Physical activity patient perspective: the cycling solicitor

In 2017, I started to feel generally unwell. I had a busy solicitor job with significant responsibilities and a busy family life. Over the previous 15 years, my health had deteriorated as I worked long hours, using caffeine to help, and didn’t exercise even though I’d played football regularly when I was younger. My weight had crept up to 120kg.

As my eyesight began to fail, I suffered from extreme tiredness and then a series of frightening blackouts, which were investigated in secondary care at the hospital. I was ecstatic to be discharged from the medical team but I was also aware that the problem was not resolved.

My sleep continued to be affected. I would sleep 2 or 3 hours before waking up and not being able to sleep again. I still continued to feel extremely tired most of the day. I found it hard to engage with family and friends. I followed my gut instinct and decided that I needed more help.

Getting active

I decided to book an appointment with my GP at the local surgery. I attended and explained the above background facts. My GP was interested and intrigued, asking me some difficult lifestyle questions, and talking to the GP in that environment in those circumstances made me reflect. As I knew that I needed help, this was not at all uncomfortable in any way. She took time to pose her questions carefully, tactfully and respectfully. I now acknowledge that this was not easy. I was both concerned and motivated by how interested the doctor was in my story and how determined she was to work out what was wrong and how she could help me. I disclosed everything and I could also sense an element of shock on her part. I was equally shocked to hear what came next. She explained to me that her husband had experienced similar difficulties. She explained that he had engaged in a plan which saw him find time for himself and to complete daily physical activities. She said to me that the first thing he had done was to buy a bike. I was both confused and intrigued. My first thoughts were ‘what’s a bike got to do with it?’ She carefully explained the benefits of finding time and exercising. I had only cycled as a child and had no clue about how I would really get into cycling or where I would go. Nevertheless, I was convinced of the benefits and accepted the advice.

Within a number of days, I found myself at the bike shop in Leamington and I purchased a bike despite being a little worried about how I would look. Within a few days, I found myself cycling outdoors completing a route of approximately 12 miles. It was both exhausting and exhilarating, but most of all the benefits were there to see immediately. I found that being outdoors gave me time to think and compartmentalise my thoughts. I had alone time that I also had the opportunity to talk to others if I so wished. I discovered early on that road cycling is a brutal sport but, at the same time, it gave me a significant amount of satisfaction.

Within the first 12 months of cycling, I lost 40kg, driven by a simple exercise plan to keep active on most days. On days where time was tight, I would go out for a walk during my lunch hour. On other days I would either go out for a 30 minute or 60 minute bike ride or alternatively do a slow 5k run. I was astounded to see that simple changes and light exercise were having a profound impact upon my health and my weight. I soon started to feel good again and my sleep improved. My wife and children would often remind me that I was much happier and positive. I had gone from an overweight and overworked individual to someone who exercised upon a regular basis and found a substantial amount of joy and happiness in doing so. Since then, I have suffered no blackouts and I feel 20 years younger. My fitness is such that I can now run 10 or 15 kilometres without much difficulty, and I regularly cycle between 30 and 60 miles at weekends and between 15 and 25 when I exercise in the week.

I am sharing my story because I have always felt that, since that meeting with my GP, it has prompted a significant shift in my life. It was her interest in identifying the problem that ultimately found a solution. She was genuinely interested in digging deep to learn about my story and try to work out what was going wrong. This was not easy because I was not presenting with any typical physical injuries and it would have been easy to dismiss what I was saying. The preventative measures that I took with the benefit of the advice from my GP have helped me to steer my life back on track and enjoy good health when I need it the most.