How to Lose Weight by Cycling
Having fun while mountain biking for weight loss.
How Can You Use Cycling to Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals?
In a world of fancy diets, weight loss, and fat reduction strategies, sometimes it’s the simplest tried-and-tested strategies for weight loss that really make the difference.
Losing weight by cycling is simple, relatively inexpensive and fun, which means you’re more likely to get into a consistent cycling exercise regime for weight loss.
The General Rule of Weight Loss Bicycling
Weight loss occurs when energy expenditure (from metabolism, thermogenesis, and physical activity) is greater than energy intake (food and drink).
Cycling can help you to ensure that your energy expenditure is greater than your energy intake as you burn calories while you cycle. How many calories you burn while cycling is up to you and depends on how long, far and quickly you ride.
How Many Calories Can You Burn Cycling?
A 70 kg (11 stone) adult will burn around 450 calories an hour cycling on a flat road at a relatively easy pace of 16 to 20 km per hour. That figure goes up to around 500 calories per hour for a person weighing 82 kg (13 stone). Those figures go up even further the quicker you cycle. You really can burn a lot of calories cycling.
If you consider that a pound of fat consists of 3500 calories, it shouldn't take you long to burn fat cycling.
Commuting to work by bike can help weight loss
Establish Where You Would Like to Cycle
There are so many forms of bicycling and places you can cycle to enhance calorie burning for weight loss, and sadly not all are right for everyone.
Do you prefer to cycle indoors for weight loss at home or at the gym? Are you more comfortable in a controlled environment such as a spinning class?
If you're happy cycling outside to lose weight, do you feel comfortable on the roads with traffic? Do you have cycle trails or woodland paths close by that you could use to get you away from traffic?
You may even want to consider commuting to work by bike if it's an option, as you'll get your cycling fat-burning fix while potentially not taking up a huge amount of your free time outside work.
Many people cite a lack of time as a reason not to cycle more often, so use your free time wisely. That's why commuting by bike can often be a good way to combine cycling for weight loss and your daily trip to work.
Schedule Cycling Exercise
We all know that if we make time to do things, we're more likely to do them, and that's exceptionally true with cycling. Schedule time within your week for cycling to hit your weight loss goals.
Time trials are a great challenge to help with cycling weight loss goals for the competitively minded.
Set Yourself a Cycling-Related Goal
Think about what you could achieve on a bike. Whether it's riding a century, target riding a local charity cycling ride or sportive, or even considering some form of cycling adventure. It doesn't have to be the Tour De France to be a challenge both physically and metabolically.
For those with a competitive disposition, why not consider riding a time trial? They're called 'The Race of Truth', as it's simply you riding a set course against the watch. Time trials are a fantastic targeted way of cycling to improve your fitness while concentrating on your cycling fat loss goals. Time trials are very popular in the United Kingdom in particular, and more information can be found on the Cycling Time Trials website.
Once you've achieved your first goal, you can then plan an additional goal after that. While you're concentrating on riding, you'll be amazed at how quickly you can lose weight if you also pay attention to your diet.
Don't Just Cycle!
Losing weight is about more than just taking exercise. It's about taking an all-round approach to weight loss and a healthier lifestyle.
Make considerations towards a healthier diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and natural foods, as well as paying attention to keeping hydrated before, during and after exercise.
Add Variation to Your Regimen
When something gets stale and you start to grow bored you're less likely to keep doing it. If staleness starts to set in, it can seriously hamper your weight loss goals. Therefore, it's a great strategy to mix things up with your cycling to achieve your weight loss goals. Consider some of the following for a change from your weight loss routine:
- Head to the hills and do some hiking. Walking is a great low-impact endurance activity and can help you explore places you would often struggle to see on bike. It also can be a great social experience too with friends and family who aren't so keen on riding a bicycle.
- Book a week or a few days away skiing. Skiing is a great whole-body workout and burns lots of calories if you don't hit the apres-ski too hard!
- If you exercise a lot outside, head to a spinning class in the gym. You could burn up to 1000 calories in a spinning workout which can be a great option to turbocharge your weight loss.
- I'm sure you can think of plenty more ideas.
Happy cycling, and good luck with your weight loss goals!
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
Comments
Liam Hallam (author) from Nottingham UK on May 04, 2012:
Thanks GoodLady- glad you approve. I've tried to keep this hub to the point but filled with suggestions for everyone. Thanks for your feedback
Liam Hallam (author) from Nottingham UK on May 04, 2012:
Do you really consider yourself 'older' INFJay. Personally I think that age to a certain effect has a level of irrelevance if you lead a healthy lifestyle and have the right outlook. Thanks for your feedback.
Liam Hallam (author) from Nottingham UK on May 04, 2012:
Thanks Denisemai. Everyone has their own comfort zone although the main thing really to lose weight is to go and be active. Whether that's indoors or outdoors only matters to the individual. I'm glad you've found your own comfort level- I love the trails too!
Liam Hallam (author) from Nottingham UK on May 04, 2012:
Thanks coffeealera. Cycling is a great ways to potentially see the world. The weight loss effects are in some ways simply an added bonus. Thanks for the feedback.
coffeealera on May 03, 2012:
You can't beat getting on a bike and seeing the sites, all the while knowing you are losing some unwanted fat cells!
Loved your hub, voted up.
Anastasia Kingsley from Croatia, Europe on May 02, 2012:
More fun than jogging, and you get to take in the countryside...
Denise Mai from Idaho on May 01, 2012:
I'm happy to hear this. Riding bikes on trails is a lot more fun than hitting the gym. I need to lose a few pounds and this sounds like a perfect way to do it. Great hub!
Jay Manriquez from San Rafael, California on May 01, 2012:
Excellent Hub and advice. Cycling as part of a healthy lifestyle is also good for us "older" folk.
Penelope Hart from Rome, Italy on May 01, 2012:
Such a useful Hub and such fun.
Thanks. It's a good looking Hub too. Easy to read and to take on your suggestions first time round.
Angela Michelle Schultz from United States on May 01, 2012:
This would be a very effective workout for me. :)
