Will cycling/swim be worse for me than my normal exercise?

feathers1981

I know it sounds like a strange question but I am thinking about cycling to work one day a week and will be swopping this for a gym session....however when I am in the gym I work really hard and am worrried that this cycle will be no where near as effective. When I use the cycle in the gym I have to work really hard to get my heart rate up and it still goes nowhere near my hr when running or on the stairmaster etc.

My gym session is normally 60mins doing a mix of hard cardio and stengthening/circuits. Normally my heart rate is 135-175 (usually in the cardio end/above 75%). So I normally burn 400-600 calories.

When I went out for an hour yesterday on my bike for a leisurly ride (ok, it was fairly slow) I felt like I may as well of sat on the sofa (it doesn't feel at all like actual exercise). I will go fairly steady in the morn when I go to work as I don't want to be a sweaty mess but I would push alot more on the way home. It mainly roads and fairly flat.

Have just given up marathon running for a while due to a string of injurys and am desperate for something that would burn the calories I used to running, but nothing seems to do it for me (

Does anybody else cycle to work and find it effective? I thought about swimming (as I used to do it competitvely) but again, it doesn't really feel like 'proper' exercise. I know that sounds silly, it';s just so easy to get you HRM up running and it seems difficult to get it up any other way for me....

Any thoughts appreciated?!!

xraychick77

you need to switch it up some. your body adapts..and if it hasnt to that tough cardio at the gym, it will.

ybba12490

I think biking to work sounds like a good idea! Even if your heart isn't pumping on the way there, you can push yourself on the way back. Either way, exercise is exercise, right? Maybe when you get home in the evenings you could take a walk or do a workout dvd, wii fit, EA active? I hate doing the same thing at the gym every day a week and I think your body gets "used" to it so it may become less effective. Even if biking isn't necessarily making you sweat bullets it will be a nice change that your body will appreciate. Plus it sounds fun

mentalbeat

I cycle regularly and yes really push it on the way home, make proper use of your gears. Cycling for me is a real calorie burner. Also swimming is a good one because there is no stress on your joints but yet your muscles will get a good workout, definitely worth doing both and mixing it up with gym time to get a complete workout using all muscle groups. even a steady cycle ride will burn cals but for big burns hit it up a notch.

BerryH

Cycling is excellent exercise. The difference between outdoor cycling and the gym is you get to cruise - you keep moving even when you stop pedalling, especially downstairs. On the other hand, you get to push off harder when you stop at junctions and going uphill. I wouldn't advice speeding to work, but you could really push some high gears.

As far as swimming goes, it's perfect for intervals. After a warm-up, really push it for, say, four lengths, then go back to your cruising speed and repeat. Good luck!

happybunnysbabe57

i just started biking and it is kicking my butt. me and my boyfriend went yesterday at the park. we rode for 30 min and i burned 300 cals and i wasnt pushing at all. i have not been on a bike in a few years so i was having a hard time. he doesnt have a calorie counter so i dont kno what he burned but he lapped me a few times.

fteale

I totally know what you mean. When I was very fit I never found cycling or swimming to be proper exercise either. Cycling was just a way to get from A to B, and swimming was a cold, damp waste of time.

If you have a whirlpool type place anywhere near you, I have found that swimming against a strong current, and just trying to stay in one place actually is a lot of exercise. Totally different to pootling up and down lanes, which is a massive waste of time IMO.
With cycling, if you are doing a lot of hills it can really get your heart rate up. In London, where it's all flat, I never broke a sweat, but where I live now, it is very tiring cycling anywhere as it all involves hills. You can actually burn as many calories cycling as running per hour, though I agree, I find running FAR harder work!