Whether you bike for exercise, to commute, or for socializing as part of a biking club, there’s no denying cycling offers convenience and a cost-saving aspect that isn’t easily found in other means of transport. Indeed, more than 54 million US citizens put foot to pedal is 2022, whether for travel, fintess or just as a hobby.
Even as a hobby, cycling is a known physical activity that helps keep us fit and healthy. But in this post, we’ll look at how cycling can help us lose weight while staying fit. Below, we’ll explore some tips for maximizing your biking habit for healthy weight loss.
Getting started
Getting started in cycling might not be as easy as simply grabbing a bike and going. If you’re one of the 41.9% of Americans who suffer from obesity, you might need to lose weight before getting on a bike. There are some effective ways to kickstart a weight loss journey these days – a GLP-1 program of medical weight loss is a good start. Medical weight loss has become more popular in recent years and is often used on patients suffering from obesity to help get them started. If you are too obese to ride a bike but see cycling as your fitness route, speaking to a physician about medical weight loss may be one way to get into the saddle.
Work on your stamina
Once you’re on a bike, cycling can be excellent endurance training even if you aren’t actively doing it for exercise. For instance, if you’re biking as a means of transportation, as long as you have a routine, it can help you build your endurance and stamina. This is crucial as it helps make your heart muscles stronger and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Your body will also be able to absorb more oxygen, making your muscles work more efficiently. Without question, endurance and stamina-building will also help you burn calories more efficiently, helping you lose weight in a way that keeps you fit and active.
Eat a healthy diet
As mentioned above, cycling requires endurance and stamina to keep you going. Being physically fit and having enough energy to fuel your cycling activity is also key to avoiding injuries or fatigue. Thus, maintaining a nutritious and balanced diet is vital. Practical weight loss tips highlight how healthy eating is essential for weight loss. Instead of focusing on losing weight fast, it’s healthier and more sustainable to pursue a healthy weight loss. For instance, a high-protein diet can help you lose weight while feeling full, even without restricting yourself from certain foods.
Healthy weight loss also means that calories — used to measure the energy our body uses — are kept in balance to ensure your body functions well. One tip for maintaining a good diet is to pack healthy snacks for your cycling sessions; bananas are great natural energy bars, helping you replace lost electrolytes from sweating and supplying enough energy to your cycling muscles.
Maintain energy balance
Focusing on losing body fat instead of muscle mass is key. When your body lacks the energy to cycle, it accesses your fat reserves to prevent fatigue. On the other hand, you need your muscles to cycle efficiently and manage this energy balance. For optimal weight loss and energy management, you should balance cycling (burning fat) with eating healthy (building fat reserves to burn); this is why, as pointed out above, eating healthily and without focusing on restrictions is important. Over time, you can also increase your cycling distance to burn more calories and fats — just don’t forget to eat accordingly so you don’t compromise your energy supply.
Prioritize your comfort
Finally, it would be best if you always prioritize your comfort when cycling. As discussed in a past post, you should feel good on your bike so that you can cycle freely and without causing pain or discomfort to your body. Naturally, the more comfortable you are on your bike saddle, the longer and farther you can cycle, helping you make the most of your biking session.
On the other hand, if you aren’t comfortable, you’ll be prone to taking breaks and risk developing pain in the neck and shoulders or knee and hip joints. Of course, everyone’s cycling complaints will differ. Investing in cycling accessories or gear — such as new pedals or aerodynamic wheelsets — can help you improve your cycling performance and comfort, helping you optimize your cycling for weight loss.
