What’s considered vigorous on a stationary bike?

Angelbunny111
Angelbunny111 Posts: 11 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello , I recently just started working out again because I feel like this pregnancy I’ve gained too much and it’s great to exercise while pregnant but according to my bike on low resistance I’m doing 20-22 mph , would that be considered moderate or vigorous? I did 20 miles in 65 minutes according to the bike ...I can’t seem to find too much information online.

Replies

  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,372 Member
    You feel you've gained too much what for your pregnancy but what does your doctor think?
  • Angelbunny111
    Angelbunny111 Posts: 11 Member
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    You feel you've gained too much what for your pregnancy but what does your doctor think?

    Due to Covid, I haven’t had many in office appointments but last time I was in there at 22 weeks they said baby is growing fine and seem pleased with my weight gain (105 pounds pre-pregnancy) I’m 25.5 weeks now
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Unfortunately speed is a hopeless metric on a stationary bike - you are doing zero miles an hour not 20-22mph.

    With no gravity, inertia or wind resistance to fight against the numbers are both hugely inflated compared to the power you put into pedalling compared to outdoors cycling and also very varied across different brands/models.

    Vigorous or moderate relates to the effort you feel but bear in mind your vigourous or moderate effort is very different to someone's else's vigorous or moderate in terms of power produced and calories burned.
    I would assume (as a 5,000 miles a year cyclist....) my vigorous power level would be a lot higher than yours but Chris Froome would be just ticking over easily when I'm giving it everything.

    I don't suppose your bike gives you a power reading in watts?
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,372 Member
    anabutterfly3 wrote: »
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    You feel you've gained too much what for your pregnancy but what does your doctor think?

    Due to Covid, I haven’t had many in office appointments but last time I was in there at 22 weeks they said baby is growing fine and seem pleased with my weight gain (105 pounds pre-pregnancy) I’m 25.5 weeks now

    So perhaps you haven't gained too much weight at all and you are being over critical of yourself?

    Are you looking to lose or maintain weight? Maybe worthwhile talking to your doctor either way, particularly if you haven't exercised or exercised as much as you are planning to since before you were pregnant.

  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    There's about 100 pieces of information missing to give an accurate guess.

    If you had accurate power, that's easy.
    HR, amount of resistance, RPE, FTP, etc could give a decent guess.

    Pace is pretty worthless. I averaged "10 mph" for 30 minutes saturday, and that was ~250 KCal.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    It was "a nice workout". Why do you need to know whether it was "moderate" or "vigorous"? To estimate calories for weight management? (You're not trying to lose while pregnant, I hope? I noticed you told us the weight at which you started pregnancy, but not your current weight. That worries me a little.)

    Usually, I'd tell someone losing weight (but not pregnant) to pick the lower of plausible estimates, and eat it back. Since you're pregnant, I'd go the other way: Pick the higher estimate, and eat it all back. You started out lightweight for almost any height woman (maybe even underweight, if average height, at 105). Your overall risk (you and baby) is higher from not gaining enough weight, rather than gaining too much, in your circumstances, within a reasonable weight range, IMO. The number of calories difference between the two - probably around a couple of hundred - won't break you, in terms of weight gain.

    Just my opinion, obviously.

    Wishing you a very healthy pregnancy and baby!
  • Angelbunny111
    Angelbunny111 Posts: 11 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    It was "a nice workout". Why do you need to know whether it was "moderate" or "vigorous"? To estimate calories for weight management? (You're not trying to lose while pregnant, I hope? I noticed you told us the weight at which you started pregnancy, but not your current weight. That worries me a little.)

    Usually, I'd tell someone losing weight (but not pregnant) to pick the lower of plausible estimates, and eat it back. Since you're pregnant, I'd go the other way: Pick the higher estimate, and eat it all back. You started out lightweight for almost any height woman (maybe even underweight, if average height, at 105). Your overall risk (you and baby) is higher from not gaining enough weight, rather than gaining too much, in your circumstances, within a reasonable weight range, IMO. The number of calories difference between the two - probably around a couple of hundred - won't break you, in terms of weight gain.

    Just my opinion, obviously.

    Wishing you a very healthy pregnancy and baby!



    My last pregnancy I was more active , I’ve been tracking my calories and just want to make sure I’m eating enough especially with exercising. I’m only 5’2 my doctors seem pleased just because I’ve been under 100 most of my life unless I’m pregnant obviously lol and thank you so much so far 25.5 weeks everything has gone great
  • Angelbunny111
    Angelbunny111 Posts: 11 Member
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    anabutterfly3 wrote: »
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    You feel you've gained too much what for your pregnancy but what does your doctor think?

    Due to Covid, I haven’t had many in office appointments but last time I was in there at 22 weeks they said baby is growing fine and seem pleased with my weight gain (105 pounds pre-pregnancy) I’m 25.5 weeks now

    So perhaps you haven't gained too much weight at all and you are being over critical of yourself?

    Are you looking to lose or maintain weight? Maybe worthwhile talking to your doctor either way, particularly if you haven't exercised or exercised as much as you are planning to since before you were pregnant.

    I struggled a lot gaining weight so it just feels weird but yes just looking to maintain weight. I was quite active until I moved to my fiancé’s house and now I’m not as active but my last pregnancy I was super active and made my labor much easier
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,698 Member
    anabutterfly3 wrote: »
    Hello , I recently just started working out again because I feel like this pregnancy I’ve gained too much and it’s great to exercise while pregnant but according to my bike on low resistance I’m doing 20-22 mph , would that be considered moderate or vigorous? I did 20 miles in 65 minutes according to the bike ...I can’t seem to find too much information online.

    For me, that would be nowhere near vigorous.

    However ...

    If you were trying to lose weight (hope not!), record it as light (and eat less)
    If you are trying to maintain, record it as moderate.
    If you are trying to gain, record it as vigorous (and eat more).

    And you do know you need to gain some weight with pregnancy??
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    anabutterfly3 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    It was "a nice workout". Why do you need to know whether it was "moderate" or "vigorous"? To estimate calories for weight management? (You're not trying to lose while pregnant, I hope? I noticed you told us the weight at which you started pregnancy, but not your current weight. That worries me a little.)

    Usually, I'd tell someone losing weight (but not pregnant) to pick the lower of plausible estimates, and eat it back. Since you're pregnant, I'd go the other way: Pick the higher estimate, and eat it all back. You started out lightweight for almost any height woman (maybe even underweight, if average height, at 105). Your overall risk (you and baby) is higher from not gaining enough weight, rather than gaining too much, in your circumstances, within a reasonable weight range, IMO. The number of calories difference between the two - probably around a couple of hundred - won't break you, in terms of weight gain.

    Just my opinion, obviously.

    Wishing you a very healthy pregnancy and baby!



    My last pregnancy I was more active , I’ve been tracking my calories and just want to make sure I’m eating enough especially with exercising. I’m only 5’2 my doctors seem pleased just because I’ve been under 100 most of my life unless I’m pregnant obviously lol and thank you so much so far 25.5 weeks everything has gone great

    Given the bolded, I'm going to double down on "use the higher estimate, eat all those calories" in your case. If you're off by 100 calories, say (which would be a fairly large amount to be off, on an hour's exercise), you'd have to do that exercise 35 times even if overestimating it by 100 (while eating exactly at maintenance calories, the whole rest of the time) even to gain a pound. That's just not a big deal, in your scenario, it seems like . . . but undereating could be.

    I think going with the larger estimate would be erring on the side of thriving, but the lower one might be on the side of risk, to put it melodramatically (a little *too* melodramatically, really! 😉).

    Best wishes!
  • DavWillTry
    DavWillTry Posts: 76 Member
    What’s considered vigorous on a stationary bike?

    Anything I can't do for 1/2 hour. :D
  • Angelbunny111
    Angelbunny111 Posts: 11 Member
    DavWillTry wrote: »
    What’s considered vigorous on a stationary bike?

    Anything I can't do for 1/2 hour. :D

    LOL 😂 i needed that chuckle my legs feel dead today lol

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