10 Ways to Lose Weight with Your Bike
Losing weight with your mountain bike is less likely going to make you suffer from impact related injuries like running would. Nevertheless, that does not mean it’s going to be a simple activity just like jumping on your bike and heading out for a cycle. To meet your desired weight goals by shedding off some pounds, use the following ways not just to burn as many calories as possible but also to make the workout as efficient as it can be.
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After your morning ride, Eat
In the morning after waking up, your body is normally is a semi fasted condition. If you can, force yourself on your full suspension mountain bike shortly after waking up without eating breakfast. This way your body will be encouraged to burn more fat. However, this will depend on the intensity and length of your ride. If you want to take it a notch higher, have a cup or two of plain black or green tea. This will improve your calorie burn (energy expenditure) and will make a morning cycle without food less daunting. As soon as the ride is over, remember to eat good, hearty breakfast.
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Mix it up
You can get stuck in a rut easily when you are only pedaling on the road. When you are trying to lose weight with your bike, cycling the same routes at same intensity may lead to a plateau. A good way is to mix it up. Try different disciplines. For instance, cyclo-cross and mountain biking require short but explosive energy bursts because of the terrain. This can mimic interval training. It’s also ideal if you don’t have much time. If you spent about an hour on the trails, you will burn about 100 calories more than you would on a steady state cycle on the road. This is because of increased intensity.
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Don’t ride alone all the time
Join a group ride. When cycling alone, you may lose motivation. And when you want to burn extra pounds, getting out of the door is half the battle. Whether it’s a small group ride organized by a local cycling team or several training partners, getting together with other riders gives you one more reason to get out on the trails or road. As an added advantage, cycling with other riders will push you to go farther and ride harder than you would alone especially if they are a bit faster than you.
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Ensure consistency
Face it. Riding once in a week isn’t going to make you realize your goal. Burning calories is just about accumulation. For you to begin noticing some change in your bottom line, days will need to become weeks. Therefore, instead of having one long but slow ride each week, turn to riding an hour four or five days a week. That way you will burn more calories and become fitter.
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Avoid energy bars and gels when riding
These are for racing. However good they are for replenishing your energy stores when you are out riding, they contain many calories than natural foods. Instead, tuck away a half peanut butter sandwich or a large banana.
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Change your commute
Commute to work by bike. Also, ensure you don’t use the same route all the time as this can make burning calories hard especially if the commutes are short. To optimize your calorie burn, look for several routes of varying terrains and distance. While it’s impossible to take the long and hard route always, opting for it once or twice a week will pay big dividends in the long term.
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Go for long rides
To lose weight with your bike, you will need to have several moderate intensity cycles in a week that last for about two or more hours. This means you will stay in your aerobic heart rate zone which is about 80% or less of your optimum heart rate. High-intensity intervals should be done a few times in a week and about an hour although in terms of calories burned they give you more bang for your buck. Long rides, on the other hand, result in burning of more fats and can be as frequent as possible without raising your risk of injury. Just don’t forget long rides will make you hungrier. Therefore ensure you eat a healthy meal so as to limit your post-ride snacking.
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Don’t Coast
Coasting is what makes one minute running cause more calories to be burned. Whether you are taking a break, rolling up to a stop sign or cycling downhill, all those instances when you are not pedaling, kill calorie burning and lower your heart rate. If possible, keep coasting to a minimum, and you will be surprised at how many calories you will burn on an hour ride.
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Stay hydrated
If you want to lose weight with your bike in summer, make sure you fill up on water. Before you begin your rides, start with two bottles of water, at least. Also, be sure where you will stop for refills along the road or trails.
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Maintain your upper body fit
Because riding is majorly a leg sport, your upper body can lose muscle volume. Remember this is important because when you lose muscle, your body will not burn as many calories. To solve this, you need year round resistance training. However, this doesn’t mean you have to spend hours in the weight room. Just 20 minutes twice per week is enough. When you combine this with cycling, you will achieve your very much desired goal.
Many people these days want to stay thinner on their waist and to ensure that, they have turned to various weight loss methods including using supplements. Losing weight on your bike is one of the most excellent weight loss methods. So, if you have settled on biking as a way of losing weight, make sure you follow the ways we have discussed above and I have no doubt you will achieve your goal.
