How Much Cycling to Lose 10 Pounds (5kg) – Stats + Tips

If you are reading this article, you must be wondering how much cycling you have to do to lose 10 pounds (5kg) of weight. If you wanted to lose this over one month then this is the answer:

For a person of reasonably average size and weight, research suggests you need to cycle 54 hours a month to lose 10 pounds (5kg). This would be close to 2 hours per day.

When I lost about 20 pounds last year, my main strategy was cycling and watching what I ate. It was that simple.

So, where to get started? There must be a lot of questions popping up in your mind…

How exactly does cycling help us lose weight?

Does it work?

And what kind of procedure is to be followed?

In this post, I’ll deal with:

• Exactly how long it takes to lose 10 pounds, depending on your training regime
• How many calories you can expect to shed through cycling
• Is cycling good for weight loss in general
• 9 ways to optimize your cycling for the best weight loss results
• How and when to cycle

How Much Do I Need To Cycle To Lose 10 Pounds (5kg) In Weight?

If you want to lose weight purely by cycling, then you will need to cycle for 2 hours per day to lose 10 pounds over a month.

However, if you want to lose the weight over a longer time frame, then just divide the hours per month of cycling by the number of months. So, to lose 10 pounds amount over two months, then divide 54 hours by 2, equalling 27 hours. This would be close to 1 hour per day.

However, I recommend trying a cycling strategy alongside cutting down on your diet.

When it comes to losing 10 pounds (5 kg) of weight, it is important to know what your current weight is and how much you want to shed.

You can start by weighing yourself and then calculating your BMI.

Your BMI helps you understand what your normal weight should be and you can begin from there on your weight loss journey.

The second step would be to calculate the number of calories that you want to burn in a day and then you will be able to gauge how much cycling you need to do to lose weight.

There’s a reasonably simple formula for this. As a rough estimate, most people wanting to lose 10 pounds in one month will need to be in a deficit of about 1000 calories.

This will usually equate to eating 500 less food than your usual intake, plus burning 500 calories through exercise. That’s where the cycling comes in!

As a ballpark figure (though this will be impacted by criteria such as weight and age), a man will be expected to consume 2500 calories per day to maintain their weight, and a woman 2000 calories.

So, to lose weight, a man would be eating 2000 calories, and burning 500 through exercise. A woman will be consuming 1500 calories to lose weight, along with burning 500 through exercise also.

Gender	Normal Calorie Intake	Calorie Deficit Through Eating	Calories Burned Through Exercise	Expected Weight Loss Per Month
Male	2500	2000 (500 deficit)	500	10 pounds
Female	2000	1500 (500 deficit)	500	10 pounds

So, here’s the next thing – how many calories do you burn through cycling?

Burning Calories Through Cycling

As we all know, any physical exercise burns calories (including cycling of course).

Calories are easy to understand when you know that they have a direct relationship to energy consumption.

Your body utilizes vast amounts of energy to move faster so the faster you go, the more calories you will likely burn.

Of course, this varies from person to person. A Harvard study found that you can burn 298 calories in 30 minutes if you weigh 154 pounds (70kg) (source). This happens when you cycle for 30 minutes with an average speed of 12-14mph.

Another interesting study shows that you will burn 372 calories of the same weight if you cycle at a speed of 14-16mph.

So, as a rough guide, to burn 500 calories, you would need to be cycling for about 50 minutes per day (or 27 hours per week as mentioned before).

But is cycling even a good form of weight loss? Let’s find out:

Is Cycling Good For Weight Loss?

In a nutshell, cycling is one of the best weight loss techniques out there.

The only disadvantage that I can think of is the pain that comes along with it. As the saying goes, no pain, no gain.

Cycling is one of the happiest and most enjoyable exercises to lose weight (as long as you put in the effort.)

The more consistent you are with cycling, the more you are bound to lose weight.

Losing weight is an arduous task and can be trouble for most of us.

But something as simple as cycling can not only prove to be fun but also good for your mental and physical health in the long run.

How Is Cycling Good For Abdominal Fat loss?

Even though cycling is good for losing belly fat, you have to remember that it takes time and patience. Some studies have found that cycling promotes healthy weight loss and overall fat loss.

Cycling for just 30-60 minutes along with a good diet is a fool-proof and effective way to reduce belly fat.

It is pretty similar to swimming, jogging, and hiking.

The Quickest Way To Lose 10 pounds (5kg) Weight By Cycling – 9 Tips To Optimise Your Performance

When it comes to losing weight, trying to lose all of your weight in a week is not only unattainable but impossible.

You have to be patient with yourself to understand that it is an exercise and not just a fun way to pass the time. If you cycle at a very low speed, you are unlikely to achieve your weight loss goals.

Losing 10 pounds in one month is a pretty big goal, so the name of the game is optimization! To ensure you cycle with your maximum potential, I have compiled 9 tips and tricks for you to follow:

1. High-Intensity Cycling Is Not The Way To Go Straight Away

If you are new to cycling, it is important to remember not to rush things. Usually, people are more motivated to start cycling and then the excitement wanes and they quit.

You have to pace yourself by starting slowly and steadily. Do not try to get in too many miles or cycle at very high intensities.

This will only give you leg cramps and make it harder for you to get up to cycle the next day. Instead, start with a moderate speed with shorter distances and then increase this bit by bit.

2. Try To Get In 1 Hour Per Day

50 minutes to 1 hour a day is a great benchmark to aim for.

Doing this will not overstress your body and you can easily maintain a light intensity to avoid injury. Riding for at least one hour a day will give you the desired results without putting too much strain on your body.

This will ensure you hit your target weight loss goal without the extra hassle of cramps and pains. The good thing about this routine is that it can be done by individuals that are overweight as well as beginners.

3. Cycling Is Not Enough!

It is important to remember that just cycling is not going to get the job done.

You need a good diet in conjunction with cycling to help you get the best results.

Paying attention to your nutrition and diet apart from cycling ensures that you lose weight and keep it that way over the long term. Avoiding fatty food and sugars while moving towards protein-rich food is the way to go.

If you feel like you cannot manage this on your own, there are many apps out there that can count the calories of the food you eat throughout the day. These can help you suggest food that is low in calories so you have a definitive plan for the day.

4. Have You Tried Riding Uphill?

Cycling uphill will burn more calories and increase your heart rate as well.

Depending on how steep the hill is, you can increase your calorie burn by 25%.

It is best to always include hills in your cycling sessions and the best time to do this is in the middle of your cycling sessions. That way, if you feel fatigued later, you can ride on flat land. It also means you will have warmed up first before attempting a hill.

It is good to challenge yourself. Not only will it help you lose weight but also give you confidence once you have achieved riding uphill.

5. Go For Interval Training

When you are a moderate cyclist, you can alternate between low and high-intensity periods to increase your heart rate in turn burning more calories.

You may be surprised to know that interval cycling burns more than 40% more calories than steady cycling.

A hack to this is using interval training 3 times a week with a rest day in between to replenish. If you are cycling indoors, then using this technique is much easier.

6. Be Sure To Correct Your Posture For High Performance

If you think you are doing the best you can and still see no fluctuation in weight, it can be a result of bad posture.

Bad posture can not only cause back pain but pain in other parts of your body as well.

It is important to maintain a good posture when you are cycling. Your back should be relaxed and your legs are completely straight when extending the peddle. Your seat should be at a height where your knees can fully be straightened and your shoulders should be in line with your hips.

7. Add Resistance

When riding a stationary bike, it is important to add resistance to make your cycling experience more challenging and also to get your heart and legs working.

Adding resistance, burns calories in addition to increasing your workout rate.

Adding resistance makes it harder for your legs to move the bicycle pedals. With a lack of resistance, your workout might seem pretty easy but it will not help you lose weight (obviously!)

8. Increase Your Weekly Time

If you have a busy work schedule, I have got you covered. You can plan to have weekend-long bike rides.

A good place to start with is 1-2 hours and then slowly adding 5 minutes to your daily bike rides every week.

According to this, by the end of the 6^th week, you will be cycling for 1 hour and 25 minutes and getting closer to your goal after the week.

9. Remember To Keep Track Of Your Bicycling Routine

Keeping track of your performance is important because it gives you a scale of where you stand.

If you are not recording your calories, it is easy to get confused and who wants to see their hard work go in vain?

Tracking not only helps you see the progress you have made but also your intensity and the distance you have cycled. You can easily download a tracking app on your phone or smartwatch to get the most out of your cycling routine.

Can I Use Any Bike Or Do I Need A Specific One?

Bicycling should not be a burden so you can start with any kind of bike that you already have.

But if you are planning to buy a new one specifically for weight loss, then think about the terrain you will be cycling on, and how you will be using it.

• If you’re riding to work predominantly on paved roads, a road bike would be the best choice. Alternatively, a hybrid works for many people
• If you will be using the bike on gravel, soil, grass, or undulating ground, then either a mountain bike or a gravel bike will make sense.

Is There A Specific Time To Cycle?

Various studies have shown that cycling on an empty stomach preferably before breakfast in the morning helps you lose weight 20% more than when you cycle after eating (source).

So, in this case, mornings are the best time to cycle. This will not only give you a head start for the day but is also a good time to save time if you have a busy schedule.

Of course, in reality, you may not have much choice about what time is available. In this case, the most important thing is just to get out there! You’re not going to lose an ounce if you don’t actually get out there, so go for it!

Wrapping Up

Now that we have covered all the basics, you will have a good idea of how to lose weight using just a bicycle.

Cycling is one of the best methods to lose weight. You can combine your cycling with a healthy diet to keep the weight off.

But it is important to remember that cycling may not be for you if you have a heart condition or have not exercised in a long time. It is always safe to consult your doctor before you start pedaling.