Walking vs Bicycle Riding

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  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
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    Both are great. Do what you like doing and it won't feel like exercise!
  • LindleK
    LindleK Posts: 2 Member
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    I am an avid cyclist and love being on my bike. However, I started running seriously in January and actually enjoy it now. I burn way more calories cycling and can ride way longer (50 miles per ride) than i can run (my limit is 4 miles per day). I don't like doing either inside but with Chicago witers it's a necessary evil.
  • Tallblondechick
    Tallblondechick Posts: 53
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    I prefer biking. at a slow steady pace riding your fat burn will be far greater than the same amount of walking. On a typical 30 minute ride i will avg 400 calories. compared to maybe 150 walking for 30 minutes. i ride and hour every day and avg 1000 calories!


    I like this information ....
  • Tallblondechick
    Tallblondechick Posts: 53
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    Thank you for all the great answers...I will buy myself a bike this weekend hopefully.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    A little of both is probably better than focusing exclusively on one or the other. All things being equal, I can get my heart rate up a lot more cycling than walking.
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
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    I think it all depends on your goals. If you're aiming for a lot of calories burned then I'd go for a bike ride because you will burn a bit slower when you walk

    Both are good but I think it depends on how much you want to burn.

    If you're not worried about how much you burn, I'd go for whichever feels better...lol
  • tvanhooser
    tvanhooser Posts: 326 Member
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    Depends on how you define "better." I know that according to both MFP and the heart rate based calorie calculator at shapesense.com, I get more calorie credit when I bike than when I walk for the same amount of time. Besides which I like the feel of the wind in my face more than the monotony of walking. But as someone recently said on here, either way you burn more calories getting up and moving your tush than you do sitting on the couch so whichever you like better or works better for you is the best for you. Someone more scientfically oriented could probably explain which muscles are getting worked in each so you can target whichever you want to work on more if that's important to you. Me--I'm just good with any form of movement that keeps the weight coming down and I don't get too technical or complex about it. If I am going to stick to it, has to be simple to the point that I don't have to overthink it cause then I will talk myself out of doing anything at all.
  • Ruger2506
    Ruger2506 Posts: 309 Member
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    Depends on your goals. i can hike, stair step and walk all over the place. However when I get on a bike my "fit" legs burn and tone like never before. IMO the bike is the hardest workout of the two.
  • LindleK
    LindleK Posts: 2 Member
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    If you do get a bike be sure to get properly fitted so it doesn't cause more problems.
  • GmeB
    GmeB Posts: 70 Member
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    I prefer walking myself,but also like to do a short 10 minute burn on the bike.
  • Apriiilxx
    Apriiilxx Posts: 10 Member
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    Its a mix for me also!! I feel like I sweat a lot more when I jog/walk but I absolutely love biking! I wish we had more bike trails near me it would make things so much more interesting for me!!
  • Alzzak
    Alzzak Posts: 89 Member
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    I prefer biking. at a slow steady pace riding your fat burn will be far greater than the same amount of walking. On a typical 30 minute ride i will avg 400 calories. compared to maybe 150 walking for 30 minutes. i ride and hour every day and avg 1000 calories!

    I wonder why.... I mean it seems like you are doing less work on a bike than on foot
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
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    Thank you for all the great answers...I will buy myself a bike this weekend hopefully.

    Great, But buy a good quality bike from your local bike shop, and NOT from Walmart/Target, etc... It may cost more, but the difference in quality and workmanship cannot be overestimated. Plus, most bike shops offer free tune ups and advice for as long as you own the bike. Get a good bike that fits you comfortably, or you won't ride.


    That being said, I prefer riding my bike over walking. I average ~1000 calories burned an hour or so riding. Walking, even at a fast pace doesn't come close for me.
    Have a great time riding your bike!
  • Cameo530
    Cameo530 Posts: 155 Member
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    If you do get a bike be sure to get properly fitted so it doesn't cause more problems.

    So, so true. If you're buying one brand new, do yourself a favor and buy from a good local bike shop, not a big-box store, if possible. The bike shop will probably be more expensive initially but a good shop will help you find the right bike in your price range for the type of riding you want to do. They'll properly fit you to the bike. They'll let you test ride (I, for one, am very particular about the geometry of my bikes and the only way to know how comfortable you feel while riding a particular style is to ride that style.). Some even offer regular spring tune-ups (free or discounted) for people who buy from them.

    Also, when they fit you, keep in mind that on many bikes the handlebar height and/or angle can be adjusted, as well as the seat height. It took a lot of fiddling with my two primary bikes (I have 4 total and a husband who likes to tinker with them, fortunately) to get the handlebars adjusted to where the angle of my body, the pressure on my arms/wrists, etc were all comfortable, so if you don't know how to adjust them yourself, ask the shop to show you.

    One last thing: when you feel like your seat height is perfect, get a tape measure and measure the distance from the middle of the crank set (the point where the pedal attaches to the bike) to the top of the seat. That way if the seat height gets disturbed, you know where to move it back to. My husband checks our seat-height this way before any big ride we do, because sometimes they do shift over time and having your seat either too high or too low can be really, really hard on your knees.
  • Tallblondechick
    Tallblondechick Posts: 53
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    So much useful information for one simple question. This website is amazing. Thanks again to everyone.
  • ncthomas09
    ncthomas09 Posts: 322 Member
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    I prefer biking...I love it and find it loads of fun actually when I have people to go with (even climbing a giant hill being sweaty in the heat then feeling like I'm goin to vomit at the top of the hill), but my parents ride way longer and faster than I do and with my work schedule being M,T,TH,F and every other weekend it makes it hard for me to go with them and i've got no one else to go with so walking is easier for me.
  • klewlis
    klewlis Posts: 79 Member
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    I like both!

    Biking is great because you burn more calories, you get around faster, and you feel like a kid zipping around town! And I love mountain biking, which is a full-body workout and burns a ton of calories.

    Do either, or both... have fun. :)

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