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Exercising is a vital element for maintaining your well-being and vigor. If you’re a novice to fitness or if an injury or health condition is compelling you to alter your workout regime, you might be pondering on the optimal type of aerobic activity to adopt. Bicycling and walking are two of the most sought after forms of aerobic activities. Both can be adjusted for beginners or people with injuries or other health conditions.

They’re both lower impact activities compared to other aerobic exercises, such as running or skipping rope. Moreover, both activities can be done outdoors or indoors, making them accessible no matter what the weather conditions are. However, they tend to deviate in terms of cost. Bicycling obviously necessitates a bike, while all you need to initiate walking is a pair of shoes (or not) and the determination to move.

Yet, you may be curious as to which one provides a superior workout and which one is healthier for you.

Calorie Combustion: Which Burns More?

The amount of calories you incinerate with cycling and walking hinges on your workout intensity. The subsequent table outlines approximately how many calories a person weighing 150-pound (68-kg) would burn in a 30-minute session.

Consequently, bicycling tends to burn more calories for the same intensity category during the same time period. The intensity can be perceived as the rate of exertion.

If you’re aiming to burn calories and are short on time, bicycling may be the better option.

In a Nutshell

Bicycling incinerates more calories given the same time and intensity as walking.

Muscle Work: Which Works Better?

Bicycling and walking involve using several identical muscles to generate force to move. The muscles of the hip (gluteal muscles) and hamstrings are involved in power production in both walking and bicycling.

These muscles elevate their activation when you increase your speed during bicycling, particularly when you stand up to pedal. Moreover, gluteal activation ascends when you walk uphill or climb stairs.

The quadriceps (knee extensors) are involved to a larger extent in bicycling compared to walking. They generate a significant amount of force during the power or push-down phase of cycling when you’re seated.

Lastly, the calf muscles (soleus and gastrocnemius) play a crucial role in both cycling and walking. They are the muscles that propel you in the push phase of cycling and the push-off phase of walking (mid-stance to pre-swing phases).

Hence, both activities engage the same muscles, but cycling requires the muscles to exert more force.

In a Nutshell

Bicycling and walking utilize several of the same muscles to generate force and movement. Nonetheless, bicycling tends to work your muscles harder.

Fat Incineration: Which Burns More?

When comparing the impacts of bicycling and walking on fat metabolism, one study discovered that walking escalated fat metabolism more than cycling. Participants performed both forms of exercise at the same intensity or rate of perceived exertion.

Another study found that weight-bearing exercises, like walking and running, were associated with lower levels of a type of fat that accumulates in bone marrow, compared to cycling.

In a Nutshell

Walking incinerates more fat than cycling. This may be because it’s considered a weight-bearing activity, while cycling isn’t.

Strength Building: Which Builds More?

In a study on muscular strength and hypertrophy, bicycling was associated with an increase in strength. One study discovered that bicycling escalated strength and muscle hypertrophy. This effect was more substantial in older adults than younger adults. However, younger adults could achieve this at a higher intensity.

There don’t seem to be many studies on whether and how walking escalates strength in healthy younger adults. However, one study found that older sedentary individuals had increased strength after they adopted walking.

Younger individuals may have to cycle at a higher intensity to have the same effect.

In a Nutshell

Bicycling may help you gain more strength compared with walking. However, more research is required.

Weight Reduction: Which is Better?

Weight loss involves increasing the number of calories you burn compared to the number you consume per day. One primary way to do this is to increase your activity levels while sensibly limiting how many calories you consume.

As the table above shows, cycling tends to burn more calories in the same time period compared to walking. Thus, cycling may be the better choice if you want to lose weight but don’t have a lot of time for exercise.

Nevertheless, the wisest choice is to do the activity you enjoy more along with controlling the number of calories you consume. Your exercise may be cycling or walking, or a combination of the two. Doing both can add variety and increase your chances of sticking with a program.

In a Nutshell

Cycling may be better for weight loss if you have a limited amount of time to work out. However, both types of exercise can help with weight loss as long as you manage your diet.

Injury Considerations: Which is Better?

Injuries are a frequent part of life. They can be debilitating and make it difficult for you to exercise. Finding an activity that you can do to stay active when you’re injured is important. However, that may depend on the injury.

For instance, one study reported a high incidence of low back pain in cyclists. Road cycling involves being in a flexed trunk posture for prolonged periods.

However, a recent study in people with chronic low back pain showed that walking reduced pain, disability, and avoidance of activities.

Studies have shown that walking and cycling both helped people manage pain associated with knee osteoarthritis. Thus, both can be good activities to perform for joint pain due to arthritis.

However, if you have other causes of joint pain, you might find one activity more comfortable than another.

If you experience pain when you’re doing weight-bearing activities, such as walking, cycling may offer a more tolerable way to exercise. However, if you find the bent position of cycling more painful, walking may be a better alternative.

Speak with a healthcare professional, such as a family doctor, if you want to start walking or cycling and have injuries or other health conditions. They will help you choose the exercise that best suits your needs.

In a Nutshell

Both cycling and walking are lower impact activities and can be good to perform if you have injuries. However, be sure to choose the one that feels best for any injuries you have.

Beneficiaries and Exceptions: Who Gains From Each?

Cycling tends to benefit people who have less time to exercise and enjoy a faster pace. For instance, cycling at a moderate pace tends to burn more calories than walking at a moderate pace. In addition, cycling offers a chance for you to increase your lower-body strength.

However, if you find cycling unenjoyable or uncomfortable due to back pain or even experience discomfort when sitting for prolonged periods, you might prefer to avoid it.

Walking is beneficial if you have bone density issues, such as osteoporosis, back pain, and limited funds to invest in a bike and related bike gear.

However, walking may not be better for all types of pain. You may find cycling is more comfortable for you if you have pain that gets worse in weight-bearing or upright positions.

In a Nutshell

Cycling can be better for burning more calories, and it helps increase your lower-body strength. On the other hand, walking may help with bone density and tends to cost less than cycling.

Choosing the Optimal Activity

Both cycling and walking provide an excellent workout and are more low impact than other forms of exercise. If you’re not sure which to choose, consider trying both and seeing which one you find more comfortable and enjoyable. Even if you don’t have a bike, it may benefit you to rent or borrow one and see how it feels.

And which one is easiest to perform? That depends on your situation. You can probably walk almost anywhere, even in your own house or at a mall.

Cycling can be very convenient if it replaces your commute to work, but it’s not so convenient if you have to take your bike on a car or public transit to get to a place where you can bike, for instance.

Consider what’s easiest for you to build into your existing routine.

Finally, do you have friends that walk or bike? Having other people to exercise with may make it easier for you to stick to an activity.

In a Nutshell

Choose depending on which activity you prefer, which is easiest to incorporate into your life, and whether there are people you can walk or cycle with who might help motivate you to get moving.

The Final Verdict

Cycling and walking are exceptional forms of exercise. They can be challenging and enjoyable for everyone, from beginners to experts.

Both burn calories and are good alternative forms of exercise if you have a medical condition or are injured from another type of exercise or sport.

Cycling may benefit you if you have less time to exercise and want to optimize burning calories or increase your strength.

Walking may be more beneficial if you think you could benefit from weight-bearing exercise and are unable or unwilling to spend money on a bicycle and related gear.

The good news is, choosing either type of exercise is great for your health — either way you win.