One question I get asked a lot is, are exercise bikes good for weight loss? My answer to this is a total yes! There are many different types of exercise machines on the market that claim they will help you to lose fat and/or tone up, such as rowing machines, spin bikes, cross trainers and even running shoes. Out of all the available options, an exercise bike is likely to be one of the best pieces of equipment you could buy if your goal is to lose weight and burn calories.
Well, are exercise bikes good for weight loss? Yes. Exercise bikes are good for weight loss. An exercise bike can help you burn calories and lose weight for a number of reasons.
Are exercise bikes good for weight loss? Why?
Yes, they are. Exercise bikes are good for weight loss because they provide an efficient cardiovascular workout that burns lots of calories. So if you use the best exercise bike it will help you lose weight faster than other types of equipment.
Most of the time, people do cardio to lose weight. While it’s a good way to lose weight, it can even be counterproductive if done incorrectly.
There are two different types of cardio: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic training is long, slow exercise that raises your heart rate and keeps it at a high level for a long period of time. On the other hand, anaerobic training is short, highly intense bursts of activity that raise your heart rate above its maximum capacity.
Aerobic training is better for losing weight because it burns more calories during exercise than anaerobic training.
This means that if you’re doing something that lasts longer, like running or jogging, you will burn more calories than if you were sprinting or doing shorter high-intensity workouts.
Reasons exercise bikes are good for weight loss
The two most important reasons why an exercise bike is good for losing weight:
An exercise bike is an efficient way to build up your cardiovascular fitness and endurance. It will help you in more active endeavors such as sports and everyday activities where staying fit and healthy is more important. Being fitter increases the amount of energy that your body uses on a daily basis, so even when you’re taking it easy, your body will be burning extra calories just because it’s more efficient than before. This means that exercising and building up your general fitness on an exercise bike can result in long-term fat loss benefits.
A typical workout on an exercise bike gives your lower half a great workout. This is perfect for toning your bottom and lower abdominal muscles. This can help with weight loss as these muscles burn a lot of calories both at rest and when they are working (and believe us, they’re working hard during an exercise bike workout).
So, why not try out the Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike with Pulse? This exercise bike supports 300 lb weight capacity. It has 8 different magnetic resistance levels that you can adjust to suit your fitness level. It’s quiet enough that you won’t disturb those around you. It can easily fold for easy storage.
Exercise bikes may not be as fascinating as some of the latest fitness gadgets on the market but they do prove their worth in terms of efficiency, comfort, and safety. So if you’re looking for a way to get in shape that will save you money on your gym membership and save you from hours of boredom on the treadmill, an exercise bike may be just what you need.
Do you think you can still ask this question are exercise bikes good for weight loss after reading the above? I hope you don’t.
How many calories will I burn on an exercise bike?
It depends on your body weight, what type of bike you’re riding, the intensity of your ride & how long you’re spending on the bike. This question gets asked a lot and there are so many different answers. So, I’m going to break this down into a load of different scenarios: Average Jay- 80KG Male. If you’re an average 80kg male who’s looking to get in shape or lose some weight then here’s how many calories you could burn if you were to ride for 30 minutes at 60-70 RPM (which is said to be around a medium pace):
Week 1: Gradually work yourself up from 10 mins per day until eventually doing 45mins per day
Week 2: Gradually work yourself up from 45mins per day until eventually doing 1 hour per day
Week 3+: Keep it at 1hr per day
Average Joe – 80KG, male, Calories burned in 30 minutes to one hour on an exercise bike 10-30 mins can be around 313 calories.
And according to Havard, you may burn the following calories if you bike at a steady intensity for 30 minutes:
- If you weigh 70.3 kg (155 lb) you may burn 260–298 calories
- If you weigh 56.7 kg (125 lb ) you may burn 210–240 calories
- If you weigh 83.9 kg (185 lb) you may burn 311–355 calories
If the above calculations weren’t enough for you then you should check out the following link to an article that gives you even more detail: How Many Calories Will You Burn On A Stationary Bike.
Steps to use an exercise bike for weight loss
First, determine why you want to use an exercise bike in the first place. Why do you hope to lose weight? What is your ultimate fitness goal? For most people, their goals involve either losing weight or increasing cardiovascular endurance. Knowing this is critical for determining how long of a workout session you will need and what kind of resistance levels on the bike are appropriate for your needs.
Different Types of exercise bikes for weight loss
There are different types of exercise bikes that you can use to lose weight. They include:
- Stationary bikes
- Spinning bikes
- Upright Bikes
Each type of bike will burn calories more efficiently than the other types of bikes.
Spinning Bikes
These types of exercise bike resemble regular road or mountain bicycles that people often use to get around. Spinning bikes are adjustable so that anyone can use them, whether they have a long or short torso, a tall or short height, and a small or large build. This type of exercise bike looks very similar to the regular bicycle you may see someone riding in the park down your street. Since these types of bicycles resemble regular road bikes, it is important to always wear a helmet when using this exercise machine for safety purposes.
Upright exercise bikes
They’re best for losing weight by burning calories, increasing cardiovascular endurance, and exercising the heart. These types of bikes are often used in spinning classes because they provide a comfortable seat that offers support to the lower back. The pedals on these types of exercise bikes have straps so that your feet will not slip off while cycling at high resistance levels. For example, upright stationary bikes offer multiple workout programs so you can adjust it to your fitness needs or pick one depending on your mood. However, if you want to build muscle mass, this may not be the best type of bike to use since it does not allow you to pedal backward.
Recumbent Exercise Bikes
Reclined exercise bikes are designed specifically for people who have back problems or suffer from arthritis. These types of bicycles allow you to sit in an upright position while not putting any stress or pressure on your ankles, knees, or hips. If you’re looking for high-tech features when deciding what model to choose from, recumbent bikes are the best choice for you.
The seat on this type of exercise bike is more comfortable than upright stationary bikes because it allows your legs to be stretched out instead of bent for extended periods of time, which would cramp the muscles in your lower extremities. They are best for losing weight because they place very little pressure on the joints in your knees and feet, which reduces joint pain while exercising.
These types of exercise bikes offer computerized consoles that allow you to track your speed, distance, time and calories burned while exercising. The only downside with the recumbent bike is that they’re expensive when compared to upright or spinning exercise bicycles.
There is also a subcategory in these types of bikes call stationary bikes.
Stationary Exercise Bikes
Stationary exercise bikes can be found in a gym or at home. They are known as the most popular exercise equipment for losing weight because they allow you to cycle indoors without having to worry about traffic or weather conditions. These types of exercise bikes have adjustable seats and resistance levels so that anyone can use them with ease and comfort. The only downside is that these types of bicycles cannot be used outside, so if exercising outdoors is your thing, this is not an ideal choice for you.
Benefits of using exercise bikes
So now I’ve given you an idea about how many calories you can expect to burn when riding an exercise bike with the average Jay. The Are exercise bikes good for weight loss shouldn’t be there when you know the benefits you get. I’ll list some benefits of exercise bikes below:
Low impact on your joints
Some people like myself don’t like high-intensity workouts which involve running or weight lifting. This makes using an exercise bike a good option for me because of it’s low impact on your joints. You can still get in shape and high-intensity workouts are great if you have the time and energy but instead of just sitting around feeling sorry for yourself about not being able to work out use that energy to get on a bike.
Convenient
We’re all guilty of forgetting to workout from time to time, even me! If you’re really busy and struggle to find time for a workout then riding a workout bike at home is a great way of getting in shape because you can do it while watching TV or listening to your favorite tunes. You don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home and you can cycle at your own pace (and stop if you need).
Have a heavy flywheel
This will make the ride smooth and comfortable for the user. However, if not given proper maintenance, some types of stationary exercise bikes may malfunction or even break down. In addition to this, most models do not allow you to adjust their seat height which may lead to discomfort for taller users.
Feels like real cycling on a road course
Spinning bikes for example make it feel like real cycling on a road course. This is because there are no resistance levels at all on this type of machine. Workout bikes provide a great workout for your heart and lungs as well as being very good for losing weight. The only difference from outdoor bicycling is that the person is sitting down on a machine as opposed to standing up on a real road bike. However, these bikes usually have small resistance knobs on them which will allow the user to adjust the tension levels at some point after you start pedaling.
And there we have it: the pros of using an exercise bike! As I mentioned earlier, these are just some ideas that might get you thinking. Just like with weight lifting there are no “right” or “wrong” ways to use them – they’re completely up-to-you and all depend on their personal preferences, goals, and what is available. Therefore, exercise bikes are good for losing weight.
How to use exercise bikes for weight loss
When you have a goal to exercise and lose weight. Consider getting an exercise bike that is comfortable for you such as the YOSUDA Indoor Cycling Bike Stationary. Some people’s sensitivity to motion sickness makes them susceptible to nausea when riding a stationary bike. You can decrease your chances of feeling sick by making sure that the seat is adjustable, your handle bars are positioned so that they are easy on your palms, and you have some support for your back.
Quick Tip
There’s a big difference between training for weight loss and training for endurance. If you’re only training for weight loss, then doing high-intensity aerobic work is the way to go. But if you’re really training for endurance, then you’ve got to do both types of training.
The reason why is because speed and intensity are what get your heart rate up and improve your health. High-intensity aerobic workouts strengthen your heart, increase your lung capacity, improve your running economy, and even burn calories at rest.
High-intensity workouts also increase the amount of time you can exercise without fatiguing.
Conclusion
So, are exercise bikes good for weight loss? Yes. Using an exercise bike is a great choice because it can be done indoors and it does not require much space for you to set the machine up inside your home. Using the best variety of workout bikes will help you reach your goals faster and more efficiently than other forms of exercise equipment.
If possible go to a gym that has different types of stationary bikes from which to choose from before making a purchase. This way you can get a feel for some different types of exercise bikes and figure out which ones offer more motion than others and which ones offer more resistance levels. This may help a great deal when deciding what model is best suited for your needs.
As always I’d love to hear from all about this subject – if you’ve got any questions or stories you’d like to share please leave them in the comments section below!