Pedaling a stationary bike burns calories, which contributes to weight loss. The simplest formula for losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume. Riding a bike not only burns calories, it also develops aerobic fitness and increases resting metabolic rate. Combining proper nutrition with exercise is vital to increasing health and losing weight. Eating right means consuming the correct amount of calories from a variety of healthy foods and eliminating empty calories from non-nutritious foods. For best weight loss results, incorporate your weight loss goals into a larger scope of living a healthier, fitter, more functional life.
Training Volume
Stationary biking is an simple of a fun exercise that can be performed at home or at the gym. Maximize efficiency and prevent injury by ensuring the bike fits your body size. Begin your stationary cycling training at a low resistance and a short amount of time. Performing "Too much, too soon" leads to overtraining, injury and frustration. Gradually increase your training volume--if you did five minutes your first session, pedal for six minutes your next workout. Only you can determine what time frame works best for you by listening to how your body feels before, during and after exercising. Martial arts icon Bruce Lee pedaled an exercise bike 45 minutes a day to burn fat and build cardiovascular endurance.
Aerobic Fitness
Working muscles requires oxygen as an energy source during aerobic exercise. This requirement for oxygen forces the lungs to take in greater quantities of oxygen and the heart to beat faster and harder to carry oxygenated blood to the musculo-skeletal system. Aerobic training builds endurance and strengthens the heart and lungs. The greater your cardiovascular endurance, the longer you can pedal to burn extra calories. Exercise experts Ettinger, Wright and Blair wrote: "Fit people are less likely to become tired from everyday activities."
Resting Metabolic Rate
Aerobic and anaerobic exercise increases your metabolism. Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the amount of calories you burn at rest. Dr's Goldberg and Elliot wrote, "Our resting metabolic rate depends largely on the amount of muscle we have." Stationary cycling builds strength and muscle in the large leg muscles, thus increasing the amount of calories burnt while resting.
Nutrition and Fitness
Dieting without exercise has a very low success rate in weight loss. The American Council on Exercise reports, "Only about 5 percent of dieters are successful in keeping weight off, and the combination of exercise and diet is more effective than diet alone." The best way to achieve and maintain your weight loss goals is to become healthier and fitter. Eat right by tailoring your caloric intake to your training needs and replacing junk foods with fruits and vegetables. Employ a variety of exercises to build aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Cycling on a stationary bike is an ideal exercise on aerobic training days.
Versatility
Pedaling your stationary bike at home while watching TV or listening to music is an excellent way to heighten exercise enjoyment. Riding at home is a great supplement to strength training and a practical substitute for outdoor cycling. Stationary biking is a knee-friendly exercise for all health and fitness levels to burn calories and lose weight.
References
- Extreme Fitness Now: A Bruce Lee Ab Routine
- American Council on Exercise: Weight Loss
- "Fitness after 50;" Ettinger, Wright and Blair; 2006
- "The Healing Power of Exercise"; Goldberg and Elliot; 2000
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