Cycling is a form of aerobic activity that has long been regarded as a superior cardio workout. It can be categorized as either moderate- or vigorous-intensity exercise, depending on how quickly one pedals. Bike riding improves blood flow, increases muscular mass and strength, and improves heart and lung health.
It helps to increase heart rate while putting less stress on the knees, ankles, and other joints than running or jogging.
Like other regular physical activities, biking can enhance sleep, reduce stress, and control hunger.
How may biking help you lose weight?
We can burn calories and lose excess weight by pedaling faster than a leisurely pace. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) suggests cycling for at least 30 minutes at a time while maintaining a moderate level of intensity. One can cycle for extended periods of time to burn even more calories.
Here are some tips on how to use a riding workout to help you lose weight.
Intensify the action
Cycle more quickly and you’ll burn more calories because you’ll use more energy. As a result, you’ll lose more weight overall. Cycling at a moderate pace can burn close to 300 calories per hour.
Decide to engage in high-intensity interval training (HIIT)
If the primary goal of the exercise regimen is weight loss, exercise intensity matters more than speed. Higher-intensity cycling will burn more calories than if we pedal with low-intensity.
Using this principle, a great way to challenge our body is through HIIT. In HIIT, short bursts of high-intensity exercise are alternated with intervals of low-intensity exercise. We can burn fat and lose weight faster by opting for HIIT.
For biking, a HIIT workout will look something like this:
Cycling fast against a high resistance for 30 to 60 seconds
Cycling with low resistance for 2 to 3 minutes
Repeat the above pattern for 20 to 30 minutes
