No worries, that’s a perfectly normal question, taking into account the context of this discussion. I’m not aware of any depression cases in our family. Not with my parents or my close siblings, at least. I could guess my own secluded lifestyle can be enough to induce it, though (as shown by recent data on the subject gathered during covid lockdowns). It’s been 7 years since I started to work from home. I never liked going out for a walk, it always seemed pointless to me, slow and boring. So cycling happened to be the thing just for me - you move fast through the landscape, views constantly change, you have to maneuver actively sometimes etc. It’s fun, and it’s quite physical, so it makes you happy on hormonal level at the same time. Just perfect. Now when it’s gone, my life is bleak and depressing again.
In your case, you have your family who are always around - that’s a huge boost to one’s well-being. I can say that from experience - the days when I get on a social ride with my pals (or even with some random people) are one of the happiest days of my life. I feel myself MUCH better these days, and I usually sleep much better as well for day or two. Social interactions are invaluable source of mental health for human being. You only start to appreciate it truly after living like a hermit for years… So that could be another reason why feeling good is tied closely to cycling in my case - it became a form of socialization for me I can’t substitute with anything else atm.
I think I’ll try to add 1 hour of spinning here and there, cautiously. I just can’t really think of it as of “training.” Does a normal person train when they decide to have a 30 mins walk home from their work? Then why can’t I ride my bike 1 hour a day, at low level of intensity? 