I'm kind of in the same boat. I have arthritis, along with pain in my lower back, knees, feet... hands. It's pretty clear to me, after the usual route of physical therapy and trying different things, that being active is much better than giving up and sitting around. Speaking for myself, of course - I considered giving up and sitting around The cycling will help build up your quads, but you can also do exercises to strengthen those muscles even better. And they don't require joining a gym - I learned a bunch from physical therapy that can be done at home.

You bought a bike, though - that's a good sign I hope it will be a fun experience.