When it comes to getting in shape, most people are interested in how many calories they burn. This is why so many cardio machines and fitness trackers have built-in calorie counters. But how accurate are these devices? And more importantly, do they help you lose weight?
In this blog post, we will discuss the accuracy of calorie counters on cardio machines, particularly stationary bikes.
The Accuracy of Calorie Counters
It is no secret that cardio machines are not always accurate when tracking calories burned. A study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that stationary bikes can be off by up to 25%.
This means that if you are relying on the calorie counter on your stationary bike to tell you how many calories you have burned, you could be underestimating or overestimating (more common) your caloric expenditure by a significant amount.
Factors That Influence Calorie Burning
Many factors can influence how many calories you burn while cycling, including:
- The intensity of your workout
- Your weight
- The type of bike you are using
- Your fitness level
- Your age and gender
Thus, it is not always easy to estimate how many calories you have burned. This is why it is essential to focus on other ways of tracking your exercises, such as perceived exertion and heart rate.
How to Accurately Track Calorie Burn
Ultimately, as a society, we often want to obsess over exact calories burned (and consumed). Yet, this isn’t a feasible, accurate, or holistic way to track your overall health and fitness. In truth, there are much better ways to track your progress, whether it’s on a stationary bike or some other form of exercise.
Rate of Perceived Exertion
The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) measures how hard you feel like you are working. Typically this is determined on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating rest and 10 being very, very hard. It can be used to gauge the intensity of your workout and determine whether or not you are pushing yourself hard enough on your bike (or any other cardio machine).
Heart Rate Monitors
Keeping track of your heart rate is another possible way to measure calorie burn (or better yet- level of intensity), as it directly correlates with the amount of energy being expended by your body. You can use a heart rate monitor to track your heart rate during different activities and use this information to adjust your workouts to optimal intensity. For example, when you choose a program on your stationary bike, it can be helpful to periodically check your heart rate to make sure you’re pushing yourself hard enough or if you need to modify it.
Measuring your heart rate can be done with a chest monitor or fitness tracker (typically worn on the wrist). It’s important to note that paying attention to heart rate is much more accurate than looking at predicted “calorie burn” on a fitness tracker is inaccurate, too, so take it with a grain of salt.
The Bottom Line
While it is interesting to know how many calories we are burning, it is more important to focus on our overall health and fitness. Tracking calorie burn with devices like cardio machines or fitness trackers can be wildly inaccurate. Yet, they can still give you a general baseline for your efforts if you are curious.
These days, it’s generally best to ditch the exact calorie counters for both eating and exercising. Overall, there are better ways to keep track and feel good about your fitness while reaching the health goals you have set.
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