Walking vs Bicycle Riding

Tallblondechick
Tallblondechick Posts: 53
in Introduce Yourself
Which do you think is better exercise?
«1

Replies

  • deanotoot
    deanotoot Posts: 28 Member
    I prefer walking but thats just my opinion:smile:
  • melissaw78
    melissaw78 Posts: 214 Member
    Our family alternates between the two. I like them both!
  • pearlsbythesea
    pearlsbythesea Posts: 3 Member
    My vote is for biking. Since my knee is bad I do a mix of power walking and mild biking around the block. I'm pretty tame when it comes to exercise, but I burn way more calories when I work out on my bike vs. walking. The only downside is riding a bike on the street and listening to music is dangerous (and in Rhode Island, it's illegal.) For that reason, I prefer a walk/jog so I can use music to motivate me. Obviously this isn't an issue on a stationary bike, but stationary bikes can be boring, too. Variety is the spice of life. Do both!
  • rmn1972
    rmn1972 Posts: 20
    Because I have bad knees (4 surgeries on the right, one on the left!), I am sticking to bike riding until I get more weight off.
  • kellibenage
    kellibenage Posts: 41
    I just recently started biking and although it was hard to get started, I am really enjoying it. Plus according to my bodymedia I burn a lot more calories biking!
  • LisaBeateith2012
    LisaBeateith2012 Posts: 346 Member
    For me bike riding! Love it! Love it!:happy:
  • emmamiso5
    emmamiso5 Posts: 44
    Either; just make sure you sweat.
  • midschool22
    midschool22 Posts: 1,267 Member
    Biking.

    But I'm biased. :happy:
  • teelynn35
    teelynn35 Posts: 239 Member
    Either; just make sure you sweat.

    ^this :)
  • flajocar
    flajocar Posts: 37
    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!
  • ticho9
    ticho9 Posts: 25
    So the question is about which is better; and the indirect question is which do I enjoy more... I believe all exercise has its benefits when done well, safely and continuously. I'll say that you burn more calories, and get a higher general workout with biking, but according to research, about 25 min of sustained exercise (say walking at a minimum of 60-70% of your heart rate) will burn as many calories as biking for 45, 60 or more minutes at a lower heart rate...

    In my case, where I live is not very suitable to biking... lack of paths, lots of traffic, uneven roads, etc... So, walking around the neighborhood is better for me and more enjoyable...
  • ticho9
    ticho9 Posts: 25
    Exactly!
  • ticho9
    ticho9 Posts: 25
    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!

    Exactly!
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    I definitely get a better, more intense workout if I ride by bike, but I walk a lot too. I carry a 5lb dumbbell in each hand to make it a little more intense.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    Walking, even very fast, doesn't get my HR up high enough for me to feel like I'm accomplishing anything (over 120). On my bike I can easily burn 10 calories per minute.
  • grubb1019
    grubb1019 Posts: 371 Member
    I prefer walking. We have a beautiful trail here that I just love. But I can burn twice as many calories on my stationary bike. If I had a lot of extra time I would walk in the mornings and bike in the evenings, but that never happens!
  • curtnrod
    curtnrod Posts: 223 Member
    I walk only to get somewhere, I prefer riding my bike for exercise.
  • ChapinaGrande
    ChapinaGrande Posts: 289 Member
    For transportation, I prefer walking because I get less sweaty and I want to look nice when I get to work. At the gym, I prefer the stationary bikes because I love anything that involves sitting down. Also, I burn a lot more calories on the bike. While sitting down.
  • MoreThanMommie
    MoreThanMommie Posts: 597 Member
    I usually run for exercise, but you all are making me want to get my bike out...
  • scloyd
    scloyd Posts: 327 Member
    We have so many bike paths around here, including one 2 blocks from my house. So it's bicycle for me.
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
    Both are great. Do what you like doing and it won't feel like exercise!
  • LindleK
    LindleK Posts: 2 Member
    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
    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
    Thank you for all the great answers...I will buy myself a bike this weekend hopefully.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    If you do get a bike be sure to get properly fitted so it doesn't cause more problems.
  • GmeB
    GmeB Posts: 70 Member
    I prefer walking myself,but also like to do a short 10 minute burn on the bike.

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