Apparently Riding to Work is the quickest way to get fit
Apparently Riding to Work is the quickest way to get fit
A new study conducted at the University of Copenhagen shows that inactive people can lose fat mass just as effectively by riding their bike to work than by exercising in their leisure time. It is a time-effective solution if you want to be physically active, but lead a busy everyday life, the researchers say.
Jump on your bike and enjoy the morning ride to work. You can lose fat mass just as effectively and fast by starting to take your bike to work as by exercising in a fitness centre. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen in a study that has just been published in the scientific journal International Journal of Obesity.
‘This is good news for the many people who may not have the time or inclination to join a fitness centre because they also have to pick up their children and cook dinner after work. Our results show that it is possible to combine transport to and from work with effective physical exercise’, says Professor and Head of Department Bente Stallknecht.
The tell Tale Heart Rate Monitor
The study involved 130 people with a BMI of 25-35 kg/m2. A criterion for participating in the study was they were not too active or muscular based on a series of parameters like body fat percentage, maximum oxygen uptake and level of physical activity.
The participants were divided into four groups of which one had to ride the bike to and from work. Two other groups had to do physical exercise five times a week, one at high intensity, the other at moderate intensity. The last group could make no changes and thus function as the control group.
The groups that cycled and were physically active during their leisure time burned the same amount of calories a week during these activities; only the intensity and form of physical exercise varied. Throughout the test – using the heart rate monitors, among other things – the researchers checked that the participants met the requirements and did the physical exercise they were asked to do.
Cycling Works
After six months all groups, except for the control group, had less fat mass. The fat mass had been reduced by 4.5 kg (compared to the control group) in the group doing high-intensity leisure time exercise, by 2.6 kg in the group doing moderate-intensity leisure time exercise and by 4.2 kg in the group riding the bike to work. The difference between the three physically active groups was only statistically significant between the two groups doing leisure time exercise.
‘All forms of physical exercise are better than the control group, but high-intensity exercise is statistically better than moderate-intensity exercise. And riding your bike to and from work is at least as effective a means for reducing fat mass as exercising during your leisure time’, says Research Assistant Jonas Salling Quist from the Department of Biomedical Sciences who participated as a PhD student and author of the study.
Looking to hop on a bike and increase your fitness? Drop in store or give us a call and we can work out the best ride for you together.
