The community quarantine makes life harder and one’s mental health gets challenged. This architect rides a bicycle to calm herself when life gets too tough.
“I wasn’t really doing well during this quarantine. A lot has happened during these past months so cycling is more of a therapy and a workout for me,” Fritz Amar said. “I guess it empowers me deep inside. It helps me clear my head, forces me to focus on what’s in front and to be mindful of the things around me.”
She read somewhere that cycling produces new thought patterns that promote feelings of calm and wellbeing. This has prompted her to jump into the world of biking. She also admitted that she was enticed by First Bike Ride’s posts and her friends’ encouragement contributed to her new found love for bicycles.
The first step she did for her attempt to have a bike lifestyle is to get the unused old bicycle from her mom’s house. It was a single-speed Japanese bike that needed a bit of tune-up. Luckily, her reliable partner and cool friends came to the rescue and helped her with the restoration.
Fritz managed to use it for a few rides but she eventually purchased a newer bicycle. She still bought a Japanese bike, with six gears this time. She changed because the gears made it easier for her to ride on steep roads.
“I also realized that I’m a city biker and that I won’t bike far,” she said. “I just need to get from point A to point B and I like Japanese bikes because it can serve my needs.”
So far, this biker is loving the experience. Sure, she had bad road experiences but these won’t stop her from riding a bike. She dreams of dressing up when riding a bicycle, just like how girls are in Japanese films. Going to different cafes, art galleries and museums is also part of her bike list.
Life adjustments brought by this pandemic might be difficult but you gotta do what you gotta do to survive and carry on.
“It is true that putting an effort to change lifestyle can help you enhance your mood and mental health,” she said. “It is very important for me to go out, do stuff like walk and just be outdoors. That pushed me to ride a bike.”
One’s mental health is important too while we are under community quarantine. Please stay safe and observe minimum health protocols when cycling.
