Is bike riding a great exercise?

AugustCountdown
AugustCountdown Posts: 26 Member
edited November 11 in Fitness and Exercise
I was going to get a bike to use at home and I've got a few comments from friends saying how it will be a waste etc but if you've used it, have you found it effective for weight loss or toning?

Replies

  • asilva66
    asilva66 Posts: 19 Member
    I think it's a great addition to other exercises to mix it up but by itself, probably not. Just like my beloved eliptical. I'm now mixing it with strengthening since alone, it did nothing for me. Make sense?
  • AugustCountdown
    AugustCountdown Posts: 26 Member
    asilva66 wrote: »
    I think it's a great addition to other exercises to mix it up but by itself, probably not. Just like my beloved eliptical. I'm now mixing it with strengthening since alone, it did nothing for me. Make sense?

    So if did that and added weights. Would that be helpful?

  • hinesvegas2000
    hinesvegas2000 Posts: 1
    Yes it would- weight lifting torches calories and can help with balance as well (using free weights/dumbells). Read a few articles that also said it can help remove belly fat faster than cardio alone.
  • AugustCountdown
    AugustCountdown Posts: 26 Member
    hinesvegas2000 wrote: »
    Yes it would- weight lifting torches calories and can help with balance as well (using free weights/dumbells). Read a few articles that also said it can help remove belly fat faster than cardio alone.

    Okay. Thanks :)

  • ScientificExplorerGirl
    ScientificExplorerGirl Posts: 535 Member
    Yes bike riding is an excellent form of exercise. So is weight lifting. I do both. Massive calorie burns are possible with bike riding if you put in the time in the saddle. Take a look at biker's physiques. Leg muscles made of steel! Both weight lifting and biking are activities you can continue in no matter your age. And lifting weights makes you stronger for your other activities such as biking.
  • asilva66
    asilva66 Posts: 19 Member
    I think any form of exercise you add is great! Even if its all you do, its 100% better than doing nothing. Its just that you may not get the results you want, doing just biking. I'm a complete novice and don't go by just me! Its just my experience with the eliptical.
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
    I always lose without trying when I'm riding a lot. I'm out there too long and having too much fun to have time to eat much. But I'm not on a boring-as-sin nowhere bike indoors, either. I can't tolerate that for much more than an hour. You can burn crazy calories doing The Sufferfest workouts indoors. They're really excellent downloads.
  • Nekrachael
    Nekrachael Posts: 74 Member
    A little weight training will make the biking better. And biking will make the weight training better. And weight training will make the biking better. And... Have fun! If you like biking, do it!
  • ChrisM32205
    ChrisM32205 Posts: 218 Member
    edited January 2015
    Sure it would help.. why would it be a waste of time?

    I think it all depends on what you enjoy. For me, lifting weights seems boring, I'd rather be outside enjoying nature.

    Cycling also seems more measurable as far as calories burned during the exercise.

  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    edited January 2015
    AugustCountdown wrote: »
    I was going to get a bike to use at home and I've got a few comments from friends saying how it will be a waste etc but if you've used it, have you found it effective for weight loss or toning?

    ChrisM has nailed it. If you're going to do it, it's far more effective for weight loss than the Body Combat class you never attend. IYSWIM!

    I personally do very little cardio these days... but I do chase a ball for hours every week. ;)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited January 2015
    cycling is my primary form of cardiovascular work...I ride about 80 miles per week (more when I'm training). Anyone who would say it's a waste has zero clue about actual fitness. I'd dare them to come out with me on a standard weekend 25-30 miler and see if they could even come close to keeping up with me and finishing...my guess is that your friends would probably drop half way up the first hill...

    I also lift and would recommend that you do some combination of cardiovascular work and resistance training...they train different things and muscles are required to be "toned"...you build and maintain muscle with resistance training...you increase your endurance and cardiovascular fitness with cardiovascular workouts.
  • sarah_hite
    sarah_hite Posts: 41 Member
    I have a little portable pedal exerciser that I use, and that works really well for me. I can use it to do light exercise for long periods of time while I watch TV/movies or work on my computer.
  • wennim
    wennim Posts: 276 Member
    My husband and I have lost over 100 lbs each and our main form of exercise for a good chunk of that was biking. I am talking mountain biking on dirt trails with lots of elevation changes- I don't have the patience for a stationary bike. My legs have never looked better.
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    Calorie deficit for fat loss, exercise for fitness.

    No exercise is good for fat loss if you eat more calories then you burn.

    That said, cycling is awesome exercise and fun to boot.
  • diegops1
    diegops1 Posts: 154 Member
    50 years ago I raced in college, in the days of Jacques Anquetil and no drugs, just guts. Cycling is one of the very best cardio exercises and in my opinion only takes second place to running and cross country skiing for all around best. Superb for the lower body and excellent for the core and upper body. Try racing an Audi down a steep winding mountain road for cheap thrills.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Yeah, cycling is a total waste...

    Nick_Gates_2007_Bay_Cycling_Classic_1.jpg

    You couldn't possibly get fit cycling...impossible.
  • bigd66218
    bigd66218 Posts: 376 Member
    YES!!
  • maram29
    maram29 Posts: 100 Member
    If you love biking, you should bike. Exercise that you will sustain over the long run is the one to choose. That being said, what makes biking tricky is that it is possible to do it without pushing your heart into a range that will be the most efficient with weight loss, if that is what you are going for. So, if you are mindful of that, and push yourself into those higher heart zones at times during your ride (or for some rides if you are riding multiple times per week), then you should see results. For myself, the elliptical is my go-to cardio in terms of peak efficiency with calorie burn (time wise), at this time. However, I bike also and intend on increasing my biking when I am able to maintain the intensity to create an efficient calorie burning workout. I hope this jumble of thoughts is helpful. Remember, do what you love. Do it as hard as you can and keep building yourself into a stronger person.
    Good luck in your riding!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Yeah, cycling is a total waste...

    Nick_Gates_2007_Bay_Cycling_Classic_1.jpg

    You couldn't possibly get fit cycling...impossible.

    Yeah, that guy could lose a few pounds.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Keep in mind also that it's really about your level of effort more than it is the actual exercise you do. A leisurely ride in the park probably isn't going to do a whole lot for you unless you're really out of shape...but getting up and going hard for an hour or so is going to kick your *kitten* and make you feel good.

  • Huppdiwupp
    Huppdiwupp Posts: 50 Member
    I use a stationary bike (turbo trainer, a clamp with magnetic resistance for your regular bike) on days where I want to give my running legs a rest, and where I can't go cycling outside.

    It can be great for expending energy and getting the heart rate up, but:

    a) it really takes a lot of discipline to do it, and
    b) if you watch a movie, you still have to try and stay focused on keeping the intensity up, so it isn't quite the same experience as just watching a movie while getting a workout for free.

    Still, I'd say go for it - and if you can, try cycling outside as well.
  • kaotik26
    kaotik26 Posts: 590 Member
    Any exercise is better than sitting on the couch.
  • dramaqueen45
    dramaqueen45 Posts: 1,009 Member
    I started on a recumbent trike late last summer and now I'm up to 20 mile rides. It is fun, we go our tours and ride the rails to trails. I don't like riding stationary (but now that it's winter I don't have a lot of choices) but outside it doesn't feel like exercising (unless it's a hilly course and recumbents are very difficult on hills!)

    I think the main thing is to find something to really enjoy so you will continue to do it. It's better than sitting!
  • jnv7594
    jnv7594 Posts: 983 Member
    edited January 2015
    I wanted to try out one of these. Saw a lady riding one the other day on the bike trail, and it looked like a lot of fun. It's a moving elliptical that you can use outside. Still curious how hard they are to maneuver, but she made it look easy. ndh89wzh62re.jpg

  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    It never gets easier , you just go faster
    Greg Lemond
  • HelenWater
    HelenWater Posts: 232 Member
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    It never gets easier , you just go faster
    Greg Lemond

    I went for a leisurely bike ride yesterday and I think the great thing about cycling is that the fitter I get the harder and longer the ride becomes. It happens naturally for me.

    For accountability I use a HRM so I can make sure I'm working harder than when I take the dogs for a walk.
  • ExNihil0
    ExNihil0 Posts: 60
    Best shape of my life was when I was cycling. But get out on the road. It's freeing.
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