Cycling is a great activity that can help you stay fit and lose weight. But how much time is appropriate for cycling each day?Riding for 30 minutes three to four times a week can help accelerate your weight loss and significantly improve your fitness levels. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling 4 times a week can burn about 1.3 kg of fat per month.
30 Minutes to Bike and Lose Weight
The average person burns about 400 to 700 calories riding a bicycle for half an hour under average riding conditions. In order to lose 1 pound of fat, you need to burn 3600 calories, which is equivalent to 5 to 7 hours of moderate cycling.
Riding more than 3 or 4 times a week can be challenging for beginners. It is recommended that you start with fewer rides and slowly increase the intensity as your knees and joints adapt.
How far can you ride in 30 minutes?
Most new cyclists can cover 8-10km in 30 minutes. Ride at an average speed of 19-26 km/h on a flat road. As the weather and terrain change, so will the average speed and distance traveled.
If you’re cycling in the city, you also need to consider traffic.
The following factors can affect your speed, in order of importance:
your fitness level
terrain
headwind or crosswind
bike type
tire width and pressure
How Fast Does Your Performance Improve After 30 Minutes of Ride?
Unfit individuals may feel the need to take a break after riding for 10-15 minutes. If you fall into this category, there is no shame in it, and no need to panic or throw in the towel prematurely.
If you can only ride 10-15 minutes without a break at first, and you ride the bike 2-3 times a week, within three weeks you’ll be able to ride 30 minutes without any problem. Your fitness level will increase exponentially in the beginning.
After a month of regular cycling, you’ll feel energized and fit enough even on moderately difficult climbs, and you’ll also notice a big boost to your health in other areas (such as when climbing stairs and not out of breath).
How often should you ride？
You should start out cycling 2-4 times a week depending on your current fitness level. Riding less than twice a week won’t get your muscles going enough, and starting out more than 4 times a week will initially take its toll on your body too much.
Remember that a new rider’s muscles and joints need time to get used to riding and they need time to recover.
Experts recommend 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least five times a week to maintain a healthy lifestyle. So cycle 5 times a week, and of course, any combination of cycling, running, and walking.
The most important thing is to find something you enjoy doing and something that keeps you fit, and cycling is definitely a good choice.
FAQs
Applying that standard, you could spend 30 minutes a day on an exercise bike for at least five days out of the week, and it would be enough to meet the CDC's minimum recommendations to stay active and healthy.
How much time should you cycle a day? ›
Cycle for at least 30 to 45 minutes a day to lose weight and get other health benefits. In addition, you should also add strength training exercises at least twice a week. You can meet your daily cycling distance outdoors or use stationary bikes at home or at the gym.
Is cycling 1 hour a day enough? ›
Cycling for 1 hour a day is likely to help with weight loss. Still, it's also important to build rest days into your schedule, especially if you're riding intensively or participating in other high-impact and intensity forms of exercise.
Is 10 minutes of cycling a day enough? ›
The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, so 10 minutes daily is below this recommendation but still better than nothing. Cardiovascular Fitness: To improve cardiovascular fitness significantly, you'll likely need more than 10.
How long should a cycling session be? ›
It's more of a total-body workout than biking on the road, which is mostly a lower-body cardio workout. Plan to get on your bike and ride for 30-60 minutes, 3-5 days a week. Start every ride with a warm-up. Pedal at a slow, easy pace for 5-10 minutes.
Is 20 minutes of cycling a day enough? ›
So yes, according to both medical guidelines and research (which we'll get into below), 20 minutes of exercise per day is enough—as long as that exercise is at least moderate in intensity.
Is cycling 30 minutes a day good? ›
Exercising on the bike for at least 30 minutes a day will build up your cardiovascular and muscular endurance. By putting in consistent effort, you'll notice an improvement in your aerobic capacity, enabling you to bike longer or on more intense rides.
Is cycling 2 hours everyday good? ›
Cycling for health and fitness
It only takes two to four hours a week to achieve a general improvement to your health. Cycling is: Low impact – it causes less strain and injuries than most other forms of exercise. A good muscle workout– cycling uses all of the major muscle groups as you pedal.
What happens if you do cycling every day? ›
Cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, chances of stroke and heart attack can be managed and reduced respectively by cycling regularly. It stimulates and improves circulation. According to research, you should burn at least 8,400 kilojoules (about 2,000 calories) per week through exercise.
Is 15 minutes of cycling a day enough to lose weight? ›
According to Harvard Health Publishing, someone around 155 pounds can expect to burn around 173 calories during a 20-minute moderately intense session. 173 calories is a good start. If you're trying to lose weight, you'll benefit more by adding a couple of longer cycling sessions to your routine.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT): It is probably one of the fastest and most efficient ways to lose stomach fat and reduce the overall body fat percentage.
Can you lose belly fat by cycling? ›
Yes, cycling can help lose belly fat, but it will take time. A recent study showed regular cycling may enhance overall fat loss and promote a healthy weight. To reduce overall belly girth, moderate-intensity aerobic exercises, such as cycling (either indoor or outdoor), are effective to lower belly fat.
Does cycling shape your body? ›
Cycling can help change body shape by burning calories and resulting in weight loss or by helping build muscle in the lower and upper body.
How much cycling per day is healthy? ›
A regular routine of cycling at least 30 minutes a day will assist with weight loss and help keep you in shape. You can achieve numerous health benefits through daily cycling, such as cardiovascular fitness, improved heart health and improved muscle strength and tone.
Is cycling 1 hour a day good? ›
There are even more added benefits of cycling for an hour a day. But do not feel intimidated. Even cycling 30 minutes a day consistently for a year can burn over 100,000 calories and result in nearly 30 pounds of weight loss.
How long should I cycle for to lose weight? ›
In order to lose 1 pound of body weight, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume. Meaning a 125-pound person would need to cycle between 47 – 72 minutes a day to burn 1 pound of fat. Studies suggest a 155-pound person will burn 252 calories in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity stationary cycling.
Is 15 minutes of cycling a day enough? ›
Research has shown that just 15 minutes of moderate exercise per day can reduce the risk of all-cause mortality. Cycling, in particular, can be effective in reducing the risk of chronic diseases. These include heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Is 30 minutes of Peloton a day enough? ›
Longer workouts are the key to seeing improvements in aerobic fitness and can help improve longevity. That's one of many reasons health experts recommend getting 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week.
How long should I cycle a day to lose fat? ›
In order to lose 1 pound of body weight, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume. Meaning a 125-pound person would need to cycle between 47 – 72 minutes a day to burn 1 pound of fat. Studies suggest a 155-pound person will burn 252 calories in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity stationary cycling.
