Can You Lose Weight on a Gym Bicycle?

Gym bicycles, which are often called stationary bikes or exercise bikes, provide an effective, low-impact way to burn calories. Provided you consume fewer calories than you burn, this common piece of exercise equipment can indeed help you burn fat to lose weight. The rate at which you burn calories varies, but in the gym, cycling is one of the fastest ways to get in shape.

  1. Calories Burned

    • The calories you'll burn during a stationary bike workout depend on your weight and the intensity and length of the exercise. The harder and longer you pedal, the more calories you'll burn. According to Harvard Medical School, a 155-pound person will burn 260 calories during 30 minutes of moderate-intensity pedaling and 391 calories during 30 minutes of vigorous-intensity pedaling. A 185-pound person will burn 311 and 466 calories, respectively, during the same two workouts.

    Calories and Fat

    • The calories you burn during your stationary bike workout will lead to weight loss, provided you consume fewer calories than you burn. This concept, known as a calorie deficit, is integral to losing fat. Upon creating a deficit of 3,500 calories, you'll lose 1 pound of fat, reports MayoClinic.com. Regular workouts on the stationary bike can help you create a calorie deficit, especially given how many calories you can burn during the workout.

    Calorie Consumption

    • Although burning calories through your stationary bike workout helps you work toward your goal of losing weight, doing so is only half the battle. Unless you address your calorie consumption, you risk exercising without experiencing weight loss. The number of calories you should consume depends on your age and how frequently you exercise. MayoClinic.com recommends an active, 35-year-old women who weighs 130 pounds should consume about 1,950 calories per day. An active, 35-year-old man who weighs 180 pounds should consume about 2,700 calories daily.

    Stationary Bike Benefits

    • In addition to giving you the opportunity to burn hundreds of calories in a single workout, the stationary bike offers other benefits. Because your feet remain on the pedals, this exercise is low impact and gentler to your joints, which is especially important if you're overweight. Riding a stationary bike allows you to exercise in inclement weather and, because it's an aerobic exercise, it boosts your stamina, improves your mood, improves your cardiovascular fitness, strengthens your immune system and reduces your chance of developing such serious health conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease.