Riding your bike may have been something you did as a kid, but we’re here to tell you that cycling can be an awesome activity as an adult. Not only is cycling a great workout, but it’s actually one of the best ways to lose weight or maintain your weight loss.
Aside from the cardiovascular and muscular fitness it provides, you can enjoy the benefits of shedding some extra pounds. If you’ve reached a plateau in your weight loss journey, or you’re just looking for an alternative to running or going to the gym, cycling could be just the thing for you.
Why Cycling Is Great for Weight Loss
Of all the different workout options available today, there’s something to be said about cycling. If you learned how to ride a bike when you were younger, you’ll have no problem starting up this new workout. In fact, we’ve got 5 reasons why cycling could be one of the best things you do for your weight loss goals:
1. You’ll Stick with It
How many times have you started a fitness regimen at the gym only to quit a few months later? Going to the gym can become monotonous. It also doesn’t help that the gym embodies everything about working out, and if working out isn’t your favorite thing, chances are that the gym won’t be either.
Cycling provides a change of scenery and allows you to work out while exploring your community and taking in everything around you. You’ll love seeing new things, people, and places while cycling, and will often forget you’re even breaking a sweat.
2. You Can Work Out Longer
If you work out on the treadmill or elliptical, there’s only so long you can go before you start counting down the minutes to when you can jump off. You’re more likely to cut your workout short if you find yourself bored or tracking your workout minute-by-minute.
When you go cycling, however, it’s easy to find yourself working out for longer periods of time. If you’re cycling to a specific destination, for example, you’ll have to make a roundtrip journey to get back home, so there’s less opportunity for you to quit early and make the workout short. You’ll also be distracted by the scenery and lose track of the time.
3. You Can Make Your Workout a Seamless Part of Your Day
Many people struggle with losing weight because they can never find the time to work out. After a long day of work, reserving a block of time for the gym seems impossible. Others struggle with the idea of waking up extra early for a sweat session.
The convenient part of cycling is that you can incorporate your workout seamlessly throughout your day. Whether you cycle to and from work or ride your bike to the store for errands, it’s really easy to incorporate cycling into your daily routine.
4. You Burn Calories Without Too Much Effort
If pushing yourself to the limits isn’t your type of workout, intense cardio classes and rigorous HIIT workouts are probably something you avoid. It’s the reason some people looking to lose weight never make it to the gym or never take up running; it just feels too hard.
With cycling, you can keep a steady pace and still burn decent calories. The average road cyclist, for instance, burns 40 calories per mile. If you were to bike 15 miles per hour, you’d burn 600 calories in an hour without an overly strenuous workout.
5. You Burn More Fat
It’s true that high-intensity workouts like interval training or running will allow you to burn more calories per workout than a moderately paced bike ride, but the bike ride can be more advantageous for burning fat.
Lower-intensity workouts like cycling burn a higher percentage of fat than carbs, as fat is considered slow-burning fuel. A longer, less intense workout like cycling can target those fat cells better than a short, high-intensity workout focused on getting your heart rate up.
Consistency Is Key
Perhaps the biggest argument for giving cycling a go is that it’s one of the easiest activities to stay consistent with. Whether you decide to carve out a time each day to go for a scenic bike ride or you leave your car at home and bike to work instead, it’s easy to make cycling a part of your routine. That kind of consistency is what not only leads to weight loss, but will help you maintain your slim figure as well.
References
Why Cycling is the Best Way to Lose Weight. (2018, January 05). Retrieved March 28, 2018, from https://www.bicycling.com/training/weight-loss/why-cycling-is-the-best-way-to-lose-weight
14 Ways to Lose Weight With Your Bike. (2018, January 05). Retrieved March 28, 2018, from https://www.bicycling.com/training/weight-loss/14-ways-to-lose-weight-with-your-bike/slide/14
