Which is better for weight loss, running, walking or cycling?

Riding a bike or running are two good ways to lose weight, since both are great calorie burners. Both sports share benefits for our body, although it is undeniable that each one also has its particularities. Knowing what each one brings us and what our goals are is essential to decide which one we choose.

The big weight loss question: biking or running?

It is quite common that people who weigh a few extra kilos decide to change their lifestyle to achieve a more appropriate weight on the scale. We all know that sport plays a very important role in this mission, but from here it is easy to be assaulted by many doubts. One of the most common is to ask ourselves, is it better to put on a helmet and go out on the bike or is it better to put on our running shoes and go for a run?

The first thing to know is that sport is important but it is not enough. To lose weight it is also necessary to eat correctly and change our habits for healthier ones.

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Another aspect to take into account is that both running and cycling are two excellent sports to carry out this task. However, understanding the benefits they provide and which one is best suited to us will help us make the best decision.

The quick answer is that running is better for weight loss. The reason is that the body burns more calories running than cycling.

Establishing the exact amount of calories is an exercise that borders on the impossible, since many different factors are involved. To find out how many calories we burn, it is best to visit a specialist. Even so, we can generalize to get an idea: while running for an hour makes us lose between 550 and 830 calories, cycling for the same amount of time burns between 500 and 730 calories.

Cycling, an interesting option that can be better than running

In general, cycling is a more gentle exercise, so it can give us better results. The reason is that although it burns fewer calories than running, we can practice it for longer and therefore the number of calories burned at the end of the workout will be higher.

Remember that, as usual, total calories will depend on the intensity and duration of the exercise, regardless of whether we are running or cycling. Either way, cycling is a good way to burn calories and lose abdominal fat.

Another advantage of cycling is that the joints suffer considerably less. An argument that can be decisive for some people, especially those who have knee problems or are overweight.

However, cycling is not free from collateral damage either. Although the joints will be much more relieved, it could lead to lower back problems. Hence the importance of consulting a specialist before starting to do any exercise, as well as in the case of cycling make sure that the size and height of the saddle are correct.

We should opt for cycling if we want to gain muscle mass, although in order to show off voluminous muscles we will have to combine cycling with weight training.

Finally, cycling can be an easier to incorporate into your daily routine. It is becoming more and more common to pedal to work, something unthinkable to do by running unless the sheets are stuck to us and we miss the bus.

Running, advantages of the world's oldest sport

It is probably the most economical physical activity -along with walking- that we can do. You only need a pair of shoes, while cycling requires a larger outlay of money to buy all the equipment we need and its subsequent renewal or maintenance.

We should choose running if we want to improve muscle tone, especially in the glutes, quads and hamstrings. Here is the main difference with cycling: running will not increase the size of the muscles, but will help us to tone them.

And why does riding a bike increase muscle mass? Because the muscles work against resistance (the pedals), something that does not happen when we run. That's why runners tend to be leaner than cyclists.

When we run we put into operation many muscles throughout our body. This makes it a good choice if we want to increase our overall muscle tone, which will be determined by the time we train without muscle fatigue.

In addition, it will give us better levels of bone density, something that is lost with age and, on the other hand, will be more effective than cycling to exercise the core.

Finally, as we said before, running burns more calories per hour than cycling; so we need less time to get rid of the same calories.

More than reasonable similarities

Cycling and running share several similarities that make them two sports that have more in common than we might think at first.

First of all, both are aerobic. Thanks to this, they bring us really good benefits for our body. In fact, those who practice either of these two sports have a lower rate of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension or cholesterol.

Both are outdoor exercises that can be very much in contact with nature, although they are often practiced in urban environments as well. Still, they can be practiced indoors with a turbo trainer/static bike or treadmill.

In both cases, cardiovascular health is strengthened, increasing blood flow and oxygen in the body. Even so, we must consider that all excesses are bad, so too intense exercise can have a negative effect on the health of our heart.

To choose between one or the other we will have to go to the doctor and ask him to explain to us what is best in our case. If he gives us the green light to practice both sports, we will have the blessed problem of choosing one of them. For this we will have to think about what objective we want to achieve and if what we want is to gain muscle or tone the body.

If we do not decide, as the benefits they bring to our cardiovascular health are very similar, the best thing to do is to choose the one we like the most. After all, the results will only be seen if we remain constant, something that will be more difficult if we practice anything we don't like. And for the more indecisive, you can always opt for a combination of the two.