What's considered moderate exercise

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Wantingtolose1
Wantingtolose1 Posts: 139 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Am trying to work out my tdee and was just wondering what classifies as moderate exercise. I attend the gym 4-5 times a week and usually do body pump, Zumba, boot camp and maybe a yoga session. Would these be considered moderate?

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  • hwoeltjen
    hwoeltjen Posts: 199 Member
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    It's not so much about the workout you do as it is the energy you expend during said workout.

    Moderate intensity cardio would be an exercise that puts you between 50 - 65 % of your maximum recommended heart rate. This would be speed walking or walking on the treadmill at around 4 mph.

    It really depends on your body. For some, 4 mph may be high intensity. Using a heart rate monitor is really the only way to accurately understand how intense your workouts are.
  • motivatedww
    motivatedww Posts: 10
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    For this tool, you don't need to determine that as you add your exercise on top of your non-exercise activity. If you have a sedentary job for example, even if you worked out 20 hours/week, you would still classify yourself as sedentary--then add your exercise. The tool automatically adds the appropriate number of calories to account for your exercise.
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
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    This might help

    http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/pdf/PA_Intensity_table_2_1.pdf
  • Wantingtolose1
    Wantingtolose1 Posts: 139 Member
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    When I do treadmill I normally walk at 6-6.5 with an incline of 5. I was thinking by doing tdee I wouldn't need a heart rate monitor and that's why I was thinking of maybe going that way cos i could just insert how many times I exercise but from what you have said maybe I still need to get one then.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    It's not so much about the workout you do as it is the energy you expend during said workout.

    Moderate intensity cardio would be an exercise that puts you between 50 - 65 % of your maximum recommended heart rate. This would be speed walking or walking on the treadmill at around 4 mph.

    It really depends on your body. For some, 4 mph may be high intensity. Using a heart rate monitor is really the only way to accurately understand how intense your workouts are.

    this is how i gage it as well. i wear an HRM and i determine moderate to be where my heart rate averages somewhere in the 130's for the workout.the fitter i get, the harder i have to work to keep that average.
  • hwoeltjen
    hwoeltjen Posts: 199 Member
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    You don't have to use a heart rate monitor. However, it's a useful tool that allows you to accurately track your energy expenditure. You probably know the intensity of your workouts. I mean if you run two miles at a sprint, common sense tells you that is high intensity. Not that you will be sprinting two miles.

    I think it would be extremely useful for things like Zumba and other programs because your results are almost entirely dependent on how hard you work during the routine.

    Investing in a good HRM is definitely something I would recommend.
  • Wantingtolose1
    Wantingtolose1 Posts: 139 Member
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    I was thinking of doing tdee to avoid having to insert excercise calories because everyone says that they are overestimated in my fitness pal and have read people saying heart rate monitors are not accurate either so I thought if I just enter how many times I excercise and it works it out for me then I don't have to worry that I'm overestimating. Maybe the best thing though is just to buy a heart rate monitor and put the calories that says for my calories burnt and then if I find I'm not losing weight I could always eat less back. I don't know I'm just confused which way to go
  • hwoeltjen
    hwoeltjen Posts: 199 Member
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    You can go without the HRM and just enter your workouts. I am not trying to say you wont get results. You definitely will. The heart rate monitors that come with a chest band are accurate enough. However, you can definitely do without it.

    Try the TDEE method. I am sure you will get great results that way as well. It really all boils down to pushing yourself during exercise.
  • celtbell3
    celtbell3 Posts: 738 Member
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    I have done some of the classes you mention - it is truly dependent on your individual effort. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. I have done the classes at high intensity and at moderate intensity. I can definitely tell the difference. If it feels easy to me, then I am definitely not putting as much into it.
  • Wantingtolose1
    Wantingtolose1 Posts: 139 Member
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    So if I try tdee should I put I'm lightly active 1-3 hours or moderate active 3-5 hours when I normally workout 5-6 hours a week? That's what I was initially trying to determine but maybe I asked it wrong or maybe as how others have said i need to get a hrm to determine and if I do that's fine I'm willing to get one
  • hwoeltjen
    hwoeltjen Posts: 199 Member
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    I have done some of the classes you mention - it is truly dependent on your individual effort. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. I have done the classes at high intensity and at moderate intensity. I can definitely tell the difference. If it feels easy to me, then I am definitely not putting as much into it.

    Exactly, and this is going to ultimately determine whether or not your TDEE estimates are accurate. Either way, using a heart rate monitor or TDEE calculations, you may need to adjust.
  • hwoeltjen
    hwoeltjen Posts: 199 Member
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    So if I try tdee should I put I'm lightly active 1-3 hours or moderate active 3-5 hours when I normally workout 5-6 hours a week? That's what I was initially trying to determine but maybe I asked it wrong or maybe as how others have said i need to get a hrm to determine and if I do that's fine I'm willing to get one

    You are either going to have to make that determination yourself or get a heart rate monitor to calculate how intense your workouts are.

    You should be able to estimate the intensity simply by the way you feel during the exercise. Does it feel like a fast walk or a sprint?

    You really have two options here.

    1) Get the HRM and calculate the intensity of your workouts.
    2) Use your TDEE calculations and analyze your progress. Adjust as necessary.

    Either method will work and both will require you to make some adjustments. It's really all about learning your body.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Am trying to work out my tdee and was just wondering what classifies as moderate exercise. I attend the gym 4-5 times a week and usually do body pump, Zumba, boot camp and maybe a yoga session. Would these be considered moderate?

    Too much individual variation to be certain. I put moderate as the equivalent of running 5k, three times a week. Someone with sufficient cardiovascular fitness to do that would, IMO, be able to do the types of classes you mentioned at a "moderate" level. Most participants, from what I've couldn't and don't - but I don't know you, so you'll have to make your own individual assessment.

    It's not enough to "sweat" and "feel" like you're working "hard"...

    And an HRM isn't going to do squat for accurate estimation of burn in these types of classes. Assuming you meet the "can run" criteria above, and are working your tail off in class, a calorie burn estimate for 45 minutes of workout (not including cool down and warmup) would be... body weight in pounds * 1.5.

    After you've logged enough data, you can adjust as appropriate.
  • Wantingtolose1
    Wantingtolose1 Posts: 139 Member
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    Thanks guys i think ill buy the hrm as most of you have agreed this is most accurate and in the meantime just use lightly active to work out tdee and then adjust when I get the hrm early next week. Do you guys recommend a particular one?
  • hwoeltjen
    hwoeltjen Posts: 199 Member
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    Am trying to work out my tdee and was just wondering what classifies as moderate exercise. I attend the gym 4-5 times a week and usually do body pump, Zumba, boot camp and maybe a yoga session. Would these be considered moderate?

    Too much individual variation to be certain. I put moderate as the equivalent of running 5k, three times a week. Someone with sufficient cardiovascular fitness to do that would, IMO, be able to do the types of classes you mentioned at a "moderate" level. Most participants, from what I've couldn't and don't - but I don't know you, so you'll have to make your own individual assessment.

    It's not enough to "sweat" and "feel" like you're working "hard"...

    And an HRM isn't going to do squat for accurate estimation of burn in these types of classes. Assuming you meet the "can run" criteria above, and are working your tail off in class, a calorie burn estimate for 45 minutes of workout (not including cool down and warmup) would be... body weight in pounds * 1.5.

    After you've logged enough data, you can adjust as appropriate.

    Again, you aren't going to get an accurate estimate form a HRM or TDEE. Either method may require adjustments. I would also assume a HRM would give you more accurate results than body weight in pounds * 1.5.

    Not sure where you are getting this from. The increase in heart rate during cardio has a direct connection to energy expenditure.

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