We all have ridden bikes as kids and we did this for fun, not for getting fit or to lose weight. It was one of those activities that you could do for a long time and really enjoy. There is something as adults we can learn from this when trying to find ways to get in shape and improve our health without it feeling like a chore, or something you have to do. And if you can do it consistently enough to make it a habit the benefits can be significant. Due to many jobs requiring us to be stuck behind computers, getting outdoors is a great thing and something we should encourage more. Whether you want to ride on the bike paths, mountain bike ride or go hard up hills on a road bike it doesn't matter, you can have some great fun and reap some amazing health rewards as a result.

Here is an interesting article exploring some of these amazing benefits.

Written by Ashley Bello of www.gogglesnmore.com

In addition to being a fun activity that allows you to get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air, biking also burns calories and builds muscle. With obesity and diabetes continuing to rise, it’s important that we all take our health and exercise seriously. Here we’ll take a look at just how many calories the averaging biking trip burns from an individual.

It's Cardio

(Above is a picture I took on a ride up Mt Buffalo in 2016. Apart from being a tough 26km mountain climb, the awesome feeling of being in touch with nature cannot be put into words)

Biking is considered a moderately-intense cardiovascular workout which helps burns calories and fat, while improving muscle tone, heart health, stamina and endurance. In fact, according to the British Medical Association, biking just 20 miles per week can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 50%. If that doesn’t get you outside riding your bike, then I don’t know what will! Studies have also shown that biking regularly improves the mental and emotional state of a rider. Getting outside riding on a warm sunny day releases the “happy” chemicals in your body known as endorphins. When these are released, you’ll naturally become happier and more content.

How Many Calories Does Biking Burn?

The amount of calories you’ll burn from biking depends on a number of different factors, such as your weight, speed at which you’re biking, and whether you’re going uphill, downhill or over a flat terrain. While there are many different factors which determine how many calories you’ll burn from biking, I’ll try to give you a approximation: a full grown adult weighing 150 pounds and biking very lightly would burn around 400 calories in one hour if they continued at a light pace. Someone weighing the same amount but biking more rigorously would burn nearly 700 calories in only one hour. As you can see, the amount of calories you burn are greatly affected by how hard you bike.

How To Burn The Most Calories From Biking

If you want to burn the most calories as possible from your biking trip, you should try to cycle at the fastest reasonable speed possible. Don’t strain yourself to the point where you’re going to fall over and pass out, but instead find the maximum speed at which you can remain consistent throughout your trip. In addition, you should also look for routes which take you uphill rather than downhill. When you start biking for the purpose of losing calories, you’ll likely find that your body becomes dehydrated more quickly. Instead of just carrying water with you, I recommend taking a bottle of electrolyte-filled sports drink with you.