it. When he fell head first from a one-story balcony, he was put into a medically induced coma for four days so he wouldn’t experience the pain of his brain’s swelling. Even though he’d dropped a substantial amount of weight because his body wasn’t receiving the same kind of nutrients, his metabolic rate remained high and vitals strong. In regards to his hip replacement, his surgeon felt very confident about a quick recovery because of his high level of fitness. For example, the morning of surgery his resting heart rate was a mere 39bpm. On average, post hip replacement, most people can return to gentle yet brisk walking at around 8-10 weeks, Kevin slashed that and was back on a bike pushing a decent load at 6 weeks!! He of course went through several sessions of physical therapy, but says “…cycling was the primary tool that helped balance my knee muscles out and additionally aided in my full recovery, and I have to admit that once I got used to the RealRyder bike it was easier and more natural on my hips than a traditional bike because of its pivoting action that mimics riding outdoors.”
This story reminded us that the power of exercise has a long reach. It’s one thing to hear someone’s personal story exemplifying this statement, and it’s another when an article, like “The Healing Power of Exercise” from the Chicago Tribune, specifically mentions that “the standard weapons in the fight against cancer –surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation—may soon be joined but something far simpler: exercise. New research shows that regular physical activity helps reduce the recurrence of breast cancer and slows the advance of prostate cancer” Even the American College of Sports Medicine (http://www.certification.acsm.org/) offers a specialized certification, (Certified Cancer Exercise Trainer) to trainers wanting to work with cancer patients, not just survivors, people actually still in treatment. In fact many patients are being encouraged to start or continue their fitness regime while undergoing treatment. Of course the workouts may need to be modified, but according to the American Cancer Society, “evidence strongly suggests that exercise is not only safe and feasible during cancer treatment, but that it can improve the physical functioning…”
Other findings include:
- Reduction in the levels of insulin, a substance causing the cells to multiply and grow more quickly
- Reparation of infection-fighting T-cells, thus repairing the overall immune system which gets highly compromised in the treatment process
- Reduction in hormones, both estrogen and testosterone which are linked with breast, endometrial, and prostate cancers. Even with medication to control estrogen production, some still ends up in fat cells and as we know exercise converts fat to muscle.
- Increased energy for those in the midst of their chemo and radiation
We think this embrace of a more holistic approach to disease is very exciting as well as a huge victory for the entire fitness industry. We are even more excited though to have Kevin Neal, such a brave and inspiring real life example on our Team! If you’re in the San Diego area, please visit Gonzalez Sports Academy and take his class, Wednesday evenings at 6…we’ve heard it’s one heck of a workout!
We’re only 4 weeks into the New Year and we’ve already given 4 trainings, and RealRyder® International continues to expand it’s reach…. more bikes in the likes of Miami, South Miami, Wellington, FL; Boston, Pomona, NY; Whitehouse Station, NJ; Northville, MI; Marquette, WI; Birmingham, AL; Phoenix, AZ and Mexico! Phew!
A special ‘Congratulations!’ to M Cycle Gym in South Miami, FL (http://www.mcyclegym.com/) — who after their THIRD order now have 45 RealRyderÒ Bikes!
RealTraining:
The much beloved Adam Reid (Master Trainer Extraordinaire) taught 2 Introductory courses to our Military constituents, 1 Certified Instructor at Body Factory in Lafayette, Louisiana (http://www.bodyfactorylft.com/) and along with Douglas Brooks (Master Trainer EXTRA-Extraordinaire) 1 Certified MASTER Instructor at Centro Forma Evolution in Verona, Italy (www.centroformaevolution.it) which brought instructors from England, Greece, Portugal, Russia and The Netherlands. All in all 25 certified and eager enthusiasts were unleashed to continue spreading the gospel and good word of RealRyderÒ.
Introductory Course at Joint Forces Staff College
Introductory Course in Kaiserslautem, Germany
MASTER Training in Verona, Italy
RealNews:
Now we are gearing up for our first SCW event of the year, in Philadelphia next weekend Feb 3-5th. (www.scwfitness.com/philadelphia) Our pre-conference Certification is sold out! Never fear though, we have 11 time slots throughout the rest of the weekend where we are very excited to be introducing 3 brand spanking new workshops!
1) Burn Your Last Match
- High intensity interval training (HIIT) is an effective way to help your ryders blast through fitness plateaus, build power and speed–and torch calories. How do you lead a safe HIIT workout that’s appropriate for riders of all ages and conditioning levels? Learn appropriate measurement, recovery time and cues to keep your interval training programs intelligent, fun and your riders coming back for more. Leverage the dynamic “turning” and “banking” movements, exclusive to the RealRyder® Indoor Cycle, to spark new excitement, confidence and team camaraderie as you lay it all on the line!
2) Re-Cycle…Class Planning in Minutes
- Planning classes should be quick, easy and fun. Learn how to create and re-cycle classes so you have a rich library of creative workouts to choose from each week. RealRyder’s unique RydeProfile Class Planning System shows you how to bring real road profiles inside the classroom while maximizing teaching options. Learn to shine as a strong teacher, and instruct a class that’s uniquely YOU. Inject new energy and creativity into your class planning. Produce a ryde experience participants won’t soon forget.
3) Tri-Planar Ryding…Training for Sport & Life!
- Propel functional training to the next level by leveraging the dynamic movement exclusive to the RealRyder® Indoor Cycle. The only indoor bike that offers safe, tri-planar training, the RealRyder® Bike is paving a new path as a motion resistance tool that helps ryders discover a deeper core connection and greater movement efficiency through applied functional resistance. Learn the importance of training in three planes, how it translates to life, as well as various rotation and balance-based sports. Understand why 3-dimensional cycling could be the best Rx for compromised knees and back, injury prevention and fun!
RealStories:
For those of us who’ve drunk the RealRyderÒ Kool-Aid we know how delicious it is! It’s nice though when a story comes out that speaks to a wider audience specifically about the fact that the RealRyderÒ does not discriminate. The ‘unstationary’ quality and natural movement of the bike makes it physically compatible with just about everyone. Allison Moore, a 46 yr old woman came to discover RealRyderÒ
at B-East RealRyder in Amagansett, NY (http://www.eastfit.com/) AFTER receiving a devastating diagnosis of a neurological disorder that has her wearing leg braces from the knee down. Please read her inspiring story here in MORE Magazine, http://www.more.com/inspirational-stories-charcot-marie-tooth
When we hear people’s trepidation that the bike will be too hard for them, this is one of several ‘can-do’ stories we will be sharing to put their fears to rest.
Coming Soon!
We also have a lot of activity beneath the surface.
For example…
- By the end of the first quarter we will have those long awaited, much anticipated computers for the bikes that will read Heart Rate, RPM, Time, Distance, and Estimated Caloric Expenditure.
- The Shopping Cart on the website will make registering for certifications a snap!
- New apparel to make bragging easier about how much cooler YOUR indoor bike is because it moves!
