I bought an exercise bike off Amazon Japan

I have to be honest and say that my last winter in Niigata's yukiguni, or snow country, left me feeling rather flat. As someone who loves the great outdoors, long walks and cycling, the weather conditions here made it pretty difficult to get out and enjoy the season.

It also ensured that exercise ended up on the back burner. I was more content eating comfort foods, drinking hot chocolate and rugging up on the couch with a movie than I was with any kind of strenuous activity. I noticed that I'd put on some extra weight once spring rolled around, and vowed that this winter would be different. I'd try and ensure to get some movement in every day.

What does one do though, when exercising outdoors is nigh impossible here - save for skiing or snowboarding? Well, exercising indoors becomes your only option! Since I enjoy cycling outdoors so much, I decided to get myself an exercise bike off Amazon Japan. Now, I'm no exercise bike expert, so I just went off which bikes were rated well on Amazon Japan, and decided on this one.

The biggest consideration for me is that I wanted something that would be comfortable to ride for a significant amount of time. Usually when I ride I like to listen to a podcast or audiobook, so it's nice to be able to settle in comfortably and get to pedaling. The bike has handlebars that you can hold onto next to the seat, and a backrest as well. There's also a little ledge by the screen that allows you to sit your phone on it - it balances there perfectly which means your hands are free to focus more on your workout.

As well as the screen that monitors things like time and distance, there's a ledge built in where you can prop your smartphone!

Another good reason to go hands-free on this bike is that it has built in resistance bands so that you can work your arms as well. I didn't actually realize that was the case when I bought the bike, so it was a nice added bonus. Bear in mind that the bike does come disassembled in quite a large box, so you will need to put it together yourself.

The bike has resistance bands that you can use to work your arms as well.

So far I've really enjoyed using this exercise bike and I'm hoping that it keeps me fit over the winter, when usually I'd find any excuse to be sedentary!

If you live in one of Japan's snowy winter regions, how do you maintain your fitness when the weather outside makes outdoor exercise difficult?