Riding a bike is a low-impact activity. This makes it especially beneficial for people with health complications such as arthritis and lower back pain. Regardless of your health, the bike can bring you many benefits. Not only does it improve the strength of your heart and lungs, it also has a positive effect on your weight.
Exercise Type
Cardiovascular exercise is performed by moving the limbs in a repetitive motion for an extended period. This action causes you to burn calories, which in turn promotes weight loss. Riding a bike is a form of cardio so it will cause you to lose weight, provided certain conditions are met.
Time Dedicated to Biking
You have the option of riding an outdoor bike or indoor exercise bike with your workouts. Both are effective for weight loss, but be aware that you have to exercise long enough and on a regular schedule. Adherence to a routine is one of the most important components of any weight-loss program. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 60 minutes of physical activity performed five days a week to lose weight. If you do not have the time to exercise this long in one session, split your workouts into shorter bouts. Accumulated time is just as effective.
Muscles Used While Biking
Riding a bike engages several major muscles. When you build even a small amount of muscle, your resting metabolic rate goes up, which means you burn more calories when you are not moving. The main muscles worked are the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. The abdominals also receive work to stabilize the body and generate force. By increasing the resistance while biking, you will make your muscles work harder and promote more growth. If you bike outdoors, mix hill climbing into your workouts. If you use a stationary bike, turn up the resistance.
Tips About Intensity
Biking at a steady pace is beneficial for weight loss, but you can boost your efforts by doing sprint training. This is often done with running, but you can do it with any form of cardio. Sprint training not only burns a higher number of calories while you exercise but it also keeps your metabolism elevated for several hours after finishing. To do this workout, start with a light warmup for five to 10 minutes, then pedal as fast as you can for 20 seconds. Slow your pace down to a light pace for 40 seconds, then pedal fast again. Alternate back and forth for the remainder of your workout. Because of the intensity of the exercise, you only need to exercise for 20 to 30 minutes.
Effect of Eating
If you spend five days a week on a bike exercising hard, but eat a lot of unhealthful food, you will limit your weight-loss success. Be mindful of your diet to make the best progress. A good plan is to cut your calories and eat nothing but high-nutrient foods.
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