When it comes to diet and exercise, the term calories comes up often. While not exactly a measurement for weight loss, calories are still important and using an indoor cycing exercise bike is a great way to lose those extra calories on your weight loss journey.
At home exercise bikes are a great workout alternative to actually biking, running or other cardio. If you don’t like going to the gym, a Relife exercise bike lets you get the benefits of using one without the pressure of being in a public setting.
Exercise bikes are a great way to burn off calories and lose weight, along with other health benefits. So, let’s get into how many calories you can burn on an exercise bike.
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What are Calories?
To start, let’s look at what calories are and why we want to burn them off. Calories are NOT a measure of weight loss, but a unit of nutrition used as a measurement for the amount of energy that food provides. Calories are also a measurement of how much energy is burned when you exercise.
You’ve probably heard of calorie counting, which is a trend in dieting. The idea is that to achieve weight loss goals, you should be consuming fewer calories than you are burning off on your exercise bike to see results. That leads to the question of ‘how many calories can I burn off on an exercise bike?’
Burning Calories on an Exercise Bike
As with any type of exercise, results will vary for everyone based on numerous factors such as:
With those factors in mind, one may have to alter their exercise bike routine to get desired results. It is not as simple as hopping on your home exercise bike for 5 minutes a day if you intend to burn off calories.
On average, you can burn around 9-13 calories per minute on an exercise bike. If you cycle regularly, you can burn around 1000 calories a week. According to Harvard Medical School, a 155 pound person who cycles for 30 minutes at a vigorous pace can burn around 252 calories. Keep that up, and you are sure to see results paired with a good diet!
Now, it is also important to understand that not all cycle speeds are going to burn off calories. Harvard mentions a vigorous cycle, and there are typically two ways to decipher between speeds. Moderate and vigorous cycle speeds are the most common.
A moderate speed is considered when you can still talk to someone who may be next to you while cycling. Taking it slow is totally fine, and you will still burn calories but keep in mind it will not be as much as a faster speed. Vigorous cycling is when you are going fast enough that a conversation with someone else won’t be possible, and you are going at top speed.
Another thing to remember is that you will burn more calories off if you weigh more. So when a 155 pound person burns off 123 calories, a person weighing 205 pounds will burn off about 163. A larger body needs more energy to run.
Can You Increase the Average Amount of Calories Burned on an Exercise Bike?
If you want to burn more than the average amount of calories on a home exercise bike, you will have to cycle more intensely than a moderate practice. Cycling alone will not burn off the optimum amount of calories either. You will need to maintain a well balanced diet and take care of yourself in other areas as well. Here are some tips to increase how many calories you’re burning on an exercise bike:
Always be Pedaling
The only way you burn calories on an exercise bike is when you are pedaling. If you stop taking a break, you stop burning calories. To avoid that, even when you are slowing down or taking a break, be sure to always be pedaling even if it is at a slow pace.
Pay Attention to the Handle Bars
One of the biggest mistakes cyclists can make is getting too comfortable with the handlebars. Since you aren’t using them to steer like on a regular outdoor bicycle, it can be easy to grip them tightly and lean on them. While it is fine to utilize the handlebars, when you lean on them that means you are using your leg muscles less and won’t get as good of a workout and you will burn less calories.
Cycle as Fast as You Can
It probably seems obvious, but the faster you can go for a long period of time will increase the number of calories you are burning on the exercise bike. When you cycle at a vigorous speed, you can burn up to 50% more calories than when you are biking at a casual speed.
Try a Class or YouTube Video
Having the motivation to work out at home can be difficult for a lot of people. You don’t want that exercise bike you just bought to become a coat rack! There are distractions all over and your couch is just down the hall. It can be hard to finish the workout even if you’ve started it, so try doing something to hold yourself accountable. Try participating in a virtual class, or watching a YouTube video to get yourself going. Having something visual instead of your own thoughts or a TV show can motivate you to keep going and burn off even more calories.\
Other Health Benefits
Not only is an exercise bike great for burning calories, it’s also an excellent cardiovascular workout. It’s great for the heart, lungs and your brain. Using a home exercise bike also releases endorphins which can reduce stress and ease anxiety. So, not only is it good for your body, but it’s good for your mind. Happy cycling!
