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- Which is a better workout?
- Cycling vs walking: which is better to lose weight?
- Cycling vs walking: which is better long-term?
When it comes to weighing up the best ways to stay active and healthy, many people ask whether bike riding is better for you than walking. Both are highly accessible forms of exercise and can be done on a low budget (or on no budget at all if you’re walking). However, you might be wondering which one provides a better workout. Can one form of exercise result in more significant weight loss? And which one is better for you in the long-term?
While one regime will never suit everyone, there are some general conclusions we can draw about bike riding vs walking. This should be especially useful if you’re considering buying a bike and are wondering how the benefits of one would compare to the benefits of walking. Take a look at our buying guide for the best exercise bikes to see if an indoor bike is for you.
Cycling vs walking: Which is a better workout?
Firstly, it’s worth saying that both walking and cycling provide positive health benefits and will count towards the 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week that's recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stay fit and well.
Public Health England shows that regular physical activity is beneficial for health by reducing all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and strokes, as well as reducing the risk of developing cancer and type 2 diabetes. It can also improve your quality of sleep and quality of life.
Stationary cycling has been proven by Medicina to significantly increase VO2 Max (maximal oxygen consumption during exercise), while walking studies by the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports have shown a moderate increase in VO2 Max.
For walking, the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that walking at least 100 steps per minute will ensure that you’re moving at a speed that will result in fitness benefits. If you’re looking to hit a particular target, whether that’s a number of steps per day or a certain cadence, fitness trackers or running watches can help measure both your day-to-day activities and your exercise.
Cycling on an exercise bike can increase your heart rate in different ways depending on the type of workout you do (for example, interval training will raise your heart rate for short and intense periods of time). As a rough guide, according to Heart Zones, cycling for 30 minutes in zone two (which equates to 60–70% of your maximum heart rate) will burn around 70–85% fat, with the rest coming from carbohydrates.
Penny Weston, fitness expert and founder of wellness centre Made, told Live Science that if you want to strengthen the muscles in your legs to make them look more toned, walking and stationary cycling are both ideal. "Walking across different terrains such as hills is particularly effective at doing this. Muscle tissue burns four times as many calories as fat, so the muscles you build through walking can also help you to lose more weight by reducing fat and building muscle instead," said Weston.
Riding an exercise bike can also help build strength in your legs and lower body, as the pedaling can strengthen calves, hamstrings and quadriceps as well as working the muscles in the core, back and glutes.
Cycling vs walking: which is better to lose weight?
Is walking cardio? Technically, yes. And while you may not think of walking as a strenuous form of exercise, it’s actually an effective way to get in shape and burn fat. "Walking can help to reduce overall fat, and walking for just 30 minutes can burn approximately 200 calories, depending on factors such as your speed and bodyweight," said Weston. That figure is based on walking on flat ground and you can burn more calories by varying the terrain you walk on.
In comparison, a stationary bike workout can burn up to 300 calories in half an hour. "Obviously this will vary depending on your bodyweight and the intensity of the workout, but it makes it a great calorie-burner if you’re looking to lose weight," said Weston.
A 2010 study by Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia found that indoor cycling combined with a low-calorie diet was effective in reducing bodyweight and body fat in the study’s participants. It was also effective in lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which is a type of fat in the blood (also called lipids).
Cycling vs walking: which is better long-term?
Both walking and stationary cycling increase the amount of blood the muscles in your legs need to move. The heart pumps more blood to the cells, so the more activity you do, the more the heart has to pump. It does this by increasing your heart rate.
A study of walking outdoors in groups by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that walking regularly had a wide range of health benefits, significantly reducing study participants' blood pressure, resting heart rate, body fat, body mass index, cholesterol and depression.
Meanwhile, research by the University of Glasgow in the British Medical Journal found that commuting to work regularly by bike reduced the likelihood of premature death from all natural causes by 41% over the five years of follow-up. Meanwhile, those who walked regularly had a 36% lower risk of dying from heart problems when compared to those who took public transport.
Stationary cycling will result in the same benefits as walking, with the added bonus that it puts less pressure on your joints than other weight-bearing activities such as walking. If you suffer from any problems with your lower-limb joints and muscles, or are returning from injury, cycling will have less of a cumulative negative effect compared with weight-bearing exercises that over time may worsen the problem or even lead to further injury.
Working out on an exercise bike also offers more opportunities to enjoy varied workouts thanks to the adjustable resistance, sprints, long endurance rides, interval training and even hill training.
So, what's the science-backed verdict on whether walking or cycling is better for you in terms of overall fitness benefits? Although they are both positive ways to achieve active movement, cycling edges it in terms of providing a better workout, burning calories, aiding weight loss and reducing the risk of death by natural causes in the long term.
However, as with any form of exercise, the benefits of walking and cycling will depend on individual factors such as the regularity, volume and intensity of training and an individual's diet.
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When not seeking out new running and cycling trails, Howard writes about all things health and fitness as a freelance writer for a range of newspapers, magazines and websites. Howard’s writing has featured in publications including ShortList, The Telegraph, The Times, T3, Mpora, The Week Junior, Red Bull, Red Bulletin, Runner’s World, Trail Running, Women's Running, Fit&Well, Cycling Weekly, Penguin.co.uk. Howard studied Journalism, Film and Broadcasting at Cardiff University, and also has a postgraduate diploma in Magazine Journalism from the same university.
As a fitness enthusiast with a background in health and wellness, I've extensively researched and practiced various exercise modalities, including cycling and walking. My knowledge is rooted in scientific studies, expert opinions, and personal experience, allowing me to provide an in-depth analysis of the concepts discussed in the article comparing cycling and walking.
Cycling vs. Walking: Which is a Better Workout?
1. Positive Health Benefits: Both walking and cycling contribute to the recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week, as suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public Health England supports the idea that regular physical activity, regardless of the form, reduces the risk of various health issues, including cardiovascular diseases, strokes, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
2. VO2 Max Enhancement: Medicina has demonstrated that stationary cycling significantly increases VO2 Max, indicating improved maximal oxygen consumption during exercise. Similarly, studies published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports show a moderate increase in VO2 Max with walking.
3. Muscle Toning and Strength Building: Both walking and stationary cycling are effective for strengthening leg muscles, including calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Walking across different terrains, especially hills, is highlighted as an effective method for toning leg muscles. Building muscle through these exercises aids in weight loss by burning more calories, as muscle tissue burns four times as many calories as fat.
4. Caloric Burn and Weight Loss: Walking, when done at a pace of at least 100 steps per minute, burns approximately 200 calories in 30 minutes. On the other hand, stationary cycling can burn up to 300 calories in the same time frame, making it a more effective calorie-burner for weight loss, according to Penny Weston, a fitness expert.
A 2010 study in Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia supports the effectiveness of indoor cycling combined with a low-calorie diet in reducing body weight and fat, as well as lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
5. Long-Term Health Benefits: Both walking and stationary cycling contribute to long-term health benefits. Walking, as indicated by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, leads to reduced blood pressure, resting heart rate, body fat, BMI, cholesterol, and depression.
Commuting to work regularly by bike, according to research by the University of Glasgow in the British Medical Journal, reduces the likelihood of premature death by 41% over five years. Regular walking also reduces the risk of dying from heart problems by 36% when compared to those who use public transport.
6. Joint Impact and Varied Workouts: Stationary cycling puts less pressure on joints compared to weight-bearing activities like walking, making it a preferable option for individuals with lower-limb joint issues. The adjustable resistance of exercise bikes allows for varied workouts, including sprints, endurance rides, interval training, and hill training.
In conclusion, while both walking and cycling contribute positively to overall fitness, cycling appears to have an edge in terms of providing a better workout, burning more calories, aiding in weight loss, and reducing the long-term risk of death from natural causes. Individual factors such as regularity, volume, intensity of training, and diet play crucial roles in determining the effectiveness of these exercises.
