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Cycling for Weight Loss: Is It Really As Effective?
#health #cyclingforhealth #herocycle #cycleToBetterTomorrow Hero Cycles Team | July 26, 2024
Learn more about cycling for weight loss and discover is it really as effective. What should be kept in mind when starting cycling for weight loss.
The journey towards weight loss is a tough one. Riding on a path that leads you to a healthier tomorrow, is not as easy as it seems. Managing weight can be a lifetime journey and there’s no quick-fix for that. It needs consistency. It needs will power. You constantly need to pedal your way out of an unhealthy lifestyle, with patience riding alongside you. You need to be consistent, patient, strong, resilient, powerful.
If you like riding, stick with it no matter what the scale says, and rather than focusing on weight loss journey, enjoy every pedal you move.
It’s up to you whether you want to take it slow or go fast down the lane. Whether you want to do it daily, or whenever you feel like. It doesn’t matter if you start your journey of cycling for weight loss slow or fast. just keep faith in yourself, and promise yourself to keep going. Just embrace every step you take. Find joy and fun in every inch you move, and the benefits will follow. So to accelerate towards a better tomorrow, all you have to do is jump on the saddle, grab the handle, and start your cycling for weight-loss journey with Hero Cycles.
Cycling can Help You Lose Weight?
Why is Cycling For Weight Loss Effective?
Cycling burns calories while also improving metabolic function. When you cycle, your body uses the stored fat and carbohydrates as fuel. Gradually, your heart rate rises and your muscles work harder, your metabolism improves. As a result you burn more calories long after you've dismounted. This post-cycling metabolic surge, also known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), is an important component that helps you lose weight over time.
Cycling is also a muscle-building activity. The leg muscles are highly engaged as you hit the pedal every time. This muscle action burns calories and helps you with your weight loss goals. Hence, cycling for weight loss is a smart and effective choice as you move forward on your journey towards a healthy tomorrow.
When you’re cycling for weight loss, and just starting your journey, you need a steady, strategic, and smart start. Scroll down to read what to keep in mind when starting your weight-loss journey.
Smart Essential Strategies to Weight Loss Through Cycling
Don’t Rush in Your Cycling Journey for Weight Loss
Every journey starts with a slow pace. And to go far on any path, you have to start slow, and gradually increase the speed and intensity with time. Maybe start with 30 minutes of riding first and then gradually increase your limits.
You just have to gently push yourself on the track, and slowly push your limits because you know your body better than anyone else. You are well aware of your limits. You know your speeds and strengths. It’s not a competition to be the best or win the race. It’s your journey, your choice, so you should carve your path on your own according to your comfort and needs because which is level 1 for others, may be level 10 for you. And once you conquer the initial levels, you are ready to go beyond and tackle the harder challenges.
Get Proper Riding Gear Before You Start Your Cycling Journey
Before you start your cycling for weight loss journey, research well and invest in a perfect bike. A bike that suits your needs, is comfortable, and can take you far on the path of weight loss. But you don’t have to worry about it as Hero Cycles is here to help you with that.
You can browse and find your perfect companion on Hero Cycle’s website and good quality gears that fit you well. Being comfortable on your bike makes it easier to stay motivated and ride longer distances. And when you ride with ease, you enjoy every moment of it; every pedal you hit feels like an achievement. Each mile you go you get motivation as a reward. So do it comfortably, do it like you’re doing it for fun. And that will only happen if you choose the right equipment, gears, and a bike that goes well with you.
On the other hand, good gears will not only keep you safe and less prone to injuries, but they will also make you look stylish which will eventually boost your confidence and fuel your motivation to keep going on the path to weight loss while riding your bike.
Riding Cycling With Gear
Stay Safe While Cycling For Weight Loss
Always wear a helmet and be safe. Feeling safe and confident on your bike will help you in focusing on enjoying the ride and reaching your fitness goals.
Stay Safe While Cycling
Build A Habit With Time
Before going on a full blown riding mission, you can start slowly. Start riding your bicycle to the places you take your car to. Planning to go to the market, head out on your bicycle. If your office is nearby, ride a bike to your workplace. If you’re heading out to go on a walk, go on a short ride instead.
Doing this drill will not only build a habit but it will also warm you up for the bigger tasks you have in for yourself.
Levelling Up Your Cycling for Weight Loss Journey
As you get comfortable in your journey, and feel like levelling up the challenge, you can take a leap. You can push yourself, and go for tougher tasks.
Push Your Limits Every Day
Once you’ve started cycling for weight loss, and it’s been a while, increase the intensity. Start pushing your limits. Increase durations of your ride. Amp up the intensity, take it notch above. Train yourself to go faster and farther.
Other Activities for Weight Loss
Level up your journey with HIIT: Interval Training
To boost your fat burn, add HIIT training to your rides twice a week. It’s proven that incorporating intervals in your rides can boost the calorie burning process and improve overall fitness. The body burns fat through oxidation and by metabolising. As the body metabolises the triglycerides and burns the fat, you exhale carbon dioxide with every breath.
In simple words, when you breathe harder and faster, you’re burning more and more fat.Recently, researchers from the University of Western Ontario found that runners performing four to six 30-second, full-throttle sprints three times a week burned more than twice as much body fat as those who ran for 30 to 60 minutes at a moderate, aerobic intensity.
This is why the rides that are short but extremely intense, burn more calories. So go out on short rides, but give your everything to them, and make the most of the cycling for weight loss journey.
Cycle Riding
Ditch Plains, Explore Terrains
It’s unsaid that riding burns calories, hence, making you lose fat. But level up your cycling experience, and go a little more intense. Ride away from the plain, boring lanes. Leave behind the city roads and the mainstream paths. Go to the next level, and take your bike on a rough ride up the mountains.
Challenge yourself, and increase your endurance. Go intense, and ride up the top. Because when you ditch the plains and explore the roads that lead you up, you burn more calories, you put in more effort, you test your limits, you challenge your body. And when you do this, as a result you become fitter, better, stronger. If you plan to explore the unexplored, tough terrains, you can browse through Hero Cycle’s website and find a perfect MTB for yourself.
Things to Keep in Mind on Your Cycling For Weight Loss Journey
As you move forward on your cycling for weight loss journey, you can explore different and unique methods to improve and improvise your game. Sometimes by appreciating yourself and sometimes by motivating yourself. You can try new methods and get creative to amp up your journey.
Cycling For Weight Loss Journey
Join a Cycling Group
Riding with others not only makes it more fun but can also challenge you to push harder. The positive side of joining a cycling group is that it pushes you to be consistent. You start thinking of it as a fun activity instead of a boring one. You get new insight, know about newer perceptions, you meet new people from all walks of life, you build connections, you socialise, and you learn from others.
They teach you, improve you, tell your mistakes, and make you a better rider. In short, it's a great way to learn from more experienced cyclists and discover new routes.
Track Your Progress Each Day
Keep a journal or use an app to track your rides, progress towards goals, and even what you eat. Seeing your achievements and staying accountable can be really motivating. It gives you an insight and an overall understanding of what you’ve achieved and what you can improve. It acts as a report card which tells you your strengths and throws light at the areas of improvement where you can become better.
This not only pushes you to keep going farther and farther, but also helps you feel good with your work like a reward.
Track Weight Loss Progress Through Cycling
Celebrate Milestones
Whether it's reaching a new distance goal or fitting into those jeans, celebrate your achievements along the way. It's important to acknowledge your hard work and progress!
Be it small or big, understand that every achievement is still a milestone whether it’s miniscule or grand. Because these little milestones act as tiny rewards that fuel your passion and motivates you to keep going and keep cycling for weight loss.
Set Realistic Goals
Setting realistic goals can also be motivating. Whether it's aiming for a specific distance, increasing your speed, or measuring your weight loss progress, having defined goals offers you something to strive for and keeps you on track.
Goals for Weight Loss Through Cycling
Stay Consistent
Consistency is key. It's not just about going for one ride once in a while and then leaving it. It's more effective to ride regularly, even if it's just a few times a week. This helps your body adapt and burn calories consistently over time. It helps in keeping the habit alive and keeps the body moving regularly. Consistency is like a fuel that keeps the passion in you alive, and when you’re on a journey like weight-loss, consistency is your biggest ally.
Variety is Necessary
Variety is another important factor. It makes this weight-loss journey of yours much more fun. Just mixing up your rides with different routes, terrains, and intensities not only keeps things interesting but also challenges your body in various ways. It prevents your muscles from getting too used to one type of effort and helps burn more calories overall.
Variety for Exercise for Weight Loss
Beyond Cycling for Weight Loss
Apart from all this, a few more things matter the most than anything else. Which is being mindful. Being mindful of what you eat. Being mindful of how much you rest. Being mindful of what you’re doing.
Start Cycling for Weight Loss
Take Plenty of Rest And Replenish
Listening to your body is key. If you're just starting out or increasing your intensity, pay attention to how you feel. Push yourself, but don't overdo it. Rest when you need to and allow your body time to recover. Don't underestimate the importance of rest days because your body needs time to recover and repair muscles after challenging rides.
Don’t be ashamed to take a rest. Don’t think twice before taking a step back and taking a break for something that is good for your body. When you do this regularly in the long run, you not only prevent burnouts and injuries, but also go back to the grind with more energy, and vigour. And as a result, you break your own records, reach new milestones, perform better, improve and improvise to win big and reach far.
Healthy Eating Habit for Weight Loss
Eat Mindfully
Pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues. Sometimes after a ride, you might feel extra hungry, but try to choose nutrient-dense foods that satisfy you without undoing your calorie-burning efforts. Quit or minimise the consumption of junk as it acts as a barrier in your weight-loss journey.
Complement Your Cycling Routine with Additional Weight Loss Strategies
Alongside riding your bicycle to lose weight you can also explore some other ways too that will make your weightloss journey and cycling experience more better
Additional Weight Loss Training Apart From Cycling
Strength Training
Consider adding some strength training exercises off the bike, like squats, lunges, and core exercises. Building muscle helps increase your metabolism, which can aid in weight loss.
Strength Training
Mix in Cross-Training
Don't limit yourself to just cycling. Incorporate other activities like swimming, hiking, or yoga to keep your fitness routine well-rounded and prevent boredom.
Stay Hydrated
Hydration is often overlooked but crucial. Drinking enough water before, during, and after your rides helps regulate your body temperature, lubricate your joints, and transport nutrients. It can also help prevent overeating by keeping hunger at bay.
Stay Hydrated While Cycling
Conclusion
Everyone's journey to weight loss is unique. Find out what works best for you and enjoy the process. Cycling can be a fantastic way to not only shed pounds but also improve your overall health and well-being. It’s a great way to explore your surroundings, relieve stress, and connect with nature. So don’t forget to enjoy every ride, keep cycling for weight loss. And to find a suitable bike that matches your needs and preferences, visit Hero Cycle’s website and find a perfect companion for yourself who can partner with you in your cycling for weight loss journey.