Biking to Lose Weight With Less Effort

When you're biking to lose weight, length (the amount of time you spend biking) definitely matters more than the distance covered. That means you probably don't need to ride all of the Tour de France route to shed some pounds. You can plan your biking trip around a specific event or simply reduce your mileage by only riding a portion of it. It really depends on how much biking you actually do. In either case, however, it's a great way to increase your physical activity while at the same time watching your calories and fat loss.

Of course, there are other ways of biking to lose weight without a dedicated time commitment. Some people simply combine running or walking in their daily routine with riding a bicycle for short distances. A run to the local grocery store, a brisk walk around the blocks, or even a nice hike can burn off a good deal of extra calories and help you reach your weight loss goals.

If you're not ready to totally give up your car, there are a few options for biking to lose weight. Probably the most popular is road biking, which involves riding on a road bike that's equipped with a bicycle chain and pedals. Bicyclists typically enjoy this type of biking for two reasons. First, because it lets you drive the bike at your own pace and secondly, because you can usually see the other person behind you. Most trails or mountain bike parks have signs that let you know when you're on the right road to avoid traffic.

But pedal power isn't the only thing to consider when planning your exercise program. Distance also matters when it comes to burning calories. Because each mile covered consumes a lot of calories, many riders choose to ride longer rides. Many consider twenty-five or thirty-minute rides too long. So you want to make sure you ride on easy terrain that offers plenty of hill climbing and rolling hills to increase your calorie count. You may also want to do some short sprints up a large hill to increase your calorie burn.

If you'd like to increase your biking mileage without gaining too much weight, you should consider using heart rate monitors. These will not only tell you how many calories you've burned during your workout but will also give you a number of heart beats per minute. This is great for weight loss because the more heart beats per minute that you outoglobin produce, the more weight you'll lose. Some heart rate monitors also have other features such as the ability to upload your information so you can track your progress over time and download your workouts to an application on your phone for further tracking and customization.

As far as actual biking goes, you need to keep in mind how many miles per hour you plan to do. If you can only do thirty minutes, you're probably not going to get very far. So calculate your usual workout time and add twenty-five minutes for your cardio workouts. Also be sure to add in a little bit of running into your workouts so you can increase your total calories burned during your entire workout. A good rule of thumb is to multiply your normal workout time by sixteen to get the number of calories you burn during a typical workout.

Finally, one of the most important aspects of a biking to weight loss success story is finding the right clothes. Many people think that running or walking around is enough to keep them motivated but this simply is not true. Biking requires a lot more body fat to burn than regular exercise so it's best to go with a more loose fitting, more comfortable outfit. Again, it's not necessary to purchase brand new clothing, but if you want to cut down on the amount of time you spend in the gym and wear something you feel good in, a gym membership may be worth it.

Biking to weight loss can be an effective way to achieve your weight loss goals. By adding a little bit of exercise, burning more calories, and incorporating a new hobby into your life you'll find yourself with a ton of extra energy and less pounds to show for it. Just don't forget to take in those calories and watch your protein intake. Good luck!