How to Lose Weight by Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is a fun sport and an excellent way of losing weight. Mountain biking works out your entire body, but it is especially useful for toning the leg muscles. When cycling, the main muscle groups involved are upper thigh muscles, backside muscles and calf muscles. Keep in mind that mountain biking will not get you bulging leg muscles; rather it will make your muscle lean and functional.

Instructions

• 1

  Find a flat track to start off with your weight loss program. Don't worry too much about the distance you cover initially; rather, focus on time. For instance, you can start with a 15-minute bike ride a few times a week. Gradually, increase the time and work your way uphill by finding a slightly steep off road terrain.

• 2

  Do your research in the market and buy the appropriate bike for yourself. For biking in a hilly area, you should look for a mountain bike with at least 20 gears, according to Mtobikes.com.

• 3

  Keep increasing your pace and distance as you discover more hilly areas. Gradually increase the time you spend mountain biking everyday.

• 4

  Cut down your carbohydrates intake. If possible, follow a diet plan that suits your exercise regime and lifestyle.

• 5

  Calculate how much calories you should be consuming, and how much you should be burning by mountain biking. An average person consumes about 2200 to 2800 calories in a day, and to maintain your weight, the amount of calories consumed should be equal to the amount you burn. Use an online calculator (see Resources), where you have to enter your weight in pounds, and specify the amount of time you spend in each activity including mountain biking and other activities like teeth brushing, cooking, driving, gardening, hair styling, jogging, mopping and more. Based on the information you provide, the online calculator will tell you how much you're burning at the moment and how much you should be burning as per your diet plan.

• 6

  Increase your mountain biking pace according to the calorie calculator results. Once you reach the goal that you've set, maintain it and reduce the number of rides per week.