Cycling vs. Walking: Which Is the Better Workout for You?

Aerobic exercise is an important way to maintain your health and vitality. If you’re new to exercising or have an injury or health condition that’s forcing you to change your exercise routine, you may wonder what type of aerobic exercise to chooCycling and walking are two of the most popular types of aerobic activity. Both can be adapted for beginners or people with injuries or other health conditionThey both provide a lower impact activity than other aerobic activities, such as running or jumping rope. Also, you can do them both outdoors or indoors, making them accessible no matter what the weather is likHowever, they tend to differ
in terms of cost. Cycling obviously requires a bike, while all you need to start walking is a pair of shoes (or not) and the will to moStill, you may wonder which is the better workout and which is better for your healthSolStock/Getty ImageWhich burns more calorieHow many calories you burn with cycling and walking depends on your workout intensity. The following table shows approximately how many calories a 150-pound (68-kg) person would burn in a 30-minute session (1, Intensity Biking (calories and speed) Walking (calories and speeLight 240 calories — 10–11.9 miles per hour (16–19.15 km/hr) 154 calories — 3.5 miles per hour (5.6 km/Moderate 285 calories — 12–13.9 miles per hour (19.3–22.4 km/hr) 179 calories — 4.0 miles per hour (6.4 km/High 357 calories — 14–15.9 miles per hour (22.5–25.6 km/hr) 250 calories — 4.5 miles per hour (7.2 km/Thus, cycling tends to burn more calories for the same category of intensity during the same time period. You can think of the intensity as the rate of perceived exertion (3Trusted SourceIf you want to burn calories and you’re short on time, cycling may be the better optionSUMMACycling burns more calories given the same time and intensity as walkingWhich works muscles betteCycling and walking involve using many of the same muscles to produce force to move. The gluteal muscles of the hip and hamstrings are involved in powproduction in both walking and cycling.hese muscles increase their activation when you increase your speed during cycling, especially when you stand up to pedal. In addition, gluteal activation increases when you walk uphill or up stairs (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted SourceThe quadriceps (knee extensors) are involved to a larger extent in cycling compared with walking. They are larger producers of force during the power or push-down phase of cycling when you’re sitting down (6Trusted Source)Finally, the calf muscles (soleus and gastrocnemius) play an important 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) (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted SourceThus, both activities work the same muscles, but cycling tends to require the muscles to exert more force.

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