Bicycle Or Running, Which Is Best For Weight Loss? Let’s Find The Answer Here To Ace Your Fitness Goals!

Running and cycling are two of the best options for fun and efficient weight-loss techniques. If you want to add more cardio to your routine, build stamina, and lose weight, you have probably asked yourself: Which is better, cycling or running? These are two of the most well-liked and researched cardio workouts available today. The benefits of cycling and running vary based on your level of fitness.

Running and cycling will increase your heart rate, help you burn calories, and help you gain strength. Running is a higher-impact workout than cycling so that it may be more physically taxing for certain people, even though it may burn more calories. 

However, there is much more to the comparison between cycling and running. The decision between running and cycling is often based on personal taste, fitness objectives, and physical restrictions. So, let us understand this debate of bicycle or running for weight loss, the benefits and insights so that you can choose the perfect workout that compliments your health! Keep reading!

Table Of Contents

1. About Bicycle or Running For Weight Loss

2. Cycling Or Running, Which Is Better For Weight Loss?

3. Benefits Of Running Vs Cycling

4. Dietitian's Recommendation

5. The Final Say

6. FAQs

7. References

About Bicycle or Running For Weight Loss

Cycling is a sustainable and fun way to lose weight, with rhythmic pedalling commonly used on attractive routes. Running is praised for its high-calorie content and full-body engagement, simultaneously engaging multiple muscle groups and increasing heart rate. 

Let’s have a look at some factors when it comes to biking vs. running for weight loss: 

1. Calorie Burn

Running and cycling are both highly recommended for weight loss. However, if there is one thing that helps you lose weight faster when running or cycling, it is running. This is because running enables you to burn calories faster than cycling. If you want to lose weight, choose a calorie-burning activity that moves your body and builds muscle. So whether you cycle or run to lose belly fat, the vital thing to remember is to be consistent and eat a healthy diet.

Other factors, such as body weight, also play an essential role in your training. The more body weight and muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn. In addition, the length of your workout also plays an important role. Running burns more calories in less time. Running on a treadmill burns more calories than riding a stationary bike. 

2. Intensity-Based

Numerous variables, such as the time and intensity of exercise, affect how many calories are burned. The harder and longer you work out, the more calories you burn. This could give cycling an advantage over running for weight loss and endurance. Cycling is less impactful, so you can do it faster or longer than running. 

3. Time Based

If you have time for a long workout, cycling is the way to go. It burns calories, and you can maintain about the same pace for 90 minutes. However, if you are not used to running for long periods, it is much harder to do this while running.

Cycling for 90 minutes burns more calories than running for 30 minutes at the same intensity. If you are short on time, running is the best option. But remember that exercise is one of many factors that help you lose weight healthily, along with a balanced diet and sound sleep.

Also Read: How To Increase Your Stamina For Running? Discover Secret Tips & Foods! 

Cycling Or Running, Which Is Better For Weight Loss?

Let us compare running and cycling:

How do you decide between running or cycling?

• The answer can be as simple as this: choose the one you like the most.

• Exercise is about more than just muscle building and burning the most calories.

• It is also essential to find something that you enjoy and is affordable.

• If you have a preference between the two, go with your instincts.

• Select the most stimulating workout, as both can improve your physical and emotional well-being.

Or why choose just one? Consider a combination of running and cycling during the week to work different muscle groups!

Also Read: How To Start Running? A Complete Running Plan For Beginners 

Benefits Of Running Vs Cycling

Based on your other specific health goals, both can help you achieve your health and fitness goals: 

1. Increases Stamina And Endurance 

Your endurance (how long you can perform a particular activity) can be improved by gradually increasing your speed, distance and the length of your ride or run. Endurance and persistence are linked – improving one helps the other. Think of stamina as how long/how much you can last, while stamina is how long you can excel. So the better your essential endurance – which depends on your muscles and cardiovascular system – the more endurance you will have.

Jogging or cycling can increase your stamina and endurance. But to get what you want in terms of stamina, cycling is the same. On a bike, you can sustain maximum pedalling effort more efficiently and for longer than if you were to run.

2. Improves Muscle Strength

Again, although they accomplish it in different ways, running and cycling can both assist you in strengthening the muscles in your legs. Resistance training strengthens muscles. When you ride a bike, you push hard on the pedals every time you go down and up, which makes cycling better for building leg muscles.

On the other hand, running will strengthen and tone your leg muscles, but because of how your leg muscles are engaged during running and the impact of each footfall, you will experience a leaner result.  

3. Helps To Achieve Optimum Health And Fitness

Cycling and running provide excellent cardiovascular exercises. These aerobic exercises will help you maintain blood pressure and blood sugar regulation, benefiting your heart and lungs and significantly extending and enhancing your life. 

However, running takes the lead in burning calories because it works more muscles and burns more of your energy stores. Your weight, metabolism, and intensity of your ride or run will all affect how quickly you burn calories.

Also Read: Stationary Workouts For Fitness & Exercise Cycles Benefits | ToneOp 

Dietitian's Recommendation

Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly can produce the desired results, regardless of the type of exercise. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. Running can undoubtedly burn more calories if we compare it, but it will be equivalent to cycling based on the time spent on both forms of exercise.

                                                                      Dt. Lavina Chauhan

The Final Say

Cycling and running are equally effective for building cardiovascular fitness. Whichever one offers greater advantages will depend on your fitness and health objectives. But it will make little difference for most people looking for ways to stay active. If you enjoy one activity more than another, do what you love. You can do both activities every other day.

FAQs

1. Is running better than cycling?

It depends upon your desired goal. Although it is harder on the joints, running is an excellent way to increase cardiovascular fitness and burn calories quickly. Riding a bicycle can be more fun for extended periods of time, kinder to the body, and great for developing lower body strength.

2. How is cycling the same as running? 

Cycling 2-3 miles is the same as running 1 mile. The average ratio could be 1:2 or 1:3. Running has a greater impact, and running shorter distances cancel out the effects of cycling 2-3 miles.

3. Which is better for burning fat: running or cycling? 

Running is the best way to burn fat. Running typically burns about 566 to 839 calories per hour, while intense cycling (constantly) only burns about 498 to 738 calories per hour. 

4. Which is better for your core health, running or cycling? 

If your main goal is to strengthen your core, running is the best choice because it has a greater impact on your body. Cycling is a low-impact activity, but it can be difficult to strengthen your core without training hard for long periods.

References

• https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/movement-exercise/biking-vs-running

• https://www.womanandhome.com/health-wellbeing/cycling-vs-running/

• https://steedcycles.in/blogs/cycling/cycling-vs-running

• https://carolbike.com/global/science/running-vs-cycling-what-is-more-efficient-for-weight-loss/

• https://blog.decathlon.in/articles/cycling-vs-running

About ToneOp

ToneOp is a platform dedicated to improving and maintaining good health through a comprehensive range of goal-oriented health plans with up to 3 Coach support. With a range of Weight Management, Medical Condition, Detox Plans, and Face Yoga Plans, the app also provides premium health trackers, recipes and health content. Get customised diet, fitness, naturopathy & yoga plans and transform yourself with ToneOp.