Calories Burned Biking

How Many Calories Does Biking a Mile Burn?

Biking is an excellent way to increase physical activity, lose weight, and stay in shape. Biking for just one mile can burn between 200 and 800 calories, depending on how hard you pedal and how much of an incline you`re pedaling against. Fortunately, the perfect calorie-burning routine is one that can fit into your existing lifestyle.

Understanding Biking Calories Burned

Calories are a measurement of energy. One calorie is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. This same amount of energy is used by the body when it breaks down food during digestion. It`s also used when your body performs physical activity. Different activities use different amounts of energy, and the calories burned vary based on the intensity with which you do them.

How Many Calories Does Biking a Mile Burn?

The shorter the distance you bike, the fewer calories you will burn. Generally, you can expect to burn anywhere between 200 and 800 calories when you bike for one mile, depending on the intensity of your ride. This can vary significantly based on a variety of factors, including your weight, the terrain you are riding, and the speed at which you are biking.

Calories Burned Pedaling Uphill

Biking up a hill or over more difficult terrain can significantly increase the amount of calories burned as compared to a flat route. According to Harvard Health Publishing, a person weighing 125 pounds can expect to burn up to 563 calories an hour when biking uphill at a pace of 10 to 12 miles per hour. To use this same figure to calculate calories burned when biking a mile uphill, divide 563 by 12 to get an approximation of calories burned when biking one mile. This would be approximately 57 calories for a mile of uphill biking.

Calories Burned Pedaling on Flat Ground

When biking on flat terrain at a leisurely pace of 10 miles per hour, a 125-pound person can expect to burn around 200 calories for every mile. Biking at a faster pace can significantly increase the number of calories burned, with a person of the same weight potentially burning up to 450 calories in one mile when biking at 20 miles per hour on flat ground.

Other Benefits of Biking

In addition to burning calories and helping you lose or maintain your weight, biking can help you improve cardiovascular health, increase leg strength, and reduce stress. Biking outdoors can provide you with many benefits of spending time in nature, including lower cortisol levels and increased levels of serotonin.

The Bottom Line

Biking is an effective way to burn calories and get in shape. The intensity of your ride, the terrain you are traversing, and your own weight can all play a role in how many calories you burn during a ride. Biking uphill or on flat ground can both be effective methods of burning calories, and you may find that combining the two helps you achieve the best results when it comes to calorie-burning.