Is Cycling Good for Weight Loss?

Besides being a recreational activity, cycling is an excellent cardio workout that helps one shed weight and lose belly fat. That said, you should cycle at a certain speed to reap the benefits of belly fat loss.

So, to know more about the queries such as ‘does cycling reduce belly fat’ and ‘how much cycling reduces belly fat’, continue reading!

Benefits of Cycling for Weight Loss

“Does cycling reduce belly fat” – still stuck with this query? Fret not, here is the answer:

Cycling is an excellent low-impact aerobic exercise. It boosts an individual’s metabolism, thereby helping him/her to speed up weight loss and become fitter. Be it indoor cycling for weight loss or outdoors on the streets, there are several benefits of cycling for weight loss, which are listed below:

Burns Calories

As per a report by Harvard Health, cycling at a moderate speed of around 12 miles per hour can burn roughly 7 calories every minute for someone weighing about 155 pounds. This sums up to approximately 210 calories in half an hour. Moreover, these figures can give you an idea as to how much weight loss is possible by cycling.

Helps You Shed Pounds

As per a study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine, cycling helps one lose weight at a faster rate when compared to walking.

Tones Your Body

While cycling in a consistent manner, the first noticeable difference is that the rider’s glutes, calves, quads, and hamstrings become firmer as an effect of pedalling. Moreover, one’s core muscles get activated while he/she rides a bicycle. As core muscles are present in the abdominal area, this exercise tones one’s belly, thereby making cycling good for weight loss on the stomach.

As the gradual conversion of fat to muscles takes place in the body, there is an increase in an individual’s resting metabolism rate. As a result, he/she can effectively burn calories even when the body is completely at rest.

Great Form of Cardio

Cycling also involves lungs and heart functions, thereby helping them grow stronger.

Therefore, similar to other aerobic exercises, cycling can protect an individual from high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, lung issues, and other serious health conditions.

Low Impact Workout

Activities like walking or running can lead to soreness in areas, such as the lower back, knees, and hips for obese and older individuals. On the other hand, through cycling, one gets to reap the advantages of physical activity without an excessive strain on one’s body.

Outdoor Activity

Cycling allows individuals to step outside their homes, which in turn enables soaking up the sunshine. In this manner, individuals can get their daily dose of vitamin D. Moreover, this vitamin is vital for boosting one’s metabolism.

Which Body Parts Get Impacted While Cycling for Weight Loss?

In addition to the answer to “does cycling reduce belly fat”, you must know which body parts are exercised, targeted, toned, and used while cycling:

Foot: Ankle dorsiflexors and plantar flexors
Arms: Triceps and biceps
Shoulders: Deltoids
Calf: Gastrocnemius and soleus
Buttocks or Gluts: Gluteus minimus, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius
Thigh: Quadriceps and hamstrings

Best Ways of Cycling to Reduce Weight Faster

We will now illustrate four ways regarding how to cycle for weight loss with faster results. Here, take a look:

Opt for Endurance Training

Simply stated, endurance training refers to the act of pushing for a bit more even when it feels like it has been enough. It is, essentially, a kind of training that helps you sustain a workout for an extended period. As per research, endurance training helps burn fat, which aids weight loss.

Choose HIIT (High-intensity Interval Training)

HIIT can prove to be an excellent way to lose weight and reduce fat. This type of training features short intervals of intense exercise that is alternated by spans of low-intensity exercise. In terms of cycling, this would look like the following:

Cycling as fast as possible against high resistance for half a minute to 1 minute
Easy cycling with low resistance for 2 to 3 minutes
Repeating this for the next 20 minutes to half an hour

In addition to helping to lose fat and improving the fitness levels of an individual, this training can help burn a higher number of calories in a shorter time.

Raise the Intensity

Pedalling in a leisurely manner is never enough to help with losing weight. However, by raising the intensity of the activity, there is a possibility of significant progress towards losing weight.

Generally, it is considered that the faster one cycles, the more would be the burning of calories. This is because the body utilises a greater amount of energy for cycling at a fast pace. And, the higher the burning of calories, the more would be the shedding of weight.

Cycling at a steady, moderate pace would burn around 300 calories in an hour, but with the intensity increased, the calorie burn will be more.

Try Out Cross-training

Cross-training involves mixing up a variety of workouts by alternating between activities. This can prove to be a good option for those who are not willing to stay stuck within one activity. For instance, one can choose to cycle and head to the gym for lifting weights simultaneously.

As for how much cycling helps in weight loss, the ACE or American Council on Exercise states that cycling at a moderately intense level is necessary for a minimum of 30 minutes at a time to lose weight. For the burning of more calories, cycling for a longer period of time would be required.

Cycling is possible on a daily basis, especially if an individual does it for commuting or at a low intensity. That said, when experiencing any issues, it is advised to take a break. In this case, one might opt to rest for at least a day each week.

Moreover, this break is all the more important for those who cycle at high-intensity levels or experience soreness in certain areas of their body.

Which Is the Best Time of the Day for Cycling?

The time of the day for cycling is not related to the amount of fat burned. The effect of cycling takes place on the human body at all times of the day, be it in the mornings or evenings. So, for your query, “can cycling reduce belly fat” be rest assured that fat would get burned up whether you opt to go riding during the morning or evening.

In addition, if you have a goal to lose weight through cycling, you must have a properly planned schedule. And, if you wish to go riding in the mornings, consider doing so before breakfast. As per studies, cycling on an empty stomach would help burn fat around 20 times quicker in an effective manner.

Differences between Indoor and Outdoor Cycling for Weight Loss

Parameter	Indoor Cycling	Outdoor Cycling
Fitness	According to a study by ACE or the American Council on Exercise, it was noticed that the maximum heart rate stays at about 75% to 90% in a typical session of indoor cycling. This turns out to be an apt heart rate for getting a good cardiovascular response. One must, however, keep in mind that the hamstring muscles are primarily used in an indoor cycle.	In comparison to riding an indoor cycle, a rider uses his/her hamstrings, quadriceps, shins, glutes, and calves while riding an outdoor cycle. But at the same time, the rider should work hard so as to engage these muscles while cycling, which makes them stronger, alongside burning a substantial number of calories.
Level of Difficulty:	In indoor cycling, one rides a stationary cycle, which can turn out to be monotonous rather quickly. Along with this, the muscles used in this type of cycling are the same. This can make indoor cycling more difficult as compared to outdoor cycling.	In terms of effort, this type of cycling can be comparatively easier than the indoor type. However, if one is willing to take it to the next level, then some technical skills would be required, which can make it difficult.
Convenience:	Indoor cycling is significantly convenient in nature – one simply needs to get on the stationary cycle and go about pedalling the equipment.	As compared to its indoor counterpart, outdoor cycling is logistically messier in nature. One would have to deal with many aspects when cycling outdoors, like harsh climatic conditions, traffic, etc.

You will experience a decent workout session with any type of cycling, be it indoors or outdoors. Therefore, deciding on your preferred form of cycling is completely up to you.

If you do not wish to deal with harsh and unpredictable environmental conditions, you can opt for indoor cycling. On the other hand, if you want to exercise outside the comfort of your home, then you can choose outdoor cycling as an option.

What not to do When Cycling for Weight Loss?

Along with the answer to the query, “does cycling reduce belly fat” it is important to know the things which you should avoid during cycling:

Do Not Ride Hands-free

Riding hands-free is not recommended under any circumstances, even if an individual is an exceptional cyclist. Besides, doing so might lead you to lose control and experience accidents that can be otherwise avoided.

Do Not Keep Objects Hanging From the Cycle

When learning about “does cycling reduce belly fat”, you should note that keeping objects hanging from the cycle might prove to be dangerous as they might get caught in the wheels while riding.

Do Not Wear a Hoodie

While riding, you need to look in several directions in order to gauge the traffic. Riding a cycle wearing a hoodie would cause hindrance in this process, which might lead to an accident.

On that note, we have reached the conclusion of the article on ‘does cycling reduce belly fat’. Including this question, you now know how much cycling is good for weight loss. Additionally, if you are willing to ride a bicycle for weight loss, keep in mind the things to avoid, as mentioned above and stay safe!

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ How long should an individual cycle indoors for losing weight?

There are several benefits of indoor cycling for weight loss. As per suggestions, an individual can carry out some short intervals of high-intensity indoor cycling within the available time frame.

✓ What to eat before a cycle ride?

Unless your cycle ride is going to span over a period of a couple of hours, you can have a normal diet on the day before you go for the ride.

✓ Is it necessary for an individual to wear spandex during a cycle ride?

No. One can wear whatever feels comfortable during a cycle ride.