Originally Posted by
Oneder
6'2" and 300 lbs. I regularly workout at gym already a couple times a week with weights and treadmill. I have gained weight in the last few years but don't look as fat as you would imagine (if I tell people my weight they are dumbstruck and can't believe it). However in the last two years my BP suddenly skyrocketed from normal range to danger zone and the medicine has side effects but does not seem to actually help the BP much!
I am up to around 4 miles a day now and have lost about 10 diastolic from my BP and would like to lose 10-15 more so I can stop using these damned medicines. However the time and especially the weather are a bit of a concern so I don't want to do more than I have to either. For me the only way to stick to things is to do it every single day, rain or shine or else I will eventually get sidetracked and get lazy on it.
So what is considered the range that is best for cardio where you get most bang for the buck? No idea how long my rides take and it varies a lot depending on weather so discussing the time taken is kind of useless.
Should I be shooting for 5 miles? 10 miles? If I go more than that then will it really make that much difference?
Any experiences you guys have would be a big help. Thanks.
I found weekly or more rides of 25 to 40 miles at a moderate pace somewhat beneficial for my cardiovascular health (and interestingly, cholesterol), but it doesn't do much for my weight which would also be my concern for you. To get your BP down, you probably need to lose some weight, and in my experience, cycling is only a moderately good exercise for weight loss, and most of your weight loss will come from diet.
A lot depends on how hard you ride, do you do intervals, or just a steady, slow ride? also, is your terrain flat, or hilly? But in general, 5 miles of cycling basically does nothing for you. 10 miles is a good start. 20 miles or more would be better. And if you do 20 miles or more, unless it is 15 miles of hilly terrain, try to push the pace so you get your heart rate up into the aerobic zone. That is a zone where you can talk, but you really don't want to because it is a bit of an effort.