Ever wanted to lose weight without having to spend extra hours in the gym? Well, if that’s what you’re aiming for, then using an exercise machine will surely benefit you. Moreover cycling on an exercise machine is a very efficient way of getting healthy and fit. However, some of you may still ask, “are exercise bikes good for losing weight” Let’s find out.
By raising your metabolism and burning more belly fat, an exercise bike will help you lose weight. It will even boost your heart rate without risking injury to your main joints and muscles. In addition, you’re going to lose around 260 calories performing a moderate exercise bike workout.
Are Exercise Bikes Good For Losing Weight
Exercise bikes have been around for more than half a century. However, a surprising number of people are still skeptical about whether the machine actually makes you lose weight or not. If you’re one of those people, then you’ve come to the right site. Here, we talk about how exercise bikes help you lose weight. Thus, let’s dive right in!
1. Calories
To begin with, let’s talk about your calories. Calories are the fuel that drives your body to perform tasks such as sprinting, jumping, and swimming. In fact, it even controls your breathing. Thus, it is safe for us to say that calories are the culprits that decide whether you lose or gain weight.
Every day, you use up a specific number of calories for your body to function correctly. However, your age and gender determine this count. On the other hand, your body also has a number of maintenance calories that you need to take in daily for you to maintain the same weight.
2. Calorie Deficit
In contrast, to lose weight, you’ll need to have a calorie deficit. This means that your daily calorie intake should be lower than your maintenance calories. So then, how does an exercise bike affect this number? We have a simple answer for that; exercising on the machine causes you to burn calories.
Thus, working out on an exercise bike contributes to the calorie deficit. However, your calorie-burn depends on how long you’re working out on the bike and the workout’s intensity. In addition, your weight will also affect this number. Hence, let us see how many calories the device helps you burn.
You will burn around 260 calories if you weigh155 pounds by cycling on the exercise bike for half an hour at medium-level intensity. Simultaneously, a person weighing 125 pounds will burn only 211 cals in the same period and severity. However, the machine can burn up to 311 cals if someone weighs 185 pounds.
3. Increasing Intensity
The data that is given above is in terms of an average calorie loss. You can burn a greater or a lower number of cals depending on how you workout. However, increasing the intensity will aid you in getting a higher calorie-burn. Therefore, we suggest training at a harder level if your only aim is to lose weight.
4. Prevents Injuries
During a workout, the knees are one of the few body parts that must tolerate a lot of tension. Furthermore, we are all familiar with how too much stress will result in knee injuries, including aches and swelling. This soon becomes a major concern. However, using an exercise bike will save you a lot of time and effort.
Most exercise bikes come with pedals that have foot straps attached to them. As a result, you can use these straps to protect your legs. This means the feet will never leave the pedals. Hence, the joints do not have to absorb any impacts or vibrations. Besides, the bike also expands the knee’s range of motion.
How Long Should You Ride An Exercise Bike To Lose Weight
We’re no fitness experts. However, we did attempt to provide you with a fitness schedule that was suitable for weight loss. Furthermore, we highly advise that you meet with a doctor to seek medical approval to carry out this plan. This ensures that you do not suffer any injury when riding the bike.
It’s important to note that you can take it slowly at first when it comes to improving your health. In addition, increasing the duration of the exercise steadily is also useful. Studies show that an exercise bike workout could last between 25 and 30 minutes in the beginning. This is the safest period to spend on the machine as a newcomer.
However, our main focus is weight loss, and we all know getting rid of extra weight is never a simple job. Previously, we said that using an exercise bike would definitely result in a larger calorie loss. Furthermore, the fitness routine that we will detail is highly effective at burning belly fat. Exercise bike helps to burn belly fat. It’s also a decent choice for higher-resistance routines.
Start the exercise by softly pedaling for 5-10 minutes at a low speed. Then pedal at medium intensity for 3-5 minutes to make the exercise more challenging. Switch between high (1-3 minutes) and low (3-5 minutes) severity for the next 20-30 minutes. Finally, cool off for 5-10 minutes by moving at a slower pace.
Tips For Exercise Bike Workouts
It is vital that you are working out on an exercise bike machine in the correct manner. Moreover, know the proper use of the machine is going to prevent you from hurting yourself. Therefore, we have tried to list some tips that people commonly use when using the machine. Thus, without further ado, let’s see what these tips are
Saddle Height:
One aspect that decides how pleasant your cycling exercise would be is saddle height. It also affects how you drive your heels. Therefore, working out on the bike at the incorrect saddle height will result in knee pain and fractures. Furthermore, you also risk losing a large amount of leverage.
As a consequence, having the proper saddle height is crucial. We suggest setting the saddle to the same height as your hip bone while standing next to the machine. This should be the perfect height for the majority of people. Furthermore, sitting at the proper saddle height allows you to optimize your energy output.
Securing Your Foot:
Toe frames and foot straps are standard features that are present on any exercise bike. Therefore, we should always take advantage of them. Hence, position the ball of your feet over the pedal’s center and secure them with the straps. Besides, the ball of your foot has the highest surface area of any part of your foot. As a result, it would serve as a strong base.
Body Placement:
The positioning of your body on the exercise bike has a huge effect on the workout’s outcome. Therefore, please ensure that you maintain a good riding stance. Furthermore, your main focus should be aligning your knees according to your knees.
Next, place your hands on the handlebars and your feet’ balls on the middle of the pedals to sit in the correct saddle posture. Please make sure the pedals are level with one another. We propose placing them at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock.
In addition, we recommend that you move the handlebars slightly higher if you have back pain or issues. This keeps the problems from getting any worse. In contrast, lowering the armbars to saddle height forces you to contract your core. This will help you get a lot more out of your exercise bike workout.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Our article provides you with a thorough analysis of whether exercise bikes are good for losing weight or not. However, it doesn’t provide any feedback on the concerns that we receive through emails and comments. Thus, we have decided to respond to some of them below
Will exercise bike help lose weight on thighs?
Using the exercise bike will increase your overall calorie burn. Thus, it will definitely aid you in your weight loss. However, you cannot focus or tone a specific set of muscles, such as your thighs, using the machine. Therefore, you cannot reduce your thighs.
Does cycling reduce waist size?
Cycling is one of the most common means of aerobic exercise. It benefits your body in many ways, such as burning belly fat causing weight loss. However, you will need to lose weight all over the body to have noticeable changes in the waist.
Why do my legs feel heavy when cycling?
One of the common reasons why your legs start to feel heavy is because there is a build-up of fatigue. Moreover, sometimes people drive their muscles to their limits which damages them. In addition, a build of lactic acid can also tire your legs during cycling.
When should bikes be avoided?
Generally, we would suggest that you stop riding a bike when you have any sorts of joint injuries. Moreover, avoiding the bike is an ideal choice if you have pre-existing muscle aches or pain. At the same time, please don’t go biking after the dark.
How many miles should you cycle a day to lose weight?
This is a matter of personal choice. However, cycling an average of 20 miles each day is more than enough for burning calories. In fact, you’re going to burn around 1000 calories each day by riding a bike for 20 miles per day.
Wrapping It Up
It seems like we have to come to an end. Although your time with us was little, we certainly hope that it was worthwhile. Moreover, we are thrilled that you were able to know whether the machine is actually beneficial for you or not. Thus, the next time someone asks, “are exercise machines good for losing weight?” You’ll know what to say. Happy exercising!