As the obesity rates in the world are growing steadily, working out should become an essential part of everyone’s lifestyle. Now the food that we consume generally hides a lot of sugar, fats, and carbohydrates, which cause a lot of us to gain weight unknowingly. Therefore, doing cardio exercises should be done to keep your body healthy and fully functional.
Amongst many cardio exercises, cycling has remained to be one of the best ones because of how effective it is for weight loss. In addition, this activity is also relaxing for many. If you have clicked on this article in hopes of losing a few kilograms, here is our detailed guide on cycling for weight loss beginners.
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Cycling Is A Great Exercise For Beginners
When people start to lead a healthy lifestyle, seeing the thousands of variations of exercises can be very overwhelming as well as discouraging. Hence, cycling is a great place to start with, especially if you can already cycle well. Even if you cannot ride a bike, there are alternatives, such as cycling indoors in spin classes and more.
You may see videos for workout circuits that will promise you abs within a few months, but the truth is this is not possible. You should listen to your body and move at your own pace, which cycling will allow you to do. One of the best things about cycling is that it is a low-impact aerobic exercise, which means it will not tire you out in a few minutes. This makes cycling much easier to sustain for all the beginners out there.
Besides burning fat, your muscles will also become more defined if you keep cycling regularly. This is because pedaling makes the muscles in your legs work quite a bit which will make them stronger and better structure.
How to Lose Weight by Cycling?
In order to lose weight, cardio exercises are the best since they burn the most calories, and as a result, they burn your fat as well. Cycling is an excellent choice for a good cardio workout since it will help you burn a lot of calories and help you move towards a lower body fat percentage.
By regularly cycling, your cardiovascular health will also be benefitted very much. Since cycling burns a decent amount of fat, it will ensure that your articles do not get blocked by fatty molecules.
Gradually Increase the Pedaling Speed
The key to losing weight by cycling is gradually increasing the intensity of your pedaling. In all honesty, if you ride your bike around your neighborhood at a leisure pace in hopes of seeing a massive transformation of your body, then we must disappoint you by saying that this is very unlikely to happen.
The intensity at which you cycle is correlated to the number of calories you burn, and therefore, how much weight you will lose. You will burn more calories and lose more weight if you pedal faster, and so you will lose more weight.
HIIT Training
One of the most effective ways you will be able to lose weight by cycling is by doing high-intensity interval training which is commonly known as HIIT. To give you a basic idea of HIIT with cycling will be if you cycle at the highest intensity, your body can for about a minute, and then the next 2 or 3 minutes at your regular pace. To complete the training, you have to repeat this pattern for around 30 minutes.
We can guarantee that you will be exhausted after your cycling HHIT workout, but you must know that this is the best way you can lose weight and fat by cycling. Moreover, this training will help you to increase your stamina, and it will also make your muscles much stronger. If we were to compare HIIT and moderate cycling, then we must tell you that HIIT burns almost up to 30% greater body fat than regular cycling.
How Many Kilometers Should I Cycle a Day to Lose Weight?
This question is very difficult to answer since we all have different body types, genes, and masses. As a result, our bodies have different metabolism rates, which will vary the amount of time you will need to cycle. Furthermore, how long you want to cycle a day largely depends on how much weight you want to lose.
Stating the obvious, the more weight you want to lose, the longer you will have to cycle. However, if we were to give you an estimate on how long you should cycle for weight loss, we would say that about 30 minutes of cycling at moderate intensity, so about 15 km, should be a good cardio workout for most people.
How Much Cycling is Needed to Lose 1 kg?
If you are planning to lose weight, one of the most important things you must know is that diet also plays a major role along with exercising. Hence, losing weight by cycling is going to be very difficult, to say the least.
Yet again, you must remember that our bodies work in very complex ways, so there is no one simple answer that will be fit for everyone. The number of kilometers you have to cycle to lose 1 kg will also depend on the ratio of the carbohydrate and fat your body will burn.
However, if we have to give you an idea about how much you have to cycle to lose weight, then here you go. You need to cycle over 300 km to lose 1 kilogram!
How Many Kilometers Should I Cycle a Day to Lose Belly Fat?
Unlike what you may have heard on the internet, you cannot target specific places and burn them. So, this also means that you cannot target just your belly fat by cycling. In cardio exercises, fat is lost from the entire body, so yes, you will lose belly fat, but you cannot specifically target your belly fat.
Cycle for about half an hour or even an hour (15 -25 km) if you can at a moderate pace. Or do 30 minutes of HIIT cycling, and you should be noticing some positive results with consistent efforts!
Cycling is the Gateway to Other Sports
Most of us have some sort of mental stress in our lives, and cycling can help with that. This form of exercise is very relaxing, along with it being great at burning calories. As you consistently cycle, you will learn how to build endurance and push your limits, and as you push them each time, you will feel an adrenaline rush which is a fantastic feeling.
Hence, cycling is also a gateway to other sports since numerous other sports also provide the same benefits. By helping you build more strength and endurance, cycling will prove to be greatly beneficial in whichever sport you find to fit you best.
The Cycling Essentials to Buy
The first thing you need to do when starting your cycling journey is to buy a cycle, and we would suggest you buy a nice and sturdy cycle within the affordable range at first. Buying a helmet along with elbow and knee pads is also a must because safety always comes first.
Another thing you may want to purchase is a good water bottle and a bottle carrier so you can stay hydrated even when you are cycling. Lastly, buy some clothes appropriate for cycling; we would suggest getting bike shorts for comfort, and of course, sunscreen lotion to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays.
Can Long Distance Biking Help with Weight Loss?
Can long distance biking help with weight loss? Absolutely! Incorporating long distance biking into your fitness routine is a fantastic way to shed those extra pounds. To get started, beginners should follow these long distance biking tips for beginners: invest in a good quality bike, wear proper gear, gradually increase distance and intensity, stay hydrated, and fuel your body with a balanced diet.
Final Words
Losing weight is not an easy process at all; it requires a lot of mental and physical strength as well as a lot of patience. Cycling is a great option amongst cardio exercises for losing weight, and we sincerely hope that our guide on cycling for weight loss beginners only makes your journey easier!