Cycling for weight loss: 14 Ways to lose weight by cycling

Cycling for weight loss: 14 Ways to lose weight by cycling

If you want to be healthier, slimmer and lighter-not to mention healthier-then cycling is a great way to lose weight. It is efficient, enjoyable, easy to integrate into a busy day, and most importantly, it is good for emotions, spirit, and body. What don’t you like? Accordingly, you will find 14 Ways to lose weight by cycling on this article.

If an activity is enjoyable, research shows that you are more likely to stick to it. This is not rocket science, but it is a great advantage in trying to lose weight and improve health.

If you have an underlying health condition or any other problems before starting a new weight loss program, you may want to consider seeing a doctor.

How to lose weight by cycling: 14 tips to help you lose weight

1. Set a realistic goal

You can use your body mass index (BMI) as a guide to choose your target weight. This is based on a person’s height to weight ratio and is used by many medical professionals. BMI helps determine a healthy target weight.

Use online tools such as the NHS BMI checker to determine a healthy weight for you. BMI is far from a perfect indicator, but it is a good place to get you started.

Another method is to target the target body fat percentage. The percentage of body fat for healthy men is usually 15% to 18% and for women 25% to 32%.

A man who trains and rides a bike can achieve a body fat percentage of 8% to 10%, while a woman who trains and rides a horse can achieve a body fat percentage of 24% to 28%.

There are many scales that can measure body fat percentage, so buying one may be a good investment.

2. Aim to lose 1 kg per week

Although it is tempting to try to lose more, research shows that sudden and rapid weight loss is rarely sustained, and many people regain weight, or even more.

Instead, think of it as a gradual process and lifestyle change. You don’t just want to lose weight, you also want to maintain it.

“For most people, if they have an hour a day and they are happy to exercise for an hour a day, then they can expect to lose one kilogram a week,” personal trainer and coach Andy Wadsworth (Andy Wadsworth) Say.

3. Ride often at a moderate speed

If you want to burn fat, you need to ride at a speed that allows your heart rate to reach between 68% and 79% of your maximum heart rate. This is what you can set using the heart rate monitor and bicycle computer.

If you don’t have these, you need to aim for a speed that makes you breathless but still able to maintain the conversation.

Most of your workouts should be at this level, which is often referred to as basic training-good news, because although you are tired, you won’t be exhausted every time you ride.

Aim for about an hour a day.

4. Commute to work

One of the great things about cycling is that it is also an efficient means of transportation, so switching your commute to two wheels means you will get regular exercise in time, and you will spend on travel anyway.

Riding a bicycle to work has a great effect on weight loss. A 2015 study by the University of East Anglia and the Food and Activity Research Center showed that people who switched from driving or taking public transportation to cyclists would lose an average of 7 kg in a year after a 30-minute one-way ride. .

Cycling also helps to improve your concentration, creativity and stress levels, so you may also be more efficient at work.

5. Add two to three high-intensity courses per week

Replace them with two or three regular rides, or, if you want, add them to the top, or combine them by adding high-intensity training at the end of a moderate ride.

For these efforts, you need to ride at a heart rate of 70% to 90% during most training, or ride hard enough to be unable to engage in conversation. You don’t need to maintain this speed throughout the training: interval training is very effective.

Wadsworth recommends adding this to your regular exercise: “Your body starts to work in anaerobic mode, so your body must repair itself after exercise and burn fat in this way, while increasing your aerobic capacity and Muscle mass… the more muscle you have and the more fuel you need to maintain it, the more calories you will burn.”

If you don’t like cycling outdoors or the weather is bad, then cycling indoors is always good. It may not be as fun as outdoor riding, but it does mean you can do a good workout when it rains, and the latest smart trainers and indoor riding apps make the experience more realistic — and, let’s dare say, fun — -More than ever.

Apps like Zwift, RGT Bike, Rouvy, Sufferfest and Trainerroad also have exercise and training programs, with plenty of time interval sessions to choose from.

6. Sufficient sleep

Sleep is the unsung hero of weight loss. Studies have shown that people who sleep six to eight hours a night are more successful in losing weight and maintaining weight, and are less stressed.

Research also shows that people who don’t get enough sleep at night are more likely to feel hungry and less likely to feel full when eating.

Of course, a good sleep is essential to help your body repair and build muscles after each day, so you can prepare for the next day.

This sounds simple, but it is important; strive for about seven hours of quality sleep every night, so that you have the best chance of losing weight.

7. Track your progress

If things are not changing at the same rate, don’t be discouraged; you are training your body to become healthier and more efficient. In some weeks you will see a lot of progress, in other weeks you may stagnate-overall Trend is the most important.

If you use weight or body fat percentage to track your progress, measure yourself once a week, preferably at the same time of day. The first thing after going to the toilet in the morning is a welcome time!

If you use Strava or a similar route tracker, you will be able to see your fitness improve as you progress-you may become faster on certain sections of the road, which will give you a lot of money A sense of accomplishment!

Clothes are also a good way to check how well you are doing. If you have a favorite item, or the clothes you are currently wearing, please check back every few weeks to see if it suits you.

• How to write a training diary

8. Add some cross training and flexibility training to your daily work

Although cycling is great for weight loss, it does bring stress and stress to the body, especially if you are a novice.

Cross training will help balance the leg muscle exercises you get from pedaling, while flexibility training will stretch these muscles and tendons to prevent injuries, soreness and pain.

Free weights, Pilates, swimming, Zumba and boxing are all very suitable for cross training, allowing you to have a stronger core, which will benefit your riding. Pilates and yoga are good choices for flexibility training.

All of these help build muscle. The more muscles, the more efficiently the body burns calories.

9. Eat less and eat more

Eating less and eating more helps keep the engine running at a steady speed.

If you think of your body as an engine, then you want it to be full of fuel and run at a steady speed throughout the day.

It is recommended to eat a small amount of good food every three to four hours. This will help you maintain a stable metabolism, continue to burn fat and ensure that your energy level is stable, so you have enough energy to continue working on a bicycle at the end of the day.

After the ride, dishes rich in protein and vegetables will help you recover better.

10. Avoid sugar and processed foods

Sugar and processed foods may provide you with plenty of energy, but their nutritional value is usually low. In addition, any sugar that you don’t burn immediately will be stored in your body as fat, and this is what you want to avoid.

We are not saying that you can never eat cake-it is a traditional part of the cycling experience after all-but we are saying that limit your intake to once a week or as a treat, and quit those other sugary ones altogether. Snacks and chocolate bars.

You should also avoid sugary sports energy gels and energy bars. They are very suitable for racing and long distance races, but if you want to lose weight, it is best to eat a balanced meal beforehand and add some bananas, some nuts or jerky.

11. Focus on lean protein and plenty of fruits and vegetables

Eating the right food is as important as avoiding the wrong food. You need to provide your body with everything it needs to run effectively, build muscles, and maintain exercise.

Matt Fitzgerald recommends eating high-quality foods with high nutritional value and usually low calorie density.

Choose lean protein such as fish, chicken, beans and legumes. Choose plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and choose whole-grain carbohydrates or low-glycemic index carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, oatmeal or rye bread.

As someone said: “This is a general rule of thumb, but if you can grow it or chase it and catch it or fish for it, that’s what you should eat. Stick to this diet and you will lose weight.”

Smoothies and juices may be tempting, but you are usually best to eat whole fruits, because then you will also get dietary fiber, not just sweet, sugary juices.

12. Try horseback riding before breakfast

There is no more satisfying way to start the day than riding a bicycle before dawn.

Going for a short ride before breakfast may be a good way to start losing weight. Your body is forced to use its stored fat because there is no food in your system. This is called fasting training.

The goal of riding time is 30 minutes to 1 hour, but if you are going to ride for longer, you need to eat something.

13. Avoid overtraining or undereating

If you want to lose weight, cycling or reducing food intake may be tempting. These are not healthy, and in the end they will not work for a long time.

“If you want to burn fat, it’s like burning logs in a campfire. If you want the campfire to continue to burn at high temperatures, just like your metabolism, then you want to feed it every three hours-that’s rarely And the food method that is often used. If you stop fueling it, the body will enter a hungry mode and it will keep more calories,” Wadsworth said. “So in the short term, yes, you will lose weight, but after a few more weeks, it will pile up again.”

Riding a bicycle too hard, especially when you are just starting to ride a bicycle or start doing more things, you may be completely exhausted, have no energy to do anything, or hurt yourself and make yourself unable to move.

Excessive reduction in calorie intake means that your body does not get enough fuel and nutrients to support the exercise you are trying to do, so it will not work effectively and is more likely to enter hunger mode, where it stores any calories. I did get the food, which was completely counterproductive.

If you want to lose weight, then the general guideline is that men should aim for 1,900 calories and women should aim for 1,400 calories.

Stable exercise plus good lean food equals steady weight loss, and you can avoid this.

• Overtraining syndrome: symptoms, causes and treatment

14. Enjoy!

The biggest advantage of cycling is that it is fun. Whether you like speeding on country roads, cycling on mountain bike trails, cycling long distances alone, or social cycling with friends, there are many things to love, and you will almost forget that you are actually doing exercises. exercise.

So get your friends involved, join a club, go out with your family, and make cycling a part of your life. Most importantly, have fun.

If you are looking for a new way of commuting or want a healthier lifestyle, we are here to help you. Visit our website to learn more about electric bikes and electric scooter or please leave information to us.