We know that low-impact exercise bike sessions boost cardiovascular fitness. But perhaps the top benefit of indoor cycling workouts would have to be body toning and weight loss.
Once you start losing weight through regular cycling, your body shifts its focus to gaining a leaner, healthier physique. This weight loss and body toning combo then leads to other health improvements.
But what is toning exactly, and is it the same as building muscles? How does cycling work as a body shape-changing exercise?
Let’s answer these questions and learn how cycling impacts your body.
What is Body Toning?
I’m sure you have heard of body toning and bodybuilding before, and most people think these terms are interchangeable.
While both involve your muscles, they are not the same. The results of these fitness goals differ, too.
Body toning means reducing body fat to get small but more defined muscles.
On the other hand, bodybuilding means increasing your muscle mass to get bigger muscles.
What does a toned body look and feel like?
Visually, a toned body is synonymous with a person having a fit and athletic build.
It’s different from a highly muscular individual, where bulkiness is more dominant. When compared to untrained muscles, toned ones significantly feel harder.
In contrast, a body with a lower muscle tone feels softer, indicating a thicker layer of fat between the skin and muscles.
How is body toning related to weight loss?
These two fitness goals are very much related.
With weight loss and body toning, the goal is to burn excess calories and fat. The result is a slimmer body with defined muscles.
You can achieve all these by doing three things: performing regular cardio exercises, incorporating strength training, and eating a healthy diet.
For a toned body, you only need to maintain a regular exercise routine and lower your caloric intake.
So, with perseverance and discipline, almost anyone can easily do both.
How come others can quickly get in shape?
There are genetic factors that dictate how well or fast we transform the shape of our bodies. Gender is one example.
Specifically, men have the body structure, muscle mass, tighter joints, and higher testosterone levels to encourage faster muscular growth.
On the other hand, women have more body fat, so their body transformation usually needs slightly more time than men.
While women can also build muscles, having naturally lower testosterone levels limits the bulk they gain.
Also, their usually lower calorie and protein intake inhibits massive muscle development.
Our natural body type also explains why some can tone their bodies or build muscles fast. These three body types are:
- Ectomorphs or the lean and straight types who can quickly lose weight but are less likely to be muscular.
- Mesomorphs or the muscular ones who can develop bulk faster than others.
- Endomorphs or the round and curvy types who typically carry more fat but can build muscles through strength training.
In most cases, body types influence the physical activity we excel in, too.
For instance, lean ectomorphs are good at aerobic exercises and endurance-based sports, like cycling.
The mesomorphs and endomorphs share more body similarities, making them excellent for strength and power-based activities.
In general, the mesomorphs have the best athletic build, allowing them to do well in most sports.
However, it doesn’t mean you cannot tone your body or perform other activities because of your genetic predisposition. You’ll probably need more time and effort to achieve specific body goals.
Can Indoor Cycling Workouts Help with Body Toning and Weight Loss?
The quick answer to this is a resounding yes. There are two reasons why indoor cycling is an excellent body-shaping activity.
First, this cardiovascular exercise burns a lot of calories. Second, the pedalling motion activates several muscles.
Both of these are vital elements to gaining a leaner or toned body. The following section details how these occur while cycling.
How Indoor Cycling Workouts Help with Body Toning?
Indoor cycling workouts are efficient for weight loss and engaging muscles for body toning. More explanation below.
1. Indoor cycling workouts boost caloric burn to encourage weight loss.
The findings of Harvard Health Publishing show that a 30-minute indoor cycling workout can burn considerable calories that contribute to body toning and weight loss.
Specifically, moderate cycling for 30 minutes burns 210 to 294 calories, depending on body weight. Performing more vigorous exercise results in a higher caloric burn, around 315 to 441 calories.
Health professionals said that a daily 500-calorie deficit is necessary to achieve an ideal weight loss of 0.5 to 0.9 kg weekly (or 1 to 2 lbs).
These facts only point to one conclusion. Eating a balanced diet and burning calories through cycling and doing daily activities is a great plan to start toning your body and losing weight.
However, your caloric expenditure level is different from others. It can be affected by factors like your:
- Body weight. Heavier individuals naturally have more calories to burn. And this calorie burn rate gradually declines as you become leaner.
- Indoor cycling intensity and duration. Cycling at a faster speed boosts your heart rate and oxygen uptake. In turn, your metabolic rate increases, too. The same effect occurs during your prolonged cycling and HIIT sessions.
- Food intake. Switching to a healthier diet can make your indoor cycling workout more efficient and speed up weight loss.
This previous article also has details on how cycling helps with sustainable weight loss.
2. Indoor cycling workouts activate the muscles to encourage body toning.
Indoor cycling may be a low-impact and predominantly sitting exercise that most think has minimal body toning effect.
However, adjustable incline or resistance levels of indoor exercise bikes counter this inaccurate belief.
Combining this feature with the pedalling motion can considerably work and strengthen various muscles, including your upper body.
Here’s how indoor cycling enhances your muscle tone.
Upper and lower legs
Your leg muscles get the most toning benefits from your indoor cycling workouts. The legs do most of the pedalling work and experience that burning sensation post-workout.
How does indoor cycling tone your legs exactly? Your upper leg, particularly your front thighs or quads, are the frontline of your cycling session.
These muscles let you push the pedals downwards. Your hamstrings or back of the thighs assist by raising your legs as you move the pedals up. The calves and shins of the lower legs also play a supportive role.
Specifically, your calf muscle lets you push the ball of your foot to the pedal, also called plantar flexion. On the other hand, the shins work as you pull your toes back towards your body.
Core
The core keeps your body stable as you pedal. As you lift your legs and twist your body, you activate other parts of your abdomen, back, and spinal muscles.
It’s best to tighten your stomach muscle during indoor cycling workouts for better body toning and weight loss results.
Alternatively, opt for a recumbent bike and cycle in a semi-reclined position. Doing this targets your core muscle more, particularly your obliques and lower abs.
For optimum body toning, try to incorporate off-the-bike core exercises into your workout routine.
Arms and back
Generally, exercise bikes have minimal effect on your upper body muscles, especially while in a reclined position on a recumbent bike.
Still, your arm and back muscles support your body while working out on a spin or upright bike. Moreover, there are several ways to work your upper muscles during indoor cycling workouts for optimum body toning and weight loss.
For instance, you can lift lightweight dumbbells, perform bike push-ups, and do other arm exercises while cycling.
Conclusion on Body Toning with Indoor Cycling Workouts
Indoor cycling workouts can transform you physically through body toning and weight loss. It is because you burn calories and work your muscles as you cycle.
While they are effective, cycling workouts alone cannot give you a leaner physique. You also need to adjust your caloric intake and make smarter food choices.
Rather than stick to indoor cycling sessions at a moderate pace, plan to level them up later to more intense workouts when ready. Then, complement your cardio routine with strength training exercises, too.
And if you’re seriously aiming for a well-toned body, choose the right exercise bike type with adjustable features for optimum calorie burn and muscle activation.
Other Questions on Toning and Weight Loss
1. Can a stationary exercise bike tone my bum?
Regular indoor cycling can surely enhance your butt. That’s because your gluteal muscles help extend your hips to perform the pedalling motion. Constant biking targets your glutes and, eventually, makes them less saggy.
2. How can I maximise my calorie burn on an exercise bike?
Biking with the correct form, adjusting exercise intensity and speed, and practising workout diversity help optimise your bike sessions. Also, observe your heart rate and maintain a consistent routine for efficient caloric burn.
3. Does an exercise bike help with belly fat?
Stationary bikes are excellent cardio machines for weight loss. They are low-impact and easy to use. But no fitness equipment can specifically target the fat from your belly. The key to toning your stomach is to lose excess weight and fat through regular exercise and a healthy diet.
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