It’s no secret that exercise is good for you. But what many people don’t recognise is how beneficial regular exercise can be – especially when it comes to burning calories. Exercise bikes are an efficient, fun, and accessible way for you to burn off some calories quickly. You’ve set yourself a target of 500 calories a day, but now you may be wondering how long this may take and if it’s enough?
On average, someone who weighs between 160-250 pounds and cycles an exercise bike at a moderate intensity will need to cycle for approximately 40-55 minutes to burn 500 calories. If you were to ride flat out at a very vigorous intensity, it would take between 20-30 minutes to burn 500 calories.
The time it takes to burn 500 calories on an exercise bike is determined by many factors, such as your current weight and fitness levels. Furthermore, if you want to make cycling on an exercise bike part of your daily exercise routine, you need to be consistent. Weight loss is a journey that takes time and effort, so be patient, focus on your goals, and enjoy the ride.
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How Long Does It Take to Burn 500 Calories on an Exercise Bike?
| Weight In pounds | Time For Light Intensity | Time For Moderate Intensity | Time For High Intensity |
| 160-180lbs | 1 hour 15 minutes | 52 minutes | 29 minutes |
| 180-200lbs | 1 hour 05 minutes | 47 minutes | 26 minutes |
| 200-220lbs | 60 minutes | 43 minutes | 24 minutes |
| 220-240lbs | 55 minutes | 40 minutes | 22 minutes |
| 250lbs plus | 48 minutes | 38 minutes | 21 minutes |
According to Harvard University, it would take 30 minutes for an averagely weighted person (185 pounds) to burn 252 calories going at a moderate pace. This means that an averagely weighted person going at an average pace can expect to burn 8.4 calories a minute.
If you weigh 125 pounds you will burn 7 calories per minute at a moderate effort level. If you up the intensity to a vigorous rate you will burn 10.5 calories a minute. This means it will take you approximately 71 minutes to burn 500 calories at a moderate intensity level and 47 and a half minutes to burn 500 calories at a vigorous rate of intensity.
If you weigh 155 pounds, you will burn 8.4 calories per minute at a moderate effort level on an exercise bike. If you up the intensity to a vigorous rate you will burn 9.2 calories a minute. This means it will take you approximately 60 minutes to burn 500 calories at a moderate intensity level and 54 minutes to burn 500 calories at a vigorous rate of intensity.
If you weigh 185 pounds, you will burn 9.8 calories per minute at a moderate effort level on an exercise bike. If you up the intensity to a vigorous rate you will burn 14.7 calories a minute. This means it will take you approximately 51 minutes to burn 500 calories at a moderate intensity level and 34 minutes to burn 500 calories at a vigorous rate of intensity.
Is 500 Calories Enough to Lose Weight?
On average, you need to burn around 3500 calories to lose one pound of body fat. If you burn 500 calories daily on an exercise bike, you can expect to lose one pound of fat each week, resulting in weight loss. In fact, this is the recommended way to lose weight because it’s healthier and more beneficial for long term weight loss.
However, it is completely different from person to person. You must determine multiple different factors about your body. You must consider;
- Your starting weight
- Base metabolic rate
- Average calories consumed per day
- General activity level
- TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)
The only way you will lose any weight is if you are in a calory deficit. This takes into account all calories you consume through food, minus calories you burn off naturally and calories you actively try to burn off through exercise. Burning 500 can definitely be enough, especially if you are consistent with your training. Nonetheless, the main determining factor is your diet.
As long as you’re keeping your diet in check, 500 calories burned a day can be more than enough to facilitate weight loss. This is why it is so useful to track your calories. But first, you will want to calculate your TDEE. There are many calculators online, use ones where you can input the most information for more accurate results.
Your TDEE gives you the number of calories you naturally burn off each day, meaning if you ate that number of calories, you would maintain your weight. According to many different sources such as Healthline, a 500 calorie deficit is the recommended amount for sufficient weight loss. This means if you ate at your TDEE rate and burned 500 calories you would see great results.
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Should I Use an Exercise Bike Every Day?
Using an exercise bike provides an efficient yet low-impact way to increase your cardiovascular fitness and burn calories. Because of this, you may be tempted to use an exercise bike every day. However, even the most hardcore exercise programs suggest taking at least one rest day per week. The harder and more frequently you work out the more important these rest days will become.
Working out every day you can develop overuse injuries, especially when you are doing the exact same exercise each day. If you are not willing to skip a day of exercise completely it is advisable to get off the bike for that day and do something different in order to reduce the risk of overtraining.
It is advised to take at least a day or two off the bike to cross-train with other cardio exercises. Exercises that are similarly low impact and cardio-intensive include swimming, rowing, incline skating, or pedalling an elliptical trainer. It may also be wise to fit in some upper body exercises in order to even out your physique and further reduce the risk of overtraining your lower body.
It is important to take these rests days as it will help you keep up your overall levels of intensity, meaning you will burn more calories in the long run. Some signs of overtraining include decreased performance, excessive fatigue, insomnia, elevated heart rate, and, chronic aches and pains. Any of these will be sure to hinder your progress in the long run so make sure you avoid them.
Conclusion.
Exercise bikes can be an extremely efficient and fun way of exercising, offering a low-impact yet high cardio-intensive method of working out. At a high level of intensity, it should take you less than 1 hour per day to burn off 500 calories using an exercise bike, regardless of your current weight and fitness level.
As long as you are keeping on top of your diet, 500 calories burned on an exercise bike is definitely enough to see great fat loss results as many experts recognise 500 calories to be an effective calorie deficit. Ensure to take adequate rest to not overtrain and hinder your progress in the long run.
