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simpleshinji
New Member
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Posted: 18 Jul 2007 08:22 am |
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i just got a bike the other day, and i really enjoy it, but i was wondering if i might have gotten more out of my walks, due to after biking my legs don't hurt as much and my feet don't hurt at all, which happened every time after my walks.
i walk about a mile and a half in just under 30mins, and on the bike i ride about about 4 miles in around 40mins. i work up a equal sweat during both but i was wondering with the ability to coast and being in the lowest gear on the bike am i really getting as much as i did on my walks?
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NevD
New Member
| Joined: | 26 Oct 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1536 |
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Posted: 18 Jul 2007 04:13 pm |
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Biking is low impact activity, so kinder to the legs and joints (especially if you're new to regular walking).
What always worried me about cycling as a primary source of exercise is the free-wheeling (downhill). You don't burn many calories that way. It's harder to free-wheel when you're walking.
You can get track stands (or training stands) that fit your bike. The best sort have magnetic resistance that's easily variable (and quieter than the 'fan' sort). If you give it an intense 10 minutes on this device, before or after cycling al fresco, you guarantee a decent workout.
Since stationary cycling is nothing if not boring, I'd stick with the great outdoors, but use the stand device to ensure you burn some good calories.
Can't remember the name of the one I used back in UK, but they're not expensive.
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luv2teach
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 19 Jul 2007 03:32 am |
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| When I bike I use a stationary bike and no matter how hard I bike I can never burn as many calories as when I walk. It is always nice to switch things up a but because walking does get boring day after day especially if you use the same route like I do!! I would keep biking but maybe lengthen the workout so you burn as many calories or add more resistance (mentioned above).
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NevD
New Member
| Joined: | 26 Oct 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1536 |
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Posted: 19 Jul 2007 10:51 am |
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When I bike I use a stationary bike and no matter how hard I bike I can never burn as many calories as when I walk.
I'd be interested to learn how you established that...
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luv2teach
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 20 Jul 2007 01:58 pm |
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I can only bike so fast...the bike at my rec center is really old!!! I have tried different intervals and fat burning intervals and hills etc. and I always burn more walking on the treadmill.
I established the calories I burned from the machine....I know they are not totally accurate...but it is an estimate at least:)
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NevD
New Member
| Joined: | 26 Oct 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1536 |
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Posted: 20 Jul 2007 03:26 pm |
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It's a shame that frustration at not being able to burn more calories doesn't burn calories itself...
But that's not how the world works.
If frustration burned body fat, my last job would have left me a mere skeleton!
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luv2teach
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 21 Jul 2007 02:20 pm |
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| No kidding....teaching 14 and 15 year olds would have done the same for me too!! Instead it loads on the stress which causes me to eat more and gain weight!
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firefly
New Member
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Posted: 22 Jul 2007 01:15 pm |
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| Do you have to walk briskly to burn up calories and how long for or how many miles? suggestions please thanks
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NevD
New Member
| Joined: | 26 Oct 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1536 |
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Posted: 22 Jul 2007 01:54 pm |
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No - you use up calories at whatever pace you walk. If you set out to walk 3 miles, you'll use up X calories. But, if you set out to walk for 20 minutes, the calories used will depend on how far you got in that time.
If you increase the intensity of whatever exercise you do, then more calories are used per unit of time (so it's more efficient, time-wise).
Bear in mind, though, that too much intense exercise when you're restricting calories can use up precious muscle that is hard to replace. So be judicious in your exercise. Little and often is better than big and infrequent - and definitely better than too big and too often...
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firefly
New Member
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Posted: 22 Jul 2007 02:16 pm |
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| So food and exercise little and often for both to lose weight
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NevD
New Member
| Joined: | 26 Oct 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1536 |
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Posted: 23 Jul 2007 02:00 pm |
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If you substitute 'a judicious amount' for little, then that would be right.
I'd never advise anyone to eat 'little', since most would-be slimmers eat too few calories anyway.
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clonechemist
New Member
| Joined: | 13 Sep 2006 |
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| Posts: | 11 |
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Posted: 23 Jul 2007 03:14 pm |
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Simpleshinji,
Are you using a stationary bike? If you're really only riding 4 miles in 40 minutes that's only about 6 miles per hour - I find it hard to balance on my bike once I'm at or below about 8 miles per hour!
Regarding calories, I've gotten seriously into biking in the last year and it's really helped me lose 55 pounds. I find it hard to believe that you could burn more calories walking than by giving a decent effort on the bike. You definitely shouldn't equate pain with calories burned.
Does your bike have gears? If so you should try to stay in a gear where you can spin the pedals at 80-90 rpm with some effort. And just because you have the ability to coast doesn't mean you should - if pedaling gets too easy, switch to a harder gear and go faster!! That's why you have gears in the first place. Just speaking from experience, if you can bike for 40 minutes and not feel very tired, you can definitely push yourself harder.
I hope this doesn't come across as mean but if you want to burn the most possible calories you have to be willing to push yourself!
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NevD
New Member
| Joined: | 26 Oct 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1536 |
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Posted: 24 Jul 2007 12:21 pm |
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I hope this doesn't come across as mean but if you want to burn the most possible calories you have to be willing to push yourself!
Yes and no - that is, I sort of agree, but not completely.
All over the world, there are people who want to slim, but take no exercise (or very little). Then, there are those who overdo things and burn off muscle, or even injure themselves (thereby losing valuable training time).
The optimum way to exercise is to stay in the fat-burning zone and do it regularly. That means not going for the burn, feeling bad the next day and deciding to skip exercise for a while.
You can always improve fitness (by increasing intensity) once you're nearer your body fat goal. In the meantime, I would aim for efficient forms of exercise.
For instance, when you're freewheeling downhill, changing gear doesn't help you expend effort on a bicycle. Not to deride it as a form of exercise, but unless you live on a plateau or in Holland, it's likely that some of the time, you'll coast.
Over the years, I must have tried every form of exercise that's legal. A stationary bike may be boring, but you can get better fat burning effect in 20 minutes, properly done, than is likely on a road bike in double the time.
Just my 1.5 Euros worth.
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clonechemist
New Member
| Joined: | 13 Sep 2006 |
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| Posts: | 11 |
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Posted: 24 Jul 2007 05:08 pm |
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nevd wrote: I hope this doesn't come across as mean but if you want to burn the most possible calories you have to be willing to push yourself!
Yes and no - that is, I sort of agree, but not completely.
All over the world, there are people who want to slim, but take no exercise (or very little). Then, there are those who overdo things and burn off muscle, or even injure themselves (thereby losing valuable training time).
The optimum way to exercise is to stay in the fat-burning zone and do it regularly. That means not going for the burn, feeling bad the next day and deciding to skip exercise for a while.
You can always improve fitness (by increasing intensity) once you're nearer your body fat goal. In the meantime, I would aim for efficient forms of exercise.
For instance, when you're freewheeling downhill, changing gear doesn't help you expend effort on a bicycle. Not to deride it as a form of exercise, but unless you live on a plateau or in Holland, it's likely that some of the time, you'll coast.
Over the years, I must have tried every form of exercise that's legal. A stationary bike may be boring, but you can get better fat burning effect in 20 minutes, properly done, than is likely on a road bike in double the time.
Just my 1.5 Euros worth.
I think we're mostly in agreement - I definitely don't think one should overdo it when it comes to exercise. Notice I did state that shinji shouldn't equate pain/suffering with successful exercise. It was simply my intuitive assumption as a cyclist that 6 miles an hour, unless going straight up hill, probably represents a paltry effort that could easily be improved without much physical strain. You're right, though, that a stationary bike could give a more controlled workout (that's why I prefer a treadmill to running outside).
What are those 1.5 Euros worth now anyways, about $500 US? Haha, that's some pretty valuable advice...
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firefly
New Member
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Posted: 24 Jul 2007 05:49 pm |
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nevd wrote: I hope this doesn't come across as mean but if you want to burn the most possible calories you have to be willing to push yourself!
burn off muscle
I've always read that fat turns into muscle when you exercise, so muscle isn't irreplacable. Muscle also weighs heavier.
With all this calorie counting and making sure a person eats the right size portions, you are meant to eat less calories, but the question of how many because eating too few means weight won't lessen, eating too many and a person will gain more weight.
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firefly
New Member
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Posted: 28 Aug 2007 04:41 pm |
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I'm taking part in a sponsored walk on 8th Sept and this has spurred me into action to do more walking so my legs don't 'fall off' on the day. Today I did a brisk 30 min walk and calculated using the calculators on here that I burned off 159 calories. 
I'm still eating small meals and have been told by medical professional that if I don't eat enough I will lose weight, my body will not hold onto what I have got. If I eat too little I will know about it by feeling tired, dizzy and faint, I'm not feeling any of these symptoms so I'm quite happy to carry on as I am.
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firefly
New Member
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Posted: 12 Sep 2007 07:29 pm |
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| Did the Sponsored Walk, 8 miles in 50 minutes, have raised ?é?ú109 for a very worthy cause
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chris302
New Member
| Joined: | 20 Feb 2006 |
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| Posts: | 29 |
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Posted: 29 Sep 2007 04:42 pm |
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I am a big fan of outdoor biking! Don't worry about the downhill coasting--it takes only seconds to go down the hill, and much more time is spent going flat or uphill. It is a natural form of interval training, an excellent fat burner and good aerobic conditioning! Your effort varies according to the terrain. After a hard effort going uphill, you have a short recovery period going down, then you rev up your pedal power to push ahead.
I bike at about 12-14 miles per hour. Once you are an experienced biker, you don't "coast" much. You change gears and pedal down that hill. It's easier than going up, but you are still working. My effort remains pretty constant while biking. The extra-long or extra-steep hills (the "killer" hills) put me into anaerobic breathing, but the rest of the time it is aerobic.
Also, I can ride bikes outdoors much longer than most other forms of exercise, and it is FUN!!! The fun factor is so important when leading an active life. My husband and I go on day trips where we bike several hours over the course of the day, but stop for lunch, sightseeing, shopping, etc. along the way. I would NEVER spend that time on a stationary bike! Also, biking is less uncomfortable in warm weather than running is--the wind blows in your face the faster you ride, and cools you off.
I agree with the poster who suggested that you work on changing gears more efficiently and gradually increase the intensity of your effort.
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Phoebe
Senior Member
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Posted: 1 Oct 2007 12:50 am |
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Right on Chris30! I can spend hours on my bike. There is a feeling of freedom that comes with hustling down the road. Today I had a wonderful 52 mile ride in the morning, the wind was out of the South kickin' at 25mphs. There is no coasting when you are bucking a 25mph wind. 
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newstart
New Member
| Joined: | 26 Jul 2007 |
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| Posts: | 359 |
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Posted: 4 Oct 2007 05:37 pm |
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The most fun I had in my life was when I took off, leaving husband behind (he couldn't get off work), and rode my (then new) Motobecane Tour de France 21-speed (it was originally a 10-speed, but my husband modified it for me) bike from Lunenburg, VT down US 3 through Franconia Notch (before the new highway was built) to Newfound Lake in Bristol, New Hampshire, and spent the night sleeping under a tarp I spread over a picnic table; then got up to ride US 13 to Silver Lake, New Hampshire, and, again, spent the night under a picnic table; then rode to Townsend, Ma to have lunch with my Mom (who has long since died) and continue to Westminster, MA to spend the next two nights with my brother (who has long since moved to Oregon); and then rode up US 12 to US 5 to Ascutney, VT, to spend another night under a picnic table before riding the final leg on US 2 back to Lunenburg, VT.
The only gear I carried was my bike tools, spare inner tubes, and a tarp for sleeping under. I wanted to be able to move into the woods quickly without leaving any evidence that i had been there if the police came by looking for vagrants. They never did, but the thought that they might made for a very exciting trip for me. I had an imagination that just didn't quit.
I had long hair and I braided it the first day and never combed it again during the entire trip, except for at my brother's house, because his wife was embarrassed to introduce me to their neighbors as a relative of theirs. She also gave me a toothbrush and toothpaste, which I used while I was there, but left behind. I had my own at home.
I stopped at every roadside hotdog stand and had a couple of hot dogs, onion rings (if they had them) and a chocolate milkshake at each and every one of them, but still managed to shed weight (I don't remember how much, since that wasn't my purpose at the time). I wore my bikey clothes, which amounted to lycra shorts with a chamois crotch (no underwear to chafe) and a speedo exercise top. I carried a second pair for sleeping in and I would take a swim each night and then let my riding clothes dry on a line between 2 trees. Then I would put them on, still damp, in the morning and start again.
It's true that I didn't work too hard going down hills, (they were twisty, steep, and narrow, and I was already traveling faster than the cars filled with sightseers) but every down hill had it's uphill, too. I remember that I averaged around 15mph on that trip, and it was such a joy!
I became pregnant shortly after that, and never had the ability to take off again, as I got pregnant twice more, each time at around the time that the previous child might have been getting old enough to travel also. Then my oldest, and in their own turns, her younger brother and sister, showed real passions in their own areas of interest and all trips were by automobile to help them build their own talents. We finally adopted another three children and these don't show any signs of wanting to ride with Mom and Dad either, but have their own interests, as well.
Now I walk for exercise, because I can't allow myself to be too far from home while my two youngest are at school, or even when they are home, but, when they are home, I pay them each fifty cents a mile to walk with Mama, and they are happy to get the money, which they immediately spend at the first ice cream stand we pass on the way home (the only one, actually). I can usually count on their company for three or four miles, after which the lure of being with friends and the public humiliation of walking with their mother overcomes greed.
My oldest kids are worried about my impending (possibly already developing) senility, which they feel is evidenced by the fact that I intend to bicycle across the country as soon as the youngest is grown and settled enough that my presence at home is not such a necessity. Following that, I would like to walk around the world (of course flying where walking is not possible). I think it would be wonderful to be able to hold a family reunion in a different country every year and pay for my children to fly out and visit their parents, and I've told them that, if I sell the house and put the money into a money card, have my social security check direct deposited into the same card, and if I sleep under bridges and eat at free community meal sites, I might be able to afford their flights.
My husband hasn't weighed in on this idea yet, but I can be persuasive when necessary, and I'm much too old to get pregnant again...I guess you could say I'm just "spinning my gears", but I may be logging in from on the road some time in the future...
Last edited on 5 Oct 2007 02:42 am by newstart
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