If you’re looking to lead a more active lifestyle, then some of the recommendations given to you may be to go on daily walks or buy a bike to go on long bike rides.
Both walking and biking is a great way to get in some daily exercise, but which one is better?
We’ll be taking you through a guide that’ll tell you which is better and in what ways, so keep on reading.
So which is better, walking or biking?
When you factor in all the pros and cons, biking’s pros exceed those of walking, however, there may be some negatives to cycling that deter people from engaging in the activity for good.
Is it better to walk or to ride a bike to lose weight?
If you’re trying to lose weight then cycling is a more effective workout to do as you’ll be able to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time.
The average person burns around 300 calories by walking for an hour, whereas they would burn nearly 600 calories by cycling for an hour, therefore cycling offers the most effective workout within a shorter time.
Even if you were to increase the intensity of your walk and try walking at a faster pace, you’d still only burn around 350 calories within the hour.
If you’re trying to fit in exercise to work around your busy lifestyle, then cycling is a convenient option as you’ll be able to get in a great workout and burn lots of calories, even if it’s just for an hour before or after work.
As you won’t have to spend as long working out on a bike as you would walking, you’ll feel less tired when you stop and be able to continue with your day as normal without feeling too fatigued.
Both cycling and walking are a good way to help tone your legs, but they’ll focus on toning different muscles, with walking targeting the glutes and calves and cycling working the quadriceps and the glutes.
Time Efficiency
Cycling is a much more time-efficient way to travel or commute to and from places like work.
A bike is up to 5 times more time-efficient than walking, so if you’re someone who struggles to get ready and be on time for work in the morning because you have to walk there or if you get stuck in traffic, then you may want to consider cycling instead.
Most areas, especially cities will have specially designed cycle routes that only cyclists can travel through so you won't get stuck in peak hour traffic when you’re traveling to and from work.
Not only will you save yourself time, but you’ll also save yourself money that you’d normally spend on gas for your car or public transportation every week.
Equipment
One of the differences between walking and biking is that you’ll need equipment like a bike itself and a helmet to cycle, whereas walking you can do it anywhere and everywhere with just a pair of comfy sneakers.
If you’re trying to lead a healthy lifestyle whilst staying on a budget, then cycling may not be the ideal option if you don’t already have the gear you need.
You’ll also need to have storage areas in your home to be able to keep your bike and cycling gear when they’re not being used, which is particularly more difficult for those apartments with no bike storage facilities.
Bikes will also need maintenance, whether that be a light clean now and then to regular oiling and replacing certain components. Whereas, you only need sneakers and some motivation to head out on a walk by yourself.
Eco-friendly
Walking and cycling are an eco-friendly way to travel around and by engaging in either of these when commuting to and from work or social activities you can significantly decrease your carbon emissions.
However, cycling is considered more environmentally beneficial as there are some distances which are just too far to walk or you don’t have enough time so you’ll be more included to drive yourself, use public transport or get an Uber.
If you cycle there, you’ll get there within the same time as using motorized transport, or maybe even quicker if you manage to skip through the traffic.
Versatility
Cycling can offer a versatile workout, allowing you to cycle to new locations in half the time you would spend walking.
You’ll be able to travel more distance on a bike and see many locations in just one hour, of which you’d sometimes have to spend all day walking just to see.
You can also switch up your intensity more with cycling, whether that be speed or incline to get a more effective workout.
You can still work your body harder whilst walking by increasing your speed or walking on an incline, however, uphill cycling has more resistance and your body will need to work harder for you to progress up the hill, therefore offering a highly effective cardiovascular workout and burning more calories.
Low Impact
Whilst walking is not as much a high-impact workout as running is, it can still put strain and pressure on your knees, hips, and ankles, especially if you’re power walking.
However, cycling is low impact and won’t put as much pressure or have shock impacts on your joints, so you’ll be less likely to incur any injuries or pain.
Although people who cycle and walk are less likely to develop injuries as runners do.
One thing to bear in mind is that cyclists also have a chance of crashing or falling off their bike which can cause injuries, so if you’re accident-prone then you might want to stay away from the bike.
Conclusion
Cycling is a more effective way to work out than walking as it burns more calories in a shorter space of time than walking does.
One of the major downsides is having to invest in a bike if you don’t already have one, but we recommend doing so as not only will you be able to get a good cardio workout in, you’ll be able to explore new places more easily and you can even travel to and from places more quickly for free.
If you’re looking to get into cycling and you need a new high-quality bike, then you can check out our ultimate list of best gravel bikes so you can head out on some exciting explorations whilst getting in some quality exercise.
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