General exercise questions?

OAS5
OAS5 Posts: 376 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Well its that time a year here that its Winter so walking for exercise becomes tough so its time break out the exercise bike. I don't go crazy with it, just 20 to 30 minutes a day. I have maybe some odd questions for you guys. Does it matter if you break the time up, meaning lets say 10 minutes in the morning, then 10 minutes in the afternoon? Or 15 minutes morning, 15 minutes in the afternoon? Is it recommended to just do the whole thing in one shot or is there a benefit to breaking it up? Does it matter at all as long as you get the minutes in? Thanks for any info.

Replies

  • ThinnerLiz
    ThinnerLiz Posts: 55 Member
    I don't think it matters. What probably matters most is intensity. On some days, instead of 20-30 minutes of regular riding, try doing intervals of high-level effort/pace. Then, aim for being able to do the whole 20-30 minutes at that intensity when winter is over!
    It'll give you a goal to focus on, and you'll really increase your cardiovascular fitness, while burning calories like a beastie!
    But sure, 15 AM and 15 PM still adds up to the same thing. I wish I had a bike; I'm just out walking and running in the cold and dark.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    It's always better to exercise than not to exercise, so if your choice is ten minute chunks or nothing, I would choose the ten minute chunks.

    That said, there are endurance benefits to doing your exercise for longer periods of time so it's probably more beneficial to your fitness to raise your heart rate for a sustained period.

    It all comes down to: what are your goals and why are you exercising?

  • OAS5
    OAS5 Posts: 376 Member
    ThinnerLiz wrote: »
    I don't think it matters. What probably matters most is intensity. On some days, instead of 20-30 minutes of regular riding, try doing intervals of high-level effort/pace. Then, aim for being able to do the whole 20-30 minutes at that intensity when winter is over!
    It'll give you a goal to focus on, and you'll really increase your cardiovascular fitness, while burning calories like a beastie!
    But sure, 15 AM and 15 PM still adds up to the same thing. I wish I had a bike; I'm just out walking and running in the cold and dark.

    That's funny you mention this because that's how I walk. I walk and run intermittent. I walk for 10 minutes, then run for 5 and then repeat over and over for 30-40 minutes. Can't wait for spring so I can go back to that.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    30 Minutes a day will burn the same calories no matter how you break it up. So if your goal is to burn a few extra calories then it doesn't matter. However, if your goal is better cardio health and getting stronger then it won't help as much breaking it up. You'll become quite good at riding for 10 minutes.

    Good luck.
  • OAS5
    OAS5 Posts: 376 Member
    dewd2 wrote: »
    30 Minutes a day will burn the same calories no matter how you break it up. So if your goal is to burn a few extra calories then it doesn't matter. However, if your goal is better cardio health and getting stronger then it won't help as much breaking it up. You'll become quite good at riding for 10 minutes.

    Good luck.

    Exactly, I'm just trying to burn extra calories not run a marathon or bike to the next state over.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    Like adding up all numbers, it doesn't matter when you do them. A person doing 10 minutes at a time 6 times a day, would burn more (if they are the same weight), than someone who did 30 minutes straight if the intensity of exercise were the same.

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  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited December 2019
    ThinnerLiz wrote: »
    I don't think it matters. What probably matters most is intensity. On some days, instead of 20-30 minutes of regular riding, try doing intervals of high-level effort/pace. Then, aim for being able to do the whole 20-30 minutes at that intensity when winter is over!
    It'll give you a goal to focus on, and you'll really increase your cardiovascular fitness, while burning calories like a beastie!
    But sure, 15 AM and 15 PM still adds up to the same thing. I wish I had a bike; I'm just out walking and running in the cold and dark.


    Nice advice but the high calories burns from intervals isn't correct - that it feels hard or a HRM tells you that you have had lots of heartbeats doesn't actually translate to high calorie burns.

    For example cycing at 150 watts is a comfortable pace for me, or I could do equal duration intervals of 200w (hard) and 100w (easy) and the workout would feel much harder, my heart rate would get much higher, but the average power produced and therefore calories burned would be the same.

    For the original question - for calories it doesn't matter if you split your time up but it probably means you are going to be working at a very easy and therefore low calorie burn pace (unless you like multiple showers per day!). If calorie burns are what motivate you then you do want to increase your intensity (combination of resistance and cadence). LISS is fine by the way and if you are substituting gentle cycling for walking and happy with that then carry on.

    But for fitness improvements - yes it does matter how you spend and split up your time.
  • OAS5
    OAS5 Posts: 376 Member
    Well yesterday I started and I pushed through with relative ease to do the whole 20 minutes at one time. Not bad really. Felt like I could go 10 more but didn't want to push it. 30 minutes would be ideal I think though.

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