What is better, walking or cycling?

Choosing between walking or using a stationary bike for sports is not an easy decision. Both walking and exercising on a stationary bike are effective forms of physical activity that offer health benefits , so choosing between the two will depend on your personal preferences, fitness goals and individual circumstances.

Both are low-intensity activities , although on the bike you can exercise at a higher intensity. Anyone, regardless of their age and physical condition, can do either of the two activities, adapting the intensity and duration. Today we will tell you for which purposes it is more convenient to walk and for which to use a stationary bike.

What makes walking or cycling more losing weight?

The reality is that there is no immediate weight loss formula. As with any sport or physical activity, you will need a process and a routine to achieve your goal, starting with good rest and a varied and healthy diet .

In this case, although both walking and stationary cycling contribute to weight loss, the amount of calories burned will depend on factors such as duration , intensity and body weight.

In general terms, we can say that on a stationary bike you can burn more calories than simply walking. This is because on a bike you can increase resistance , which generates a greater demand for energy and ends up transforming into greater calorie burning. Additionally, cycling on a stationary bike can allow for high-intensity intervals , further increasing the number of calories burned.

Exercise bike benefits:

The benefits of exercising on a stationary bike are numerous for our health and well-being. As it is a very complete exercise, it is perfect for achieving different objectives , from cardiovascular improvement to muscle strengthening:

• Cardiovascular exercise: Riding a stationary bike is one of the most effective ways to exercise the cardiovascular system. By strengthening both the heart and the lungs or blood circulation, it considerably reduces the risk of heart disease , high blood pressure or even stroke.
• Burning calories: Pedaling on a stationary bike is an ideal aerobic exercise to burn calories and lose weight from home, especially if we talk about abdominal fat . Depending on body weight, intensity and duration of training, calorie burning will be higher or lower.
• Low impact on the joints: Unlike other activities such as running on a treadmill or jumping rope, the stationary bike is a low-impact exercise as it puts less pressure on the joints.
• Muscle strengthening: When we use a stationary bike, we activate the main muscles of the leg, such as the calves, quadriceps and hamstrings. The central area of ​​the body, including abdominal and lumbar muscles, are also strengthened, so regular practice of this exercise tones and strengthens both the legs and the core .
• Control of pace and level of difficulty: Thanks to the possibility of increasing and decreasing the resistance that most stationary bikes offer, you can personalize the training based on your individual needs and objectives, controlling both the pace and the level of difficulty. Making the stationary bike, along with the rest of the benefits, an ideal option for users of all levels and physical conditions.

Benefits of walking:

Walking is an accessible activity for almost everyone, since you can walk practically anywhere : outdoors, on a treadmill, or in closed spaces like shopping malls. It also has multiple benefits that can be very useful for some users:

• Improves cardiovascular health: Although walking also offers cardiovascular benefits, these are generally minor compared to those obtained from riding a stationary bike. The intensity and resistance of pedaling on a stationary bike tends to raise the heart rate more and stimulate the cardiovascular system more effectively than walking.
• Calorie burning and weight management: Walking can help burn calories and contribute to weight loss, but the number of calories burned per hour tends to be lower compared to pedaling on a stationary bike. This is partly due to the fact that it involves fewer muscle groups than cycling providing a lower overall training intensity.
• Impact on joints: Like riding a stationary bike, walking is also a low-impact exercise compared to activities like running on hard surfaces. By placing less stress on the joints, it is a gentler and safer option for people with joint problems or previous injuries.
• Muscle strengthening: Walking can also help strengthen leg muscles . The muscles of the calves, quadriceps and glutes are activated during walking.
• Control of pace and level of difficulty: When walking we can also control the pace and intensity of the exercise . You can adapt the speed and incline of the walk to adjust the level of difficulty according to your individual needs and goals. However, stationary bikes typically provide a greater variety of resistance levels , allowing for more precise control of workout intensity.

Exercise bike contraindications:

Joint problems: If you are one of those who suffer from some type of joint problem in your knees or ankles, for example, it is possible that the use of the stationary bicycle worsens these conditions or causes additional discomfort since it is an activity that concentrates the weight load on the joints.

Cardiovascular problems: Cardiovascular problems are also limiting when practicing any intense cardio sport, including the stationary bike. That is why it is very important to obtain the advice of a specialist doctor before engaging in intense exercise.

Dizziness and imbalances: The feeling of constant movement can lead you to suffer from dizziness. Therefore, if you are prone to dizziness, it is advisable to start softer to get used to it.

Contraindications to walking:

Acute injuries: Although walking is not a very aggressive exercise, if you are injured or have a serious ailment, walking may be contraindicated due to the possibility of aggravating the injury .

Serious cardiovascular problems: As with the stationary bike, walking can also be harmful if you suffer from any type of disease or heart failure.

Chronic medical conditions: If you have chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or arthritis, you may need to adjust the intensity and duration of your walk based on your condition and receive specific recommendations.

High-risk pregnancy: If you have a high-risk pregnancy or medical complications, you should also talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program, including walking.

Comfort and time spent

This is another point to take into account, since not all of us have the same time or the same facilities.

Stationary bike users prefer to exercise from home , either due to lack of time or because of the convenience of training without leaving home. The time they save, for example in traveling to a center, can be dedicated entirely to carrying out the activity, which significantly increases the duration of the exercise . There are some stationary bikes like the Proform 210 CSX new Bike , with iFit technology that provides extra fun to your training thanks to live classes , guided workouts or the possibility of doing virtual bike races .

The advantage for those who want to walk is that they can do it both outdoors and from home. It is true that the time you should have for the walk has to be longer than that of the stationary bike , since being an exercise performed at such a low intensity, it requires more time for the same result . As with the stationary bike, you can also walk from home or any gym with a treadmill, such as the ultra-folding BH Nydo , which offers you the advantage of being able to connect to the TV or any application to make your walk more enjoyable, plus thanks to the fact that it is foldable , you can store it anywhere.

Combine both

Until now, we have been comparing and making evaluations about which option to opt for, but what if we don't have to choose and we can include both exercises in our training routine and alternate them?

Both walking and exercise on a stationary bike offer health benefits and can complement each other. You can incorporate both into your exercise routine to get a variety of stimulation and reap the unique benefits of each activity.

In short, we can say that both walking and riding a stationary bike are beneficial for our body, and that the decision should be made purely for pleasure, always taking into account physical limitations.

If you are clear that what you need is a stationary bike but you don't know which one to choose, take a look at our definitive guide to buying a stationary bike and you will see how you are right with your purchase.

At Sportech Fitness we have the best treadmills and stationary bikes on the market, with connectivity to fitness applications or platforms like Netflix so you don't get bored. What are you waiting for?