If you're a casual athlete or just curious to get a ballpark estimate of how many calories your evening bike ride burns, checking a caloric expenditure table is a reasonably accurate tool. If you need precise measurements, though, you'll need to compute your own expenditures using your heart rate and body size. Information presented on tables is merely an estimate based on average body sizes and average exertion for each exercise listed.
Step 1
Warm up to your normal workout pace as you usually do.
Step 2
Turn on your heart monitor, if you use one. If not, note the time you begin the workout portion of your exercise. Begin your exercise routine.
Step 3
Take your pulse rate two minutes into your workout. If you are using a heart monitor, skip to Step 6. Calculate your pulse rate by applying two fingers to your carotid (neck) artery or radial artery (wrist) and counting the number of heartbeats in a 10-second span. Record this number.
Step 4
Measure and record your pulse every five minutes or so. Attempt to maintain a steady heart rate through the length of your workout.
Step 5
Note the time your workout ends. Record the length of your workout in minutes as variable "T."
Step 6
Calculate your average heart rate. Multiply each 10-second pulse rate you recorded by six to calculate your heart rate. Average this number by adding each heart rate number together and dividing the total by the number of heart rate recordings you took. Record this number as variable "HR." If you used a heart monitor that recorded your average heart rate, use that figure for variable HR.
Step 7
Weigh yourself. Convert your weight to kilograms by dividing your weight in pounds by 2.2. Record this as variable "W."
Step 8
Record your age as variable "A."
Step 9
Calculate your caloric burn using the variables you defined.
Formula for men:
Calories Burned = [(0.6309HR + 0.1988W + 02.027A - 55.0969) / 4.184] * T
Formula for women:
Calories Burned = [(0.4472HR+ 0.1263W + 0.074A - 20.4022) / 4.184] * T
Things You'll Need
- Stopwatch
- Paper and pencil
- Heart monitor (optional)
- Scale
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