Weight Loss Cycle
we will begin cycling for a number of different reasons whether that be the enjoyment and the freedom that ride and the bike brings improving our fitness or the social aspect from riding with friends family or our local club mates for some people cycling is a perfect way to lose weight and it's certainly one of the most enjoyable and efficient ways in doing so but there are many different ways to achieve this through different types of riding which can be more or less efficient from burning fat as well as our habits and lifestyle on and off the bike as well do be aware that these methods must be completed in moderation and may not work for everyone there's also nothing to say they need to do this to enjoy your cycling.
So here are a few key tips to shed that weight high intensity interval sessions are a key facet of your fat burning ability as these are the sessions which significantly reduce body fat this type of training not only curbs your appetite to suppress any hunger pang that you may suffer from from longer lower intensity rides but also initiate a trainer response which studies have shown sees your body release human growth hormone to burn fat and maintain muscle there are many different ways to carry out these sessions but is all about having that distinction between a high intensity interval and a recovery block a basic workout to complete is six sets of 30 second efforts with a minute rest in between each interval these rest and intense intervals can be extended repeated or reduced based on your ability.
• Going hard with hit sessions will give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to weight loss compared to endurance rides however that doesn't mean you should completely abandon all other types of rides endurance and recovery rides are key facets for building our cycling fitness which is crucial to maintaining weight loss your body won't be able to carry out the relentless nature of interval sessions every day of the week so mixing up your riding with recovery and endurance rides will not only be beneficial for your mind.
• But also your body meaning you can go all out each time an interval session rolls around it won't take a rocket scientist to know that what you eat and drink on and off the bike will affect your fat loss and your weight whilst energy gels and bars may have improved in taste and become more palatable in recent times it is important to use them for when they're actually needed if you're going out for a short 45 minute spin the chances are that you won't need any additional fuel in except a small bottle of water on a mild day as a rule of thumb you should look to start consuming around 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.
• After one hour's riding this can come in forms of gels energy drinks or natural food any rides under one hour shouldn't require any energy supplementation at all fasted riding isn't just a case of run to a calorie deficit as you're training your body to use fats as an energy source you only need to do a couple of these rides each week and it shouldn't be the key part of your training program the goal of fasted rides aren't to cycle to high intensity as unsurprisingly your body won't be able to cope and you're highly likely to bonk along the way this is best achieved before you have breakfast perhaps on a morning commute.
• Where you can have a meal when you arrive at work it is vital to ride a steady state with low intensity to get the full benefits from fasted riding so you not only utilize fat sources instead of glycogen on that ride but also benefit long term as using fats as an effective energy source if you're going to give fasted rides a try it's crucial you stick to low intensity rides but also speak to your cycling coach or nutritionist to see how this can work best for your riding sleep is perhaps the most misused training aid most cyclists take advantage of whether it be improving your performance or shedding weight.
• But ensuring you're getting enough sleep is a massive part of it losing fat is a massive benefit of a good night to rest as well with studies showing the sleep deprivation can lead to an increase in appetite and negatively impact your body's metabolism which can lead to weight gain you may not be using your bike to commute as much as you did before kovin 19 its attitudes towards working from home become the norm but commuting by bike can eek off a few extra pounds with a short but intense ride studies have shown that commuting by bike for as little as 30 minutes saw significant weight and bmi improvements these are our top tips to burning fat on the bike do let us know your top weight loss tips in the comments below.
Top 16 Health Benefits Of Cycling
Number one: improves mood the runner's high isn't just for runners any form of exercise can help you feel great afterwards including cycling activities that get your heart pounding will release energy boosting hormones called dopamine after a nice bike ride that dopamine rush can help improve your mood and energy levels if you typically feel an afternoon slump at work going for a quick ride outside during your lunch break may be exactly what you need to stay energized and focused already thinking of things that spoil your mood what are they let us know below in the comments section.
Number two: weight loss without extreme diets cycling is one of the best methods of exercise to trim fat and lose weight across your whole body there's a reason the pro bike riders are so damn lean just an hour of cycling can burn as many as a thousand calories depending on the intensity you're riding at refueling has also never been more fun with the number of calories lost on your ride you'll need a few post-ride guilt-free indulgences to get your calories and energy levels straight back up in fact an hour or more peddling will put your metabolism into overdrive you'll be burning calories faster than you can cram them back in you also don't need a heavily structured workout to start shifting that weight spin classes are great but opting for a bike instead of your car on the way to work will do so much more for your overall fitness and your weight loss commuting by bike in fact has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to lose weight a study found that people who switched to cycling from driving on average lost seven kilograms over the course of the year when writing just 30 minutes each way.
Number three: improves heart health getting your heart rate up cycling strengthens your heart muscles it also reduces your risk of developing several cardiovascular diseases including stroke high blood pressure and heart attack moreover compared to those who lead a sedentary lifestyle those who participate in physical activity such as biking can experience an overall improvement in cardiovascular function too and while we don't recommend ditching your blood pressure meds just yet there's a reason to believe that including cycling into your daily routine might have a positive impact on your blood pressure it can almost be as effective as prescription medication.
Number four: releases anxiety and stress another important mental health benefit of cycling is relief from anxiety and stress cycling helps you balance cortisol and adrenaline levels in the body when the perfect balance between these two is attained stress is reduced this perhaps is one of the healthiest ways to deal with stress this calming effect allows your brain to focus on breathing and pedaling these two become the prime focus and this in turn shifts your focus from all sorts of negativity and anxiety.
Number five: slows aging researchers found that high-intensity cycling and other high-intensity interval training can have major anti-aging benefits down to a cellular level the study found that people who did high-intensity exercises had an increase in mitochondrial capacity a decline in mitochondria can lead to physical decline so the better your mitochondria can function the more rejuvenated you'll be all the way down to a cellular level.
Number six: enhances muscles while you may accept that cycling just builds up leg muscles it's a complete body exercise remaining balanced and upstanding on a bicycle reinforces and tones the muscles in your stomach region for instance guiding the bike also encourages you to develop the muscles in your arms and shoulders don't disregard the leg muscles besides leg muscles assume a crucial job with regards to cycling when cycling you use your butt muscles and your glutes your lower leg muscles and your quads and thighs when pushing down on the pedals of the bicycle when you're in the backstroke or upstroke some portion of accelerating you're utilizing flexor muscles in your hips and your hamstrings in your thigh's rear.
Number seven: increases flexibility flexibility is one of the most important aspects of staying fit and minimizing the risk of injury if you feel your lower body remains stiff then cycling is the best option for you from loosening quadriceps to hamstrings and calves cycling helps maintain flexibility not only will being flexible make you feel light but it'll also improve your posture and your balance.
Number eight: boosts your confidence you may find this absurd but cycling really does boost your self-confidence while cycling your body releases the serotonin mood transmitter this helps you stay stable and confident both physically and emotionally cycling also induces positivity self-esteem and self-confidence besides this it allows you to get a perfectly shaped body which is also an important self-confidence booster.
Number nine: it's easy on your joints when you sit on your bike you put the weight on bones in your pelvis unlike walking or running where you put the weight on your legs knees and feet even elderly patients with knee pain and osteoarthritis have been shown to improve their condition with cycling it's gentle on the body but still packs a punch in addition it also improves posture and coordination.
Number 10: improves brain power there's good reason why studies show that our mental skills are improved after a bike ride it all has to do with white matter in your brain you may have heard of gray matter but white matter found beneath the brain surface acts as a conduit it links different regions of the brain together like a cerebral subway system evidence from a study conducted over a six-month period showed that healthy people who regularly peddled increase their integrity of their white matter helping their brains function more smoothly.
Number 11: reduces cancer risk the incidence of diseases such as cancer can be reduced significantly by adopting physical activities such as cycling studies show for those people who took up moderate to high physical activities like cycling in early and middle ages had a reduced risk of cancer compared to those who did not another study that investigated the relationship between cycling as active commuting and cancer suggested that cycling as a method of commuting can be associated with a lower cancer risk.
Number 12: helps you sleep better everyone can use some extra z's in a study researchers asked sedentary insomnia sufferers to cycle for 20 to 30 minutes every other day the results showed that the time required for the insomniacs to fall asleep was reduced by half and the sleep time increased almost an hour exercising outside exposes you to daylight this helps your circadian rhythm get back into sync and also rids your body of cortisol the stress hormone that prevents deep regenerative sleep.
Number 13: boost your immune system cycling can help your immune system fight off nasty bugs the thymus organ is responsible for your body's immune cells from the age of 20 the thymus shrinks and your immune system declines by two to three percent each year by middle age the thymus is down 15 of its maximum size so the body relies on the antibodies it's gained from fighting germs over the years a study of 125 long-distance cyclists aged in their 80s found their immune systems were robust because they were producing as many immune cells as someone in their 20s physical activity like cycling can help your body flush out bacteria from your lungs and airways which reduces the chance of a cold or flu taking hold a rise in body temperature while exercising also prevents bacteria from growing and fights infection.
Number 14: gives you a longer life according to one study of tour de france writers cycling actually increased the racer's longevity on average former pros lived to 81.5 years compared to the general population's 73.5 a 17 increase another study suggested that even casual bike commuters benefit for individuals that shift from a car to a bike it was estimated that 3 to 14 months of life could be gained compared to the potential downsides of bike commuting another recent study showed that riding between just one and 60 minutes a week could cut the risk of early death by up to 23 percent not just cycling there are also many foods that can help you live longer find out what they are in this video called 15 foods that can help you live longer now back to cycling health benefits.
Number 15: bettors balance and coordination cycling also improves your balance and coordination these qualities help with aspects such as body awareness and reaction time they help prevent falls that could occur as well which could lead to a worse injury down the road.
Number 16: reduces back pain posture when cycling is optimum and cyclic movement of the leg stimulates muscles in the lower back this is where slipped discs are most likely to occur in this way your spine is strengthened and secured against external stresses in particular cycling can stimulate the small muscles of the spine which are difficult to affect through other exercises this can help reduce the likelihood of back pains and other spinal problems how often do you cycle is it part of your go to cardio routine let us know in the comment section below.
