‘Can bike riding help lose weight?’ is among the top 10 most asked questions on Google. And rightly so, because about 5.5 billion people in the world are obese, which makes 76% of the total world population. This report by Times Of India brings to light the impending problem that extra fat is becoming and the increased search and look out for losing weight. Weight gain is a concern in every other household where different people are turning to different solutions, some seeking medical help, some trying to alter their diet, some turning to their home remedies whereas some seeking help in the gym. But most often than not, there is hardly any significant results from these efforts. As major as a problem that weight gain is becoming, it has also brought about several problems.
What are some problems that result from weight gain?
Among the medical hazards that result from excessive weight gain some are,
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Mortality rate declining
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Low HDL cholesterols,
- High LDL cholesterol
- Coronary Heart diseases
- Dyslipidemia)
- Stroke
- Sleep apnea
- Diseases of the Gallbladder
- Body pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Several cancers, namely, colon, liver, endometrial, kidney, breast, gallbladder.
Among the psychological effects of obesity, some are,
- clinical depression resulting due to the constant need to fit society’s standard of beauty
- anxiety
- mental disorders resulting from increased bullying
People have been forever searching for answers to Can bike riding help lose weight? And stating facts, weight loss revolves around the concept of burning calories more than the number of calories one has been consuming. This is often called to be in a calorie deficit state. Hence exercises which burn more calories should be combined with a proper diet. While preparing for weight loss, one must focus more on what he is eating rather than how much he is working out.
Does bike ride help to lose weight?
Can bike riding help lose weight? Among the many exercises, bike riding is one of the passive weight loss workouts. It is a cardio exercise which is not too difficult to do and can be easily inculcated into a person’s everyday schedule. Although it bike riding does not miraculously burn belly fat within days when regularly and combined with proper diet, one can see differences in their weight.
Even in bike riding, some people would lose more fat than others; this is because losing weight by riding a bike depends upon several factors.
What are the factors determining fat loss by bike riding??
Some of the factors that affect fat loss through bike riding, hence causing some to lose more fat than others, or causing some to lose less than others, are,
- One’s weight, more the weight, the longer will it take for a person to burn fats
- How hard the person is pedalling, more of which will cause more sweating leading to more weight loss
- The duration for which the person is riding the bike
- How often the bike is being rid, twice a day or once every day, etc.
- The kind of diet the person is taking, thus affecting the calorie intake vs calorie burnout ratio.
One important thing one needs to bear in mind is that just riding a bike alone will not cause a fat burn if one is paying no heed to what they are eating and are taking in too many calories. Before starting bike riding as a workout, the person needs to examine their daily calories intake carefully and then control their diet accordingly. According to a report by Health.gov’s Dietary guidelines, an average female of 30 years of age consumes around 2,000 calories daily. To get rid of at least a pound of weight, she needs to reduce the calorie intake by 500 calories, i.e., her daily calorie intake should be no more than 1,500. Whereas for an average male, who consumes 2,600 calories per day, the calorie intake should be reduced to 2,100 calories to burn a pound a week.
However, it is quite difficult to reduce the calorie intake by 500 calories all of a sudden. This is where bike riding comes to assist. By reducing one’s calorie intake by just 250 calories and burning the rest 250 calories through bike riding, one can successfully achieve losing a pound of fat each week.
One can also go for the difficult option of burning the entire 500 calories through bike riding, which proves to be very hectic for some. But as long as it works for someone can easily go ahead with it.
How many calories are burnt by bike riding for different people?
Although a lot of factors influence weight loss by bike riding, the Harvard Health Publishing provided an estimate of the calorie loss by people through bike riding. It studied that on riding a still bike for at least 30 minutes at varying intensities, the number of calories lost by people of weights is,
- A person with 125 pounds of weight would burn 210 calories whereas a person with 155 pounds of weight would burn 260 calories and a person with 185 pounds of weight would lose 311 calories when the bike is being ridden at a moderate pace.
- A person with same weight would lose 315 calories, 391 calories, and 466 calories when the bike is being ridden for in a vigorous intensity
What is the Best Bike for losing weight?
Several different varieties of bikes are available in the market; one can choose from among this variety which one fits him the best. Some of the best bikes for losing weight are,
- Road Bike, which is lighter, thus taking less effort to ride fast. A road bike, however, is not appropriate for those having safety concerns or back issues.
· Cross bike, Mountain or Cruiser Are known to be comfortable and steady thus are good for those who are new to cycling.
· Electric Bike has a lot of features like different speeds, different terrain setting, thus proving a good option for those also using it as a daily commute
· Recumbent Bike is the most sought after bike for fat loss purposes and is found in most gyms.
When bike riding combined with proper calories intake, one can be sure of losing a good amount of fat each week.
