Cycling is Helping People Lose Weight—Here’s How

A weight loss plan is not complete without exercise. However, in line with this is the motivation needed to actually accomplish it. This is especially true for men who want to lose weight, as a study published in the National Library of Medicine concludes that men have a tendency to be more motivated to exercise compared to women. The reason behind this is body image, which was found to be a significant positive motivator for men to engage in physical activity. In fact, WeightWatchers suggest that the best weight loss plans for men start by building healthy exercise habits. Dieting is a major component of weight loss but exercise hastens the results and keeps a person healthy during the process.

And while women are less motivated, it doesn’t make exercise any less important for them. What they need to do is to find a physical activity they enjoy for better motivation.

One fun weight loss exercise that almost every person can perform is cycling. Below are some of the reasons why.

It’s an excellent cardio & aerobic workout

Cardio workouts are always linked to weight loss because they burn calories. Since cycling is a type of cardio exercise, it definitely helps a person shed some pounds. WebMD reports that a biking workout burns around 400 calories per hour, making it an excellent form of cardio. It gets the heart rate up similar to running, and aids in keeping the heart healthy and building leg muscles, aside from burning calories alone.

Aerobic exercises also keeps a person’s heart rate near its maximum. During this time, the body burns glycogen, resulting in weight loss. Additionally, Healthline informs us that while cycling is a low-impact exercise, it doesn’t equate to being ineffective in making a person shed weight. In fact, a 185-pound person can burn up to 294 calories on a stationary bike at a moderate pace. Meanwhile, on a road bike, the same person can get rid of 336 calories. Adding challenges like going over hills or increasing speed can further intensify the calorie-burning process.

Lastly, anyone can participate in cycling because it is beginner-friendly. There’s no rush needed—people have full control of the intensity they wish to have as their fitness levels improve.

It suppresses appetite

A study shared by the New York Times revealed that exercise suppresses appetite. Researchers asked healthy young men to exercise three times by cycling leisurely, lifting weights, and sprinting on a stationary bike. The results show that the more intense the exercise (in this case, the sprints), the more a person’s appetite falls. This is a result of the production of a mix of lactate and the amino acid phenylalanine (referred to as “lac-phe” in the article) affecting appetite after physical activity. So, the more intense an exercise is—such as sprinting on a bike—the more a person will be able to feel fuller and avoid eating, helping their weight loss journey.

HIIT cycling workouts burn more fat in less time

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a cardiovascular exercise performed at intense levels with rest periods. This not only builds endurance and strength but also gets rid of excess weight more quickly than low-intensity cardio exercises.

With cycling, a HIIT workout can include cycling as fast as possible with high resistance for 1 minute then 2-3 minutes of leisure cycling with low resistance repeated for 30 minutes. A US News article on HIIT vs. cardio for weight loss states that people can burn the same number of calories in a 20-minute HIIT session compared to a 45-minute cardio exercise or strength training.

Cycling is definitely an effective exercise and motivator for people wanting to lose weight.

If you’re interested in starting your cycling journey today, refer to the article “Get the Right Bicycle for Your Needs”  to find the right bike for you and to ensure safe and efficient cycling.