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Cycling helps you become lean and mean
All successful weight loss and weight control programmes incorporate both controlling what you eat and being physically active. Every minute you are physically active, you burn off more calories than when you are inactive. By taking regular physical activity you will help to control your weight: the more vigorous the activity, the more calories you will burn. For more on weight loss and weight control, please see "Bupa's weight control guide" (see below).
Cycling can be part of a programme to lose weight1 because:
- cycling burns the energy supplied by a chocolate bar or a couple of alcoholic drinks in an hour (about 300 calories)
- cycling for 15 minutes twice a day for five days a week - for example commuting to and from work by bike - burns off the equivalent of 11 pounds of fat in a year.2
Also, cycling to and from work for 15 minutes or more meets the Government's latest target on exercise: that we should take part in some mild to moderate physical activity that leaves us out of breath for at least 30 minutes five times a week.
The benefits of cycling aren't just physical, apart from being fitter and losing weight, cycling can even put a smile on our faces, see our next article: "Cycling makes you happy".
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References
- Mersy DJ. Health benefits of aerobic exercise. Postgrad Med 1991; 90: 103-7 and 110-2.
- www.leedscyclists.org.uk/health.htm - Leeds cycling action group. Cycling and Health
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