Rogue-likes on exercise bikes

Hi all. I posted a similar thing a few months ago but wanted to share some results, especially with @bigsocrates who graciously helped make a list of games for me.

So, about three months ago, I weighted out a 255lbs and a body fat of 38%. Im 41, and while I seem like I’m not overweight due to being 6’5”, I wasn’t happy with my fitness so decided I would get a DeskCycle, which is like a stationary bike thing but it’s just the pedals, no seat. I started using is casually while I worked from home but it wasn’t really catching for me.

So I instead put in in front of my couch, and started playing Undermine. It was the perfect level of distraction, much better than work, which was too engaging and this I couldn’t keep it up, or TV, which wasn’t engaging enough to distract me from the exercising. I found that rogue likes, especially those that are story-light, we’re just right. If I died quick, it wasn’t enough to stop me from pedaling, and if a run went long, that just meant more exercise.

This has developed to me now putting in a minimum of 20 miles a day on average, usually on my lunch hour. I’ll often do another half hour for my two 15 minute breaks too. I’ve moved on from undermine to Returnal (which is balls hard even when you aren’t pedaling) After two months of this consistently, and even a few sessions like last weekend where I did 52 miles in three hours, I have to say a think I’ve cracked the game/exercise code, at least for myself. Rouguelikes are perfect. It gives that mentality of “just one more time”, it represents small incremental improvements just like health, and also it’s made exercising the highlight of my day. In three months of this plus some good food choices, I’m down to 226lbs and 28% bony fat and have no plans to stop. My goal is to hit 200, which is in my healthy range and also just a good round number to shoot for, and I should be able to stain it before the end of the year. Also I’ve gone up from resistance 4 to resistance 6 out of 8 on the bike itself, so I’ve seen muscle mass improvements visibly in my legs (arms probably will need work but I’m more interested in losing my beer gut for now)

For those that can get access to exercise bikes and also put them in front of their TV, it only takes a few sessions to be able to pedal while using a controller. I really can’t recommend it enough. That’s it. I’m not selling anything, just wanted to share the roguelike/excise equation I’ve discovered.

Oh! And also, it’s making me good at Returnal, a game that seemed impossibly hard at first. The exercise to hit my daily goal is good for getting me to be more runs than I would normally do and I’m getting more patient with eating it in the game but still enjoying myself.

Glad you found something that works for you. I'm still getting by with 3x yoga sessions and (if I'm lucky) 2x Ring Fit free train sessions per week.

What do you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm glad this worked out for you, but I'm bummed we don't have any pictures of your set-up.

@zombiepie: It's not really anything special, but here you are.

@broshmosh: I work for the state government, it's a desk job and we haven't been recalled to the office, which is why I'm able to hit these marks on breaks. Really helps and I really hope they never make us go back to the office.

Congrats, this is a big deal and I'm glad this worked out for you. Now I'm tempted to try something like this myself. I usually like running outside as my preferred exercise but I have to admit this seems very convenient.

Without any indication that you beat Returnal in this post, and with all due admiration for the dedication and focus needed to achieve all you've achieved physically (far more important) and in the game, I have to wonder: if you have beaten it (as in, well...gotten there) did you find it really bizarre to continue cycling on your familiar instrument while the game asked what it asked of you?

And if that hasn't happened yet, I'd love to hear if that feels weird once you've attempted it. In the meantime, as a man that works on his feet, walking fast and lifting heavy things but then spends pretty much all of his off time sitting in a desk chair staring at pretty graphics, I'll be considering this "DeskCycle" thing which I can already picture a home for and sounds kind of nice.

Wow, I read this yesterday and only got around to commenting now.

I first imagined when I first read this, you were on a full-sized exercise bike🚲😅 while playing on wireless controllers 🎮 I expect?
Turns out it was just a wee little thing you got there. While sitting on a couch.

No wonder I was confused that you said you were doing work earlier WHILE biking. At a desk.

Turns out you can. lol. 🤣

Like @broshmosh I was also curious about your work and lol, that's amusing you never want to go back to an office again.

Hey, I'm curious, are you reaching flow state while playing Returnal? 🤔
I've watched the trailer and it looks like a great sci-fi rogue-like, with a good story. It really gets me thinking about how to play while biking. Probably the same thing happens with VR anyway. Only thing is you don't wear a headset and the bike has nothing to do with the gameplay, like Wii tennis or something similar which was an explicit design. 🤣

I do something similar with a peloton and SteamDeck/Switch. It’s a great way to chew through a big backlog and a big belly at the same time.

@nodima: I have not beaten Returnal yet. I just got to the point I can go underwater, if that is a clear indicator of where I am. For me, I either have runs that are five minutes and I get laid out, it are like an hour long. I usually go “the long way” around the level to power up the most and also spend more time pedaling.

I like the story but obviously the tone feels different than intended while sweating it out. The PT segments I am sure would be more atmospheric if I was holding still in a dark room. Still, I like it a lot, the combat is fucking dope even as I also hate it because the combat is sometimes too fucking dope for me to last long.

OP here. Just wanted to give an update on this. Two month since my last post, I’m now at 218lbs and body fat of 26%, which is almost to the green zone for my age and height (41 and 6’5”, respectively.) still haven’t beaten Returnal, and barely cracked the second section of the tower of Sisyphus (but finally got the last permanent upgrade, which I thought and wished was a double jump, but wasn’t! Grrrr, damn hard game! But also, it’s still engaging, Returnal is the best next gen game in my opinion even if I wasn’t using it to get healthier.)

18lbs, a final boss and some DLC to go! Wish me luck!

OP here. Just wanted to give an update on this. Two month since my last post, I’m now at 218lbs and body fat of 26%, which is almost to the green zone for my age and height (41 and 6’5”, respectively.) still haven’t beaten Returnal, and barely cracked the second section of the tower of Sisyphus (but finally got the last permanent upgrade, which I thought and wished was a double jump, but wasn’t! Grrrr, damn hard game!) But also, it’s still engaging, Returnal is the best next gen game in my opinion even if I wasn’t using it to get healthier.

18lbs, a final boss and some DLC to go! Wish me luck!