Can You Lose Belly Fat By Riding A Stationary Bike?

March 18, 2018

Can You Lose Belly Fat By Riding A Stationary Bike?

can-you-lose-weight-by-riding-a-exercise-bike

Yes, you can lose belly fat by riding a stationary bike however, you lose throughout your entire body. No one exercise or workout plan will target fat loss in your stomach region, the body doesn't work that way. Fat loss is your fat cells shrinking. The only way to get rid of fat cells is to do liposuction.

However, to see change, one must work out an intensity that will affect some change in the body. You must bike at a pace where sweating is taking place and you are slightly out of breath. If you are not doing this, you are not working out hard enough.

5 Tips That Will Help You Have An Effective Stationary Bike Workout

1. How to set up your bike

You want to set up your bike properly. If the seat is too high or too low, it could cause you to become injured. Watch this video below on adjusting your seat. The video talks about people with knee pain, but the bike adjustment works for everyone. If you have a spin bike, click on this link. For recumbent bike owners, go here.

2. Warm-up before your workout

You must warm-up on the bike, start pedaling at a slower pace and at a lower intensity for about three to five minutes. After that period, you can crank up the speed and intensity. The warm-up prepares your body for a more vigorous workout.

3. Avoid bike boredom

If you find riding the bike boring, try working out to your favorite music, podcast, or television program. However, you have to make sure you are working out at a moderate or hard intensity. You can track this by exercising at your target heart rate. Read my article on How Hard Should I Exercise

4. Cool-down and stretch

Just don't jump off your bike at the end of your workout, bike at a slower pace, and lighter intensity like in the warm-up. It will help you bring the body back to its resting state and help you from passing out due to the blood pooling in your legs after suddenly stopping your workout. After getting off your bike, you must stretch. Check out this video for the top five stretches to do after a ride.

5. Take your workout outdoors

There is nothing like biking on a bike trail. If you have a bicycle, try riding your bike outside but make sure you wear a bike helmet. I love the summer because that is the time I ride along the lakefront in Chicago. I also do organized bike rides in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Google bike rides near your town.

6. Take up a challenge

I just finished the Great Cycle Challenge to beat children's cancer. I set my goal to do 250 miles in one month. At first, I set my goal at 100 miles for the month and I realized that it wasn't going to tax my body or be much of a challenge for me. So, I increased my cycling goal to 250 miles. When the challenge finished, I lost body fat and my percentage went from 22% to 20%. Try to find an organized challenge and if one is not available you can do your own challenge with friends or co-workers.

As you can see, you can lose your belly from riding your stationary bike, just make sure you follow the tips I advised above. I recommend you check out these two posts because you have made up your mind to start utilizing your stationary bike.

1. The Stationary Bike Workout

2. The Stationary Bike Workout - Next Level up