Im to the point where im gonna start maintaining .Need a question answered please.

Im wondering what my activity should be put at.


Im not real active through the day. maybe a minute of exercise here and there.


In the evening i ride the stationary bike for atleast a hour and a half almost every day.

Says i burn over 500 calories and over 100 fat calories.

I ride on middle difficulty and go around 18 mph.


So what should i put my activity level at?

By the way im 5'7 163 and male.

Here is CalorieCount's basic calorie burn calculator.

http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/calories-bur ned.php

Here is CalorieCount's activity calculator:

http://caloriecount.about.com/activities-cond itioning-exercise-ac2

Below are some sites that will also estimate how much you burn spinning a stationary bike.  Since I do the exercise bike almost every day, I have found quite a few sites to check to see my estimated calorie burn:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calories.htm

 http://www.magnetic-diet.com/calc/exercise-ca lorie-calculator.html

   http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/jumps ite/calculat.htm

     http://www.fitday.com/webfit/burned/calories_ burned_Conditioning_exercise.html

       http://dftools.ivillage.com/healthtools/calc_ cb.cfm

There are many similar sites on the Net, so you can find them using any good Searh engine.

I think you need to arrive at your own conclusion as to how active you are.  But I feel you are at least moderately active, based on the data you gave.

• Are you tired at the end of the spinning workout?
• Do you get your heart rate going pretty well?
• Do you always go about the same speed each workout?
• Do you do some "interval" work during the workout--speeding up for short bursts, etc.?
• How many days a week do you spin?  4-5-6?
• Have you ever tried weighing yourself immediately before and immediately after a workout?

Anyway, congratulations on your exercise routine.  I have read and been told several places or by several health experts that if a person will go at least 4-5 quality 30-minute cardio workouts a week, he/she will be doing wonders for his/her health.  I think you are way ahead of the game!

I would put your activity level at sedentary (I'm assuming you have a desk job or are at school) then add in your activity as a custom activity each day you do it.  

maxx86:  Yes, that seems logical, too, to do it that way. 

Under the category "Moderate" is listed this criterion:

"Exercise - you exercise several times a week and push yourself pretty hard"

So that would also be a way of including the exercise that one would factor in later.

I don't know all the different parameters on figuring that, though.  That is, when one calculates his/her BMR or BMI, he/she should NOT take "double credit" for both the time the body is burning calories if NO exercise is being done and the time one IS exercising.  So I would guess that either way would work for calculating calorie expenditure. 

I haven't tried checking the two methods to see if they basically come out with the same results.

Original Post by maxx86:

I would put your activity level at sedentary (I'm assuming you have a desk job or are at school) then add in your activity as a custom activity each day you do it.

agreed