Exercise bike question

L

Lunacat

Cathlete
Hi everyone!

I just bought an exercise bike that is sitting in front of my TV. Does anyone know if cycling at a leisurely pace for approximately 2 hours will actually help me lose weight or does it only work if I go all out for shorter periods of time?

The reason I ask is that I do Cathe workouts during the day but in the evening (between dinner and bedtime) I tend to plunk down on the couch and watch TV. If I'm just going to be sitting around, I thought I could at least be pedalling around 5 mph or so.

Would this be helpful?

Thanks! :D
 
I have to believe that it does something.

I just got a bike trainer for my mountain bike and I love it! Not only does my 'baby' get to come in from the snowy cold outside, but I can ride it in the house now. It is totally adjustable tension and I will do the same thing, ride it when I am watching television. I use a fairly tight setting and end up getting a fairly good sweat going, but it still feels relaxing. Maybe it is partly due to that big pillow I put on the seat;-) I toughen up when I actually have to ride it in the summer, but it sure is cozy in my living room!
 
Thank you for your help! I was just worried that if I mindlessly peddle I might not get much benefit from it. But since I live in northern Virginia, there's NO WAY I'm going out in the cold to ride my regular bike! :p

By the way, the pillow on the seat is a superb idea!
 
What kind of pillow do you use? My seat is rewally uncomfortable. I can't sit on it for more than 40 minutes and it still really bothers me.

MAr
 
Effectiveness isn't necessarily measured by the amount of time you're on the bike, it's more about your heart rate. If you get your heart rate up into its fat burning zone for at least 30 minutes then you're definitely doing something.

Also, on the other hand, you don't want to do cardio for longer than 60 minutes b/c after that length of time it turns anaerobic & isn't really doing you much good. Or I should say you're no longer burning fat--I'm sure it'd still be giving you health benefits for your cardio vascular system.
 
Thanks! I guess I'll try getting into the fat burning zone during the Simpsons, then taking it a little easier during the next 30 minutes of low-rate (i.e. non-Simpsons) TV! :p

I too would like to know what kind of bum pillow Dani53 uses!
 
Maybe you can try to do faster and slower intervals to kill the boredom. And don't worry about going more than an hour. Being aerobic or anaerobic depends on your oxygen intake and not on how much time you spend exercising. Mari
 
My 'bum pillow'?!!

How funny is that? I will forever call it my 'bum pillow' now;-) It is actually a small crib size pillow that I have had for ages. I suppose you could use any small pillow, there really is nothing all that special about it...other than how my bum feels! I always love/hate my first rides of the season. The excitement of finally getting out after all the snow is great. The first 15-20 minutes are great, then the soreness begins. After another half hour or so you get kind of numb down there. The next day is the worst, especially when you have to get back on. Funny how the pain sort of settles to a dull roar, and eventually it kind of goes away after a couple of weeks of riding.

I got the bike trainer for Christmas and love it. The thought of just sitting there and peddaling away on that seat was a bit sad though. I figured if I wasn't really going anywhere I wouldn't really be cheating to pad up a bit.

I do alter the tempo a bit by alternating the faster speed with the tougher grind. I know my heart is pumping and like I said before, I do work up a sweat. Or is that my woodstove:p
 
Lunacat, the current (March) issue of Bicycling has a training program that would fit your plan. A heart rate monitor would ensure that you're not wasting your time or undermining your fitness.

There's been a lot of discussion of aerobic base training at Videofitness. Coach Troy (Spinervals) calls it blue zone training. You might check over there for more info on the benefits & training tips.

One does not become anaerobic after an hour of exercise unless one starts sprinting or increases the resistance. One might deplete their muscle glycogen after 60 to 90 minutes of exercise. That is easily avoided by consuming a gel, energy drink, bar, etc.

Personally, an hour of indoor cardio would be my max because of the boredom factor.

Debra
 
Thanks for the great info, Debra! I have to venture out in the snow today to try and get the ab issue of Oxygen so I'll pick up Bicycling as well.

I've never owned a heart rate monitor. Are there any reasonable priced ones that work well or do you have to spend a lot to get a quality one?

Also, I haven't visited Videofitness in more than a year. I'll spend some time today refamiliarizing myself with that site.

As for boredom with indoor cardio, I agree with you. Once it warms back up a bit there's a 45 mile long bike trail that goes by where I live so I can have a bit of a change of scenery!
 
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