DR. KURTWAGNER SPINNING HIS WHEELS

Long before most people take their first sip of coffee or a morning shower, Dr. Kurt Wagner has already worked up quite a sweat on his beloved Fuji road bike. Two days a week, this 60-year-old physician rises at 5a.m., dons his cycling attire, and heads out for a morning spin.

Cycling is his medicine.

“For many years I was a runner, but I started cycling two years ago because I began having knee problems,” says

Dr. Wagner, a family practice physician who works at Lake Primary Care Associates in Tavares. “I wanted to preserve my knees, so cycling seemed like a good alternative.”

Locally, Dr. Wagner enjoys cycling on public bike trails, as well as secluded roads around Lake Dalhousie in Eustis. Sometimes he takes his road bike on trips, as was the case last October when he visited North Carolina.

“It was very pretty, but the elevation changes combined with the temperature and wind presented a challenge,” he says. “I was doing some heavy duty breathing.”

On mornings when he does not cycle, Dr. Wagner works out at the gym.

“I can see a big difference in my patients who exercise religiously like me versus the ones who are inactive. My active patients can still do many activities, even as they grow older.”