Motorcycling and Bike Riding is among the list of favourite hobbies in the USA, and we now have all the good reasons to pursue this hobby. Riding is healthy for humans in so many ways, and it can also help you to lose weight.
Yes, you heard it right. Motorcycling and bike riding can help you to burn calories, but that doesn't mean that you can simply eat a hamburger and ride the bike for an hour to digest the calories. This is not how it works. In this article, we will discuss how motorcycling and bike riding is associated with weight loss and calorie burn.
We all know that motorcycling is good for us, and some believe that it also helps in losing weight which is not false to some extent. While riding a bike, some of your muscles are constantly activated, and you are putting a good effort to control the bike. This results in a continuous activity that you are performing while riding a bike.
This way, you are not only burning the calories but also giving some of your muscles a good workout. Those of you who have ever spent a whole day riding a bike might have noticed that you are more tired than when you were set off. Although this is because you have spent the whole time sitting on your backside but this also because you were burning off calories at a decent rate.
Now imagine sitting in front of your TV and doing nothing instead of switching channels using a remote. Your body will wade through 68 calories in an hour. The same amount of time spent on the bike can help the rider to burn 170 calories an hour. This is just a perfect excuse for those who can't keep themselves from riding the bike all day. Apart from weight loss, this low impact exercise has many other health benefits as well. Let us take you through the list of some of the health benefits of bike riding.
Stronger and Healthier thighs and knees:
According to the statement of a well known orthopedic surgeon, the bike riders face very few knee problems or injuries. This is because bike riding strengthens key muscles that are used to hold the patella and few other bones in place. Not only it helps prevent knee pain, but in some cases, it can also help reverse knee pain and problems. Also backing a bike in the parking spot is just like doing a leg press with weights. Depending upon the weight of the bike, you can assume how much effort you are putting through your thighs.
Improvement in Core Strength:
All the activities that you perform while riding a bike include core muscles. Be it steering the bikes, moving the bike at slow speed, or moving it to the parking slot, your core muscles will remain activated throughout the process and will lead to strengthening muscles in the abdomen. Most of the time, it is more effective than doing sit-ups.
It increases Insulin sensitivity:
Since riding a motorcycle is a low impact activity, the orders can experience improved insulin sensitivity after a ride for up to eight hours. This also results in weight loss since insulin itself is a fat-storage hormone. Since your body will be producing less insulin while riding a bike, your body will be signaled to store less fat.
It improves neck strength:
To improve your neck strength while riding the bike, you might have to consider wearing the helmet. Not only will it save you from severe damage but will also help you strengthen your neck muscles. Wearing a helmet while riding a bike requires significant strength to hold your head in one place. Especially if you don't have a windscreen to protect you from wind, you will be required to put in a little more effort. This results in strengthening the neck muscles and in some cases help to pull the neck vertebrae back into alignment.
Improved mental health:
Riding a bike requires more mental effort than driving a car. You are putting a little extra mental and physical effort while navigating. This results in improving cognitive functioning skills. And if you are riding a bike in daylight, you will also experience a valuable exposure to the sun. This increases the vitamin D level in the body, which is known to be a powerful mood enhancer.
Riding a bike is a healthy activity, and now you also have an idea of how beneficial it can be for both physical and mental health. Although it is fair to compare gym results with bike riding weight loss, it is definitely enough to lose some calories while enjoying your ride. Even if you are not expecting this cavity to make you slim and trim, you can consider it as an excuse to get on two wheels.
Any other ways to ride and burn fat you might have read about? Leave your comments below.