Darrach Borke has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry in California. He is a managing director with Emerson Equity, a registered investment advisor in San Mateo. Outside of work, Darrach Borke enjoys cycling.

Cycling can help you lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you decide to adopt this low-impact exercise to get fit and lose some weight, several factors, including your current weight, fitness level, cycling intensity, and consistency, will impact how quickly you notice results.

For example, researchers discovered that if you cycle for 30 to 60 minutes at least four days a week, you should see a considerable decrease in the size of your belly within a few months. You'll also burn more calories and lose weight faster if you ride vigorously as opposed to leisurely. For example, if you weigh 185 pounds, you may burn 444 calories in 30 minutes when cycling at a strenuous pace of 15.9 miles per hour, as opposed to 355 calories while cycling at the slower pace of 13.9 miles per hour.

Fitness professionals advise combining cycling with a balanced diet to help you achieve your weight loss objectives. Cycling on an empty stomach can speed up the burning of stomach fat, so many cycling coaches also recommend going for your bike ride first thing in the morning, after you've gone eight hours or so without eating.