How accurate are calorie monitors on exercise bikes?

stationary bike 7 miles image

To Hope

I have a Schwinn stationary bike, and it says I only burnt 190 calories going 8 miles at 10mph with an incline. I'm 5'7 and 135 lb, could this be correct?

Answer
Just about useless. Everyone burns calories at a different rate.

How fast should I be going on the bike at the gym?

winifredba

I'm totally new to stationary bikes, but I'm trying to get into a cycling habit (with the hope of maybe doing a sprint triathlon this summer). Right now I can finish 10 miles in 20 minutes going at about 100-110 rpm and a gear of 7 (whatever that means - 4 is really easy, 10 starts to feel hard, 13 is pretty darn hard, if that helps).

I have no frame of reference at all. Is that good? Pathetic? Medium? Some people say they crank out 30-40 miles in a single workout, but I can't imagine sitting on a bike for an hour or more. Are they just going way faster than me? Should I be trying to increase my gear or my rpm? Any tips for getting faster (and more efficient - I hate spending hours on end at the gym) on the stationary bike would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer
Try to keep your pedaling cadence around 90 rpm with whatever resistance feels doable. 100-110 isn't an efficient/sustainable cadence for me. You may need to play around a bit to find what works best for you, but nobody is pedaling 40 miles in an hour. Professional racers ride around 25mph, sprinters and track riders get faster, but they don't keep it up for an hour.

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Will I lose weight on a 1600 calorie a day diet?

recumbent exercise bike desk image

Q. I am a 27 year old female, 5'2 and weigh 150 lbs. I want to lose 30 pounds and keep it off. I am ridding an excersize bike for 30 minutes every morning which is about 12 miles a day. To help lose weight I want to watch my calories so I started a 1000 calories a day diet but then heard if you only eat 1000 calories or less a day it wont burn fat it will burn lean muscle so they suggested to go on a 1600 calorie a day diet. On my excersize bike it says im burning approx 500 calories on my 30 minute workout. Will I lose weight this weigh or should I lower my calories?

Answer
I ride a stationary recumbent bike and try to get 11 miles in 30 minutes, so I commend you. Actually, you need to eat no fewer than 1,200 calories a day. 1,600 will be great for you. The site at the bottom will help you calculate your resting metabolic rate and determine how many calories you naturally burn in a regular day (not including exercise). Taking in 500 fewer calories a day will help you lose 1 pound a week.

Resting (basal) metabolic rate: 1463 calories per day
Typical daily activities: 713 calories per day
*Consider 8 hours sleep, 10 hours sitting/resting/desk job, and 6 hours light physical activity.

Total calories burned: 2177 per day
Note: 3500 calories = 1 pound weight loss

Is a treadmill good for old people?

The W

I know walking is good. It makes you live longer if you heath healthy and so on but if my grandfather use the treadmill for 15 mins a day at 2mph. Is that still good? I hope so.
eat* ...............

Answer
I work out at a gym that also has a cardiac rehab in the afternoons. There are always 10-15 elderly individuals that are using them under the supervision of a nurse that has a desk there. She monitors their blood pressure before and after and gets them set up. Everyone has a target heart rate it seems. The distance and speed must be tailored to the individual. If a person is elderly, with multiple problems and out of shape, 15 at 2 seems great.

I think it is a great idea. Walking outside can be daunting for an elderly person. Sidewalks are uneven, tripping an falling is always a problem, getting tired blocks from home is not good and in some neighborhoods, the elderly are often victims of crimes, harassment or dogs.

With a treadmill, a person can exercise in any weather, keep track of your heart rate, have an even walking surface and if you get tired, just stop, step off and sit down for a few. Also, if your fitness level is low, you can use it for shorter periods 2x's per day and get the same effect.

While a treadmill to run on needs a robust motor and a big belt surface, to just walk a more economical one works fine. I would make sure to get one with a heart rate monitor. A folding one may not work so well because it takes considerable strength to fold up.

It there are significant joint problems in the hips or knees, then a recumbent bike is used.

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