How to Get Fit? Here Are 5 Cycling Tips for Weight Loss

February 17, 2022

While most people begin cycling for various reasons, two popular benefits are robust fitness and weight loss. However, simply riding your bike a few times a week does not mean you are allowed to eat everything you want. Indeed, most beginner bikers consume as a result of their accomplishments, rendering the practice counterproductive to weight loss.

Cycling is frequently lauded as a low-impact form of cardio exercise. Compared to running or jogging, it helps you increase your heart rate while putting less strain on your knees, ankles, and other joints. Additionally, it is an excellent technique to assist you in losing excess weight. That’s because cycling can burn a significant amount of calories, especially if you cycle faster than at a leisurely pace.

If you’re working to reduce a few pounds while cycling, cycling may help you stay in shape. Here are some strategies for losing weight while maintaining an active lifestyle that includes cycling.

Higher Intensity

Cycling at a slow speed is unlikely to aid in weight loss. However, by pushing yourself to work harder and increasing the intensity of your ride, you can accelerate your weight reduction results.

As a general rule, cycling faster burns more calories. This is because your body expends more energy when cycling quicker. And the more calories you burn, the more likely you are to lose weight. Cycling steadily burns approximately 300 calories in 60 minutes, but you can burn more if you increase the effort.

Indeed, the Harvard Health Letter reports that a 155-pound person can burn up to 298 calories in a 30-minute bike ride if they pedal at a pace of 12 to 13.9 miles per hour. At this speed, a person weighing 185 pounds can burn 355 calories.

Additionally, at a quicker rate of approximately 14 to 15.9 miles per hour, a 155-pound person can burn up to 372 calories in 30 minutes, while someone weighing 185 pounds can burn 444 calories in that time.

Avoid From Sweets and Processed Foods.

While sugar and processed foods provide plenty of energy, they frequently lack nutritional value. Additionally, any sugar that is not immediately burned off will be stored as fat by your body, which is precisely what you are attempting to avoid.

Additionally, it is prudent to avoid sugar-sweetened foods and to stock up on sports energy gels and snacks that are ideal for racing and longer-duration activities. If you’re attempting to lose weight, it will also help to incorporate men or womens supplements to increase fat burning process.

Consider High-Intensity Interval Training.

HIIT can be an excellent method to challenge your body and even help you lose fat and weight if that is your objective. HIIT consists of brief bursts of intensive activity followed by periods of low-intensity exercise. A HIIT workout, including bike, may look something like this:

For 30 to 60 seconds, cycle as quickly as possible against high resistance.
Then, cycle for 2 to 3 minutes at a low resistance.

This pattern should be repeated for the following 20 to 30 minutes.

This sort of workout can assist you in burning more calories in less time and improving your aerobic fitness and fat loss.

According to a 2017 study, high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous exercise reduced fat mass by 10% after a 12-week program. However, HIIT exercises need far less time and are thus a more practical option for fat loss.

The advantages do not end there. When you stop cycling and your workout is complete, your metabolism functions normally. This implies that even after your training is comprehensive and your body has returned to its normal resting state, you continue to burn calories at a greater rate.

Cycling Before Breakfast

Taking a little bike before breakfast can be an excellent method to jumpstart your weight loss efforts. When you perform fasted exercise, your body is pushed to utilize its fat reserves due to the lack of food in your system.

Aim for a ride between 30 and 60 minutes, but keep in mind that you will need to eat something if you ride for an extended time.

Have Fun

The best feature of cycling is how enjoyable it is. Whether you enjoy zooming down rural lanes, blasting down mountain bike trails, long meditative solo rides, or social rides with friends, there is something for everyone, and you’ll almost forget you’re exercising.

Consider joining a club and acquiring the skills necessary to ride in a group. When you’re lacking motivation, your new clubmates will drag you out. Healthy competition will motivate you to push yourself further than solo rides can. Therefore, involve your friends or go out with your family, incorporate cycling into your life, and have fun.

Final Thoughts

If you want to lose weight or maintain the weight loss you’ve worked so hard to achieve, cycling can be an excellent way to do so. To maximize your weight loss and fat-burning efforts, try interval training.

Increasing the intensity of your workouts can also aid in your weight loss and fat-burning efforts. Additionally, consult your physician to ensure that a cycling workout is safe for you.

______________________________________________________