Cycling has long been touted as a beneficial form of exercise, with good reason: It provides a fast way to burn calories while strengthening leg and buttock muscles – plus, it’s easier on knees and hips than many other forms of physical activity! Just to start with a few of biking benefits.
Cycling is an excellent option for individuals with back issues or physical limitations due to its low impact on the body. Furthermore, cycling can be tailored to your desired level of intensity: from low-level intervals to an all-out sprint!
Your workout depends on distance and speed; cycling 12 miles per hour for one hour at 150 pounds will burn approximately 544 calories, but don’t force yourself!
Take it easy and enjoy the ride – if this is your first time riding, start with shorter rides of 20 to 30 minutes and gradually increase both duration and speed over time.
Riding requires using multiple muscles in both legs and buttocks while you ride, but the most prominent muscle group you will target will be the quads. Furthermore, riding will strengthen calf muscles in your lower leg, which is essential because muscular calves may prevent injuries like shin splints from developing.
As an aerobic exercise, cycling improves lung capacity and endurance while strengthening mental well-being. A study published in 2019 discovered that those who engaged in at least three 45-minute cycling sessions every week experienced healthier diets while being at reduced risk of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, or heart disease than those who didn’t cycle at all.
It can be your most significant decision to go cycling as it offers tremendous advantages in health, relationships, and many others. This list shows the twelve best advantages of cycling, and it should give you many reasons to go cycling.
1. Cycling boosts mental health and brain power
Cycling may not only benefit your physical health but can also enhance both mental and emotional well-being. Cycling is an aerobic form of physical activity and, like any form of physical exercise, helps regulate blood pressure while relieving anxiety and stress.
According to research, individuals who cycle consistently experience fewer depression and anxiety symptoms than those who don’t exercise regularly. This is because aerobic exercise can boost the levels of natural cannabinoids in your body, resulting in a sense of euphoria and improving one’s mental well-being.
And when cycling outdoors in nature, its fresh air, and beautiful scenery will leave your mind refreshed and optimistic. Additionally, regular cycling can slow the aging of your brain while increasing working memory capacity.
2. Cycling may help you lose weight
For effective weight loss, it is highly recommended to include cycling in your fitness regimen in addition to activities such as running and strength training. Relying solely on cycling may produce a different result than shedding extra pounds.
Many trainers, health gurus, and fitness advocates recommend that adults burn at least 500 calories during each workout to achieve weight loss goals. Cycling at a leisurely pace can do just that in about 45 minutes!
However, when cycling for weight loss, you must push yourself harder and increase the intensity to reach your weight loss goals more rapidly and strengthen aerobic endurance – helping you burn even more calories post-workout.
3. How many calories does cycling burn?
Like all forms of exercise, cycling can help people burn calories at varying rates depending on several variables, such as weight, speed, and resistance levels.
Muscle mass percentage impacts how many calories a cyclist expends when riding, burning more at rest for those with greater muscle.
An online calorie calculator can estimate the number of calories burned while cycling; however, their numbers may not consider an individual’s exact weight and ride incline.
Professional cyclists require significant energy expenditure, particularly during large one-day races on cobblestones. Therefore, managing and planning caloric intake for these athletes is of the utmost importance.
4. Burn more fat with cycling
Cycling as an endurance exercise can burn many calories and temporarily boost your metabolism, helping you shed excess pounds quickly in the short term. But, according to Rottenberg, your body adapts, and you find that cycling burns fewer calories overall.
Fat loss from cycling depends on several factors, including diet and starting weight. Furthermore, our bodies store fat differently; men and women tend to store theirs around their stomachs, while pre-menopausal women may store fat on their thighs and glutes.
Cycling can help you burn thigh fat, but to achieve long-term weight loss, it is equally important to adhere to a healthy diet and keep weight under control. Cycling is an accessible exercise option that doesn’t strain joints much, making it suitable for almost everyone.
5. Cycling is good for beginners
Cycling is an ideal exercise for beginner cyclists, providing low-impact workouts at an easygoing pace. Yet, you can gradually increase the intensity as your fitness increases.
Golf can help improve balance and coordination, helping us avoid falls as we age. Furthermore, it is an effective cross-training activity for athletes such as runners, improving endurance while increasing performance on the road or other sports fields.
Cycling can be an enjoyable activity to share with family and friends and an efficient means of traveling to work or school in the mornings. Commuting by bike helps reduce carbon emissions while saving money on gas consumption – plus, it provides an alternative to driving on busy streets and parking lots!
6. Cycling will help strengthen your legs
Cycling can be an excellent exercise to strengthen and tone the legs. It can burn fat, and cycling strengthens the glutes, quad muscles, hamstrings, and calf muscles–though their development will depend on both cycling workouts and additional gym training.
Gluteus maximus muscles work hard when cycling as they help push through the pedals. In addition, quad muscles are engaged during each downstroke of the pedal cycle. At the same time, the hamstrings become active on each upstroke stroke of the pedal cycle.
Cycling can strengthen your calves, which are responsible for the upstroke. Do exercises like seated calf raises, or standing calf presses to strengthen these muscles.
7. Kickstart your morning with the joy of cycling
Discover the wonders of cycling, a great low-impact exercise that elevates your heart rate, promotes healthy blood circulation, and assists in meeting recommended physical activity guidelines.
Cycling also has many intensity levels available to suit both novices and experts.
Bicycling to work can save money and the environment by replacing driving with biking, thus cutting emissions, traffic congestion, and pollution levels and supporting local businesses. Biking has multiple environmental advantages as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions, habitat loss, and water and air pollution and supports local business communities.
Cycling is also an effective way of socializing with others – thanks to an ever-expanding scene of inclusive cycle clubs, you’ll meet people of all ages and abilities in your locality.
Riding together has also been shown to boost mental health; studies have discovered that socializing releases oxytocin which reduces levels of the “fight or flight” hormones that cause stress response responses in our bodies. Plus, it improves sleep quality: one study suggests that those who cycle enjoy a better quality of life and sleep than those who commute by bike compared with those who commute via bike alone or ride alone!
8. Low-impact Exercise
Though many enjoy dancing or swimming like a mermaid, only some are suitable for high-impact exercise. Cycling offers a low-impact workout that can strengthen muscles while improving balance.
Regular cycling can help your body use fat as fuel more effectively, meaning experienced cyclists can pedal for longer distances without drawing on carbohydrate stores for energy.
Cycling can also boost confidence and is ideal for people struggling to perform high-impact exercises due to joint problems. Studies show that people who bike regularly are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines without placing strain on their joints (18).
Before beginning cycling, ensure that the bike fits you correctly and that all necessary safety equipment (helmet, gloves, and shoes) is available to ensure an enjoyable and practical cycling experience. You are incorporating other forms of exercise, such as strength training or interval exercises, into your ride to maximize results and ensure maximum satisfaction.
9. Cycling improves balance, posture, and coordination
Cycling can help improve balance, posture, and coordination. It also works your core muscles, including your back muscles. Cycling also makes for excellent cardiovascular exercise – in one study, people who cycled to work had a 46% lower risk of heart disease than those who didn’t ride!
Cycling can help you burn a significant number of calories and help you shed unwanted weight. As a low-impact exercise, cycling poses no strain or pressure on joints; therefore, making it an excellent workout for people with arthritis or joint issues. Furthermore, cycling helps improve mental health – increasing circulation to the brain while decreasing stress levels to boost cognitive function, enhance mood levels, and reduce depression.
Cycling is an excellent way for the entire family to have fun while exercising. You can do it solo or with others. Join a cycling club or training team to meet new people with similar interests; cycling also makes for great family time while helping children develop spatial awareness.
10. Cycling improves your sex life
Cycling is an enjoyable fitness activity for both men and women to maintain overall physical fitness while burning fat, providing cardiovascular health, stress reduction, and strength gains.
But many cyclists may worry about its effects on their sex lives – cycling has been linked to issues like erectile dysfunction, perineal numbness, and urinary tract infections; yet these fears should not be held against cycling itself; by making adjustments such as seat height and diet changes cycling can improve your sex life!
Regular cycling will develop the muscles used during sexual intercourse and enhance libido by increasing blood flow to the genital area. Furthermore, cycling helps regulate stress hormones which may enhance sex drive while simultaneously providing restful sleep – both essential for optimal sexual performance.
Cycling increases libido and can enhance orgasms for both women and men alike. This effect occurs due to cycling’s role in keeping your vascular system healthy, building muscle size, and increasing body confidence.
11. Enhanced Sleep Quality
Adequate sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining optimal health, positively impacting various aspects of well-being. These aspects include enhancing mood and concentration, thus boosting productivity at work and making physical exercise more manageable and enjoyable. Cycling may increase slow-wave sleep phase time compared with non-cycling nights.
An exercise routine can also aid sleep. A daily workout will help your body regulate its internal clock and produce sufficient melatonin. Try sticking to the same sleeping and exercise schedule each day so your body gets used to it; this will make you more rested after each workout and help ensure you sleep at a reasonable hour every night.
Though many may shy away from evening exercise for fear it will interfere with their sleep cycle, studies show that moderate-intensity exercises do not significantly disrupt most adults’ ability to fall or stay asleep at night.
Experiment with different workout types and intensities until you find one that works for your sleep cycle – remember, cycling is also an ideal alternative if time constraints prevent exercise before bed!
12. Cycling it’s good for many sports
Cycling provides a delightful cardio workout with multiple benefits, whether for transport or sport. Cycling strengthens the heart and lungs while building muscular strength and aerobic endurance over time – plus, its low-impact nature is excellent for recovering from injury.
Drafting can help make riding 27% simpler by riding close behind another rider ahead. Drafting reduces wind resistance and helps save energy as less work needs to be done by both of you.
Cross-training can help maintain an optimum fitness level throughout the year by targeting muscle imbalances, protecting against injury, and developing into an all-around cycling experience.
Even short journeys can add to global pollution levels and could be more efficient for time spent sitting in cars or buses. If everyone who works within five miles of their home cycled instead, carbon emissions would decrease by around 5 million tons annually – saving money and providing extra space on congested roads.
Related Article Is cycling a good workout? How to start cycling in 10 steps
FAQ
Is cycling a good workout?
Cycling can help increase cardiovascular fitness and build strength. Even beginning at low-intensity levels can quickly turn into an intense workout!
Cycling is an activity enjoyed by people of all ages and fitness levels, building community through an expanding scene of inclusive cycle clubs.
Does cycling reduce belly fat?
Fat storage occurs primarily under the skin and within organs (visceral fat). Cycling alone cannot lead to targeted abdominal fat reduction; however, burning calories and building muscle will help decrease stomach fat stores.
What does biking do to your body shape?
Biking is an aerobic exercise that burns calories and can help you achieve weight control with a nutritious diet. In addition, this activity builds muscles in the legs, core, and arms.
How much weight can you lose by biking 30 minutes a day?
An accurate answer to this question is difficult since calorie burn varies based on the intensity and length of cycling workouts. A 30-minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) bike session will burn many more than a leisurely Sunday ride to your local supermarket.
When you engage in a 30-minute cycling session, you can expect to burn an estimated 200-600 calories. However, the exact number depends on your pace, body weight, and metabolism.To achieve a healthy weight loss rate of 1-2 pounds per week, it’s advisable to include biking in your daily routine and follow a balanced diet that results in a calorie deficit.
Is cycling a good form of cardio?
Cycling as cardio: Biking can provide an effective cardiovascular workout, but you shouldn’t rely on just cycling alone to stay in shape. Balance and flexibility training should also play an integral role in your workout regime – other forms of exercise may help develop these crucial abilities.
How long should I bike for a good workout?
Aim to bike for at least 30 minutes to have a good workout. This duration allows your body to warm up, get into a rhythm, and start reaping the cardiovascular and endurance benefits.
If time permits, gradually increase your biking duration to 60 minutes to challenge yourself and achieve even more significant fitness gains.
What is indoor cycling?
Indoor cycling, popularly called spinning, has quickly become one of the hottest fitness trends worldwide, popular at gyms and in homes on specialty bikes such as Peloton.
Indoor cycling provides an effective aerobic workout while protecting joints. Furthermore, doctor approval may help lower blood pressure and “bad” cholesterol.
What is a stationary bike?
A stationary exercise bike (often called a “spinning bike”) is an indoor cycling machine similar to an ordinary bicycle without wheels that offers beginners several health and fitness benefits
