Walking or cycling, which is better?

Which is your choice between walking or cycling? Which one is better for slimming and weight loss? If we intend to increase physical strength, which one should we choose?

In this article, we are going to completely compare these two sports and tell the advantages and disadvantages of each so that you can easily choose between the two ways of walking or cycling.

walking or cycling; which one is better?

A very good way to maintain health and stay fresh is aerobic exercise, and what better exercise than walking or cycling? In this part, we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of these two sports so that you can understand the difference between each one and then make a decision.

Similar benefits in cycling and walking

Biking and walking are two of the most popular aerobic activities. Both are suitable for beginners or people with injuries.

Both are less stressful than other aerobic activities, such as running or jumping rope, meaning they don't put as much stress on your joints.

Since both of these sports are aerobic, they have a very good effect on your heart health. Regular walking or cycling improves cardiovascular health by increasing heart rate and blood circulation; They also help to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Finally, the most important benefit of cycling or walking can be considered “their very positive and good effect on the mood”! Whether you walk in the open air or cycle, you will benefit from the wonderful benefits of aerobic exercise on the mood, i.e. reducing stress, improving mood, increasing concentration and happiness, and you will return home a happier and more refreshed person!

Similarities between cycling and walking

• Aerobic
• low pressure
• joyful

Disadvantages of cycling and walking

We talked about the various benefits of walking and cycling. But do these two sports have disadvantages? The fact is that in normal walking or cycling, there is no harm or problem for the athlete. But if you have a special physical problem, you should act carefully. In this section, we introduce some restrictions on walking and cycling.

Disadvantages of walking

Of course, walking is very good, but it has limitations that may affect its popularity. For example, it burns less calories and if your goal is to lose weight, there are better exercises to help you achieve your goal. If you want to include only walking as physical activity in your weight loss program, you need to walk longer distances or at a faster pace.

Another negative (which may be an advantage for some people) is that the walk is a bit monotonous and repetitive and without excitement! You just walk while walking and you cannot make any special changes and variations in walking.

Disadvantages of cycling

Cycling is one of the best sports, but at the same time you need a bike, a helmet and sometimes specialized equipment to start your sport. Sometimes the cost of providing these devices is heavy. But the only thing you need to start walking is a pair of shoes!

Also, you need a safe road or street for cycling, and if it is not available to you, the option of cycling is completely removed! But fortunately, walking is one of the most accessible physical activities; You can walk around the neighborhood or in the park.

Another downside is that outdoor cycling is very dependent on the weather. Extreme heat and cold or rain may cancel your training session.

Differences between cycling and walking

Which one burns more calories?

Between walking or cycling, we must say that cycling burns more calories; But in general, the calories burned (consumed) during any exercise depends on several factors:

• Self-exercise type
• Intensity and duration of training
• Your body weight

The more intense and longer you exercise and the heavier you are, the more calories you burn. For example, according to the calculations of researchers at Harvard University, 30 minutes of cycling at an average speed burns almost twice as many calories as walking. If we want to tell you more precisely:

A person weighing about 57 kg will burn about 100 calories if he walks for half an hour (at an average speed), but if he cycles for half an hour (at an average speed), he will burn 210 calories.

Which is better for weight loss and slimming?

As we compared the calorie consumption of cycling and walking above, cycling is more effective and practical for weight loss. So, if you want to lose weight but don't have much time for exercise, cycling will be a better choice for you.

However, the wisest choice is to do an activity that you enjoy and love. Because in this case you can stick to it more easily. On the other hand, you should be careful about the amount of calories you consume; Because without diet, slimming and weight loss do not happen.

Your exercise may be walking or cycling or a combination of the two. Doing both of these sports will add more variety to your schedule and keep your mood fresher.

Which one is better for building muscle?

Walking is a physical activity and cycling is an aerobic sport, if we look at it technically, none of them have the mission of “building muscles”! However, every activity and exercise involves a series (or several series) of muscle groups in the body, and when it becomes a fixed habit in the lifestyle, these muscles will be strengthened and trained.

Because both walking and cycling involve primarily lower-body exercises, they strengthen the same muscles, such as the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves, calf muscles, and to some extent the hip flexors and core.

Both cycling and walking engage many of the same muscles to generate power. gluteal muscles (buttocks) and hamstrings (back of leg) And in general, the lower body muscles play a role in producing power both in walking and cycling.

While cycling, when you pedal fast Hip and back muscles get involved On the other hand, when you walk uphill or climb the stairs, these muscles are well engaged and used.

But about quadriceps muscles, We should know that they are more involved in walking.

also Leg muscles (soleus and gastrocnemius) play an important role in both cycling and walking.

So both activities engage the same muscles, but cycling engages more of your muscles to generate power and forward motion.

How do I know which one is best for me?

Biking and walking are both excellent and suitable exercises. If you don't know which one to choose, try both first and see which one is more comfortable and enjoyable for you. If you don't have a bike, you can sign up for a gym and use the gym's stationary bikes, or borrow a bike from your friends for a while and see how it feels; If you want to get a bike for yourself.

Walking or cycling is very convenient and wonderful if they replace your commuting to work. But not everyone may have such conditions. Consider which sport conditions are easier for you to continue.

Finally, do you have friends who hike or bike? Join them! Accompanying friends in these activities makes you stick to your sport.

final word

Biking and walking are both considered aerobic exercise and each has many benefits, helping to burn calories and lose weight. When choosing to walk or ride a bike, you should also keep some important points in mind, because these sports have limitations for some people and times. In this article, we completely compared these two sports.

References: healthline – marathon handbook