Having a lack of time doesn’t have to impede your ability to get a full body workout in. There’s one program that can help you get fit even if you don’t think you have time. Cycling is an aerobic fitness program that’s effective for both weight and fat loss.
Weight Loss Cycling Benefits
Bicycling might seem like a fun way to work out – and if you’re outside, you get fresh air and great scenery. But you might not realize everything that cycling can do for you. If you’re just a few pounds overweight, cycling can burn off nearly 600 calories for every hour that you ride.
The more you weigh, the more calories you’ll burn off. So this means that you can shed weight while cycling. In the process, you’ll end up shaping up, too. Cycling is a great way to build your lower leg muscles, back muscles and tighten up the abdominal area because it’s a resistance exercise.
Plus, cycling burns fat and you can shed right at 600 calories or more per hour. Because it’s also a cardio exercise, it strengthens the heart as you lose weight. Biking is considered a low impact fitness routine, even though it’s cardio in nature. That makes it easy on the joints, especially the knees and ankles.
Cycling Benefits For Brain
A great benefit that cycling can deliver for your body is it improves your cognitive health. It does this by elevating your brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which is what helps the brain handle your emotions, your memory recall and enables you to be able to deal with whatever stress you might face.
Because riding your bike gives your cognitive function this boost, your brain’s neurons stay in better shape. Not only that, but when you perform this kind of exercise, you get the added boost of natural happy chemicals that keep you feeling positive long after your cycle time is finished.
Cycling Benefits For Heart
You’ll also see an improvement in your heart health. The activity boosts your blood circulation, improves your heart muscles and helps lower the amount of fat in your blood.
It also lowers your blood pressure, which in turn helps your heart, too. If you have a problem with your glucose control, cycling as a fitness program can also help with that. When you ride your bicycle, you can lower your glucose levels significantly and this lowered level remains for as long as a full day after you’ve completed your cycling.
Watch “Benefits Of Cycling 1 Hour A Day” Video
How Much Cycling For Weight Loss?
The length of time and the type of workout that you do once you’ve chosen cycling for fat burning as your fitness option is going to depend on the program that you want to follow. If you’re someone who’s seeking a cycling program because your main goal is to lose weight, then you’re going to want to choose something that centers the focus on consistency for five times a week.
You’ll want this workout to be for at least an hour per day. The amount of calories that you’ll end up burning during your workout is going to vary. It depends on the terrain. If you’re cycling at an incline, you’ll burn more calories faster than you would if you were on a straight stretch.
These changes from a flat surface to an incline cause you to push yourself harder. This extra effort burns more calories and gives you greater full body benefits. Some people choose to use inclines as their challenge to level up their fitness.
They push themselves to beat the hill faster than the time prior. Whatever program you follow, you always want to start with a warm up. This means that you’ll pedal for at least 10 minutes before you start your ride.
Cycling For Muscle Building
If you’re looking to build muscle, then you can use timed intervals as you cycle. For example, you would cycle as hard as you could for 30 seconds, then rest for 10. You would then repeat this as many times as the set you’re following called for.
You can also use speed challenges, which cause you to raise the rpms. You would also do this as a set within whatever cycling for muscle building program you’ve chosen. Whichever one you choose, you’ll increase your stamina and your physical ability.
Why Cycling Saves Time
There are a lot of exercises that call for prep time. You might have to set something up, drag out equipment or head to the gym. That’s not the case with cycling. It’s one of the most time saving fitness programs that you can get involved in.
It saves you time because you already have the exercise equipment that you need right on hand. Your bike is with you. So if you decide that you want to get in a workout, all you have to do is hop on the bike and take off.
Cycling is an easy workout because you can ride anywhere you please. You can cycle in your neighborhood before you go to work or after you get home. You can go for a ride on the weekends at nearby trails or during your lunch break if you work from home.
How Cycling Saves Money
You can save time and money by biking back and forth to work rather than driving. This could change your daily commute and make it a less stressful experience. No more being stuck in traffic.
Plus, not only do you come out ahead on car maintenance, but you get in a solid workout every time you cycle to and from the office. You’ll arrive at work with more energy and when you leave work, you’ll have gotten in your fitness for the day.
When you’re ready to run some errands, you can hop on your road bike and this lets you do two things at once. You get to take care of whatever you need to, while at the same time also taking care of your body.
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