best exercise bikes for seniors
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GrEEnLoVer
I just started riding a bike not too long ago and i ride it 2 miles everyday and im just wondering what parts am i buffing up and am i getting rid of any fat?
Answer
The most major impact of biking will be on your legs and heart. Whenever I ride regularly, my legs buff up quite quickly. And, amazingly, it helps my arms too. I don't do a lot of other upper body exercises, yet I use my upper body enough while biking to be pretty buff (for a woman). I find that the main workout for the upper body is climbing steep hills, since I "pull" on the handlebars to do it. People who don't regularly climb hills or get their upper body actively involved in biking won't see much benefit in that regard. I think I learned to get the upper body into it from mountain biking, where the use of the upper body position is quite important.
Bicycling burns anywhere from 400-900 calories per hour. I disagree with another poster that working out "too hard" will not burn fat! Burning calories is equal to burning fat, i.e. if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose fat. If you eat more than you burn, you will gain fat. It's a simple equation. Working out really hard burns more calories, so tips the balance more towards fat loss (as long as you don't eat too much!). I'm not saying it's always good to work out hard -- in fact, it is often more enjoyable to work out at a moderate aerobic pace. But working out hard *will* burn fat, and sometimes, doing it in "intervals" (short periods, i.e. 10 minutes) is very good for improving strength.
The best way to know how many calories you are burning is to measure your heart rate, either by timing it using a watch, or with a heart rate monitor. Subtract your age from 220, and that is your approximate maximum heart rate. You will want to be at about 60-70% of the maximum to be within your aerobic zone. Below that and you may not burn a lot of calories. Above that you will burn calories, but you need to make sure your heart is in good enough health to handle it (if in doubt, talk to your doctor!)
I frequently run across people who ask about the safety of biking, since I regularly commute by bike. These words are from a study regarding the safety versus health benefits of bikes: "...based on the life expectancy of each cyclist killed in road accidents using actuarial data, and the increased longevity of those engaging in exercise regimes several times a week compared with those leading relatively sedentary lives ... the benefits in terms of life years gained, outweigh life years lost in cycling fatalities by a factor of around 20 to 1." -- Mayer Hillman, Senior Fellow Emeritus, Policy Studies Institute, and British Medical Association researcher
How much exercise should you do?
Jennifer W
I'm just a bit confused with all the contradicting messages given out. I do 75 sit-ups each day, one 1hr intense dance class and three intense 30 minute cardio exercises per week. Is that enough? How do you guys pack in exercise in a busy schedule? What is the recommended amount?
Thanks to anyone who answers!
Answer
Well, I KNOW that your exercise program is Waaaayyyyy to much.
Consider age in the formula. As you grow older, you will be not able to keep up with such a demanding schedule. Eventually, you will quit all exercise unless you are willing to change, based on your body's ability to rest/recover. Rest is when you build your body stronger, not during the exercise.
OK, yes, keep doing aerobics. Why intense, though? You need ONE DAY of weightlifting. Blame gravity. Gravity pulls everything down, weights pulls everything back up again. Slow down the aerobics and do them 7 days a week. When tired; REST! Don't beat up your soul if you are too tired to do anything. We all have those days. Remember that aerobics last 72 hours. So you CAN skip a day or two.
After 31 years of exercising all kinds of exercises; this is what I now do; DAILY aerobics with a Gazelle machine, then a New York Barbell horizontal leg press machine, finally a Schwinn Stationary Bike. I also use a leg step bench to STRETCH my calves. Once a week I do weightlifting. Primarly 1/4 squats using a power rack. I also do deadlifts using a lift cage. AND once a week I go to a small gym to do lifting machines to focus on making my upper body strong. Most emphasis is on the legs because when the legs go, we are in trouble!
I do what they call strength conditioning exercises. That is, as I grow older, I do not want to get weaker. I am now age 61. For the past 10 years I am lifting lighter weights, but my body has kept it's size, shape, and strength, with no loss. I see others around me that are my age, and they are in terrible shape. Low metabolism and gravity has caused havoc on their bodies.
I went to see a senior citizen body building competition a while back. They are impressive for their age, from the belt-line up, but the hips and legs are in terrible shape. Many do too much definition lifting. They grew massive muscles, but gravity is pulling all those bulges - down! Gross... You want to be tight and strong, not have big "lumps" all over.
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