Exercise time/effort advice

the_flashing_blade
the_flashing_blade Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,
I cycle home from work for 40 minutes and go to bed almost straight after. If my goal is to lose weight how best should I perform the cycling? Fast and furious or zone 2? I don't understand how my body will react to exercise then sleep?

Thanks for any help answering this.

Greg

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Weight loss is going to come from controlling your calorie intake. If you can sleep fine after cycling fast and hard, do it.

    That^^

    I have a hard time falling asleep after hard exercise, so I would personally go slower.

    But losing weight is all about calories. Exercise is for health.
  • jefamer2017
    jefamer2017 Posts: 416 Member
    Exercise at whatever level you feel comfortable at and do it at the best time of day for you. Most people can't sleep well if they exercise before bed though, especially if it's intense. I like morning workouts to get my day going. It energizes me. Everyone is different though.
  • cbohling1987
    cbohling1987 Posts: 99 Member
    As malibu927 and quicksylver296 stated, your calorie intake is going to determine your weight loss, not how hard you work out.

    That said, your cycling is cardio and it does burn calories, and you can factor those calories burned into your daily calorie intake by adding them to your diary as exercise. I don't believe there is a formula for cycling like there is for running, but for running you can determine calorie burn by using the following formula:

    (your weight in pounds) * (distance you ran in miles) * .63 = calories burned

    So if I weigh 155 pounds and I ran 6 miles, I will have burned about 585.9 calories.

    Now, what I am trying to highlight here is not the fact that there is a formula, but rather to point out that speed and intensity are not actually part of the formula - only your body weight and distance. You will burn roughly the same amount of calories whether you run those 6 miles in 30 minutes or 90 minutes.

    As I said, I don't believe there is a formula for cycling (as the nature of cycling makes it less consistent than running when it comes to exertion), but the principle is going to be the same - you won't burn more calories by really going hard at it. Just ride home at a steady pace and it'll be fine.

    I'm not a cyclist but my dad is and he has one of those cycling computers that attaches to your handlebars and it estimates calorie burn. I don't know how accurate it is but you could give it a try.
  • gearhead426hemi
    gearhead426hemi Posts: 919 Member
    You might find it hard to sleep immediately after a good cardio workout but each person is different. As stated losing weight is more about calorie consumption and deficit. As a fellow biker I would recommend changing up your routine and pace often to keep your body guessing. Interval training is a great way to burn a LOT of calories and increase your endurance as well. Best of luck and keep pedaling!!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Your weight loss is in relation to your calorie deficit and not the intensity at which you exercise.
    Pick the intensity that suits your fitness goals.
    It's your food intake that is by far the primary driver for weight loss.

    You are supposed to eat back your exercise calories anyway as your daily goal is for a non exercise day only.

    "I don't understand how my body will react to exercise then sleep?"
    Doesn't bother me in the slightest - other people it does. Until you try it you won't know.
    cbohling1987 wrote: »
    As malibu927 and quicksylver296 stated, your calorie intake is going to determine your weight loss, not how hard you work out.

    That said, your cycling is cardio and it does burn calories, and you can factor those calories burned into your daily calorie intake by adding them to your diary as exercise. I don't believe there is a formula for cycling like there is for running, but for running you can determine calorie burn by using the following formula:

    (your weight in pounds) * (distance you ran in miles) * .63 = calories burned

    So if I weigh 155 pounds and I ran 6 miles, I will have burned about 585.9 calories.

    Now, what I am trying to highlight here is not the fact that there is a formula, but rather to point out that speed and intensity are not actually part of the formula - only your body weight and distance. You will burn roughly the same amount of calories whether you run those 6 miles in 30 minutes or 90 minutes.

    As I said, I don't believe there is a formula for cycling (as the nature of cycling makes it less consistent than running when it comes to exertion), but the principle is going to be the same - you won't burn more calories by really going hard at it. Just ride home at a steady pace and it'll be fine.

    I'm not a cyclist but my dad is and he has one of those cycling computers that attaches to your handlebars and it estimates calorie burn. I don't know how accurate it is but you could give it a try.

    @cbohling1987

    Cycling is very different to running - when you go faster aerodynamic drag becomes more of an issue. A fast 20 mile cycle will indeed burn more net calories than a slow 20 miles.
    The power needed to push through the air resistance increases at the cube of the speed.

    Body weight also isn't anywhere such a significant factor for cycling compared to running, it's a non-weight bearing activity remember and weight only really affects calorie burn up hills and when accelerating.

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