Is walking or cycling better for weight loss? Here's what experts say
Walking has had quite a year, between the rise of the viral hot girl walking trend on social media and walking accessories like bala bangles and weighted vests becoming trendy. It’s a solid form of cardio, but that doesn’t mean you should sleep on other heart-healthy workouts, like the oldie-but-goodie activity of cycling.
Walking and cycling are two of the most popular types of aerobic workouts—and there’s a reason. For starters, they’re both low-impact, meaning, they’re 'easier on the joints than, say, running or HIIT training,' says Olivia Amato, CPT, a bike, tread, boot camp, and strength instructor for Peloton based in New York City.
When it comes to walking vs. cycling, both activities are great for beginners and can be made more difficult—either by walking with wrist or ankle weights, or cranking up the resistance on your bike. Both forms of exercise have perks when it comes to improving endurance, building strength, and losing weight, but one *may* reign supreme.
Wondering which form of exercise to make a mainstay in your workout routine? Ahead, trainers reveal the benefits of both—and how to integrate walking and cycling into your schedule.
Benefits of walking
Walking is low-impact, so it’s easy on the joints, and it’s accessible—all you need is a pair of walking shoes—and you can get your steps in either outdoors or inside on a treadmill, says Claudette Sariya, CPT, a NASM-certified personal trainer and alum of the Women’s Health/Men’s Health Strength in Diversity initiative based in New York City.
Walking is also easy to intensify. If you’re used to walking on flat ground (or the treadmill), you can level up your walks by going uphill or increasing the incline, Sariya adds. You can also walk faster, or wear a weighted vest or ankle or wrist weights.
Walking is also a weight-bearing exercise, as 'you're holding up your entire body as you're moving,' says Amato. This can strengthen your lower body and improve your posture, back pain, and bone density, adds Melissa Darlow, RDN, CPT, a New York City-based registered dietitian and certified trainer. And walking can definitely improve your endurance and stamina, depending on the type of walking you’re doing and for how long. For instance, power walking is a great way to build your stamina, Amato says.
Benefits of cycling
Cycling is even lower-impact than walking, Amato says, adding that it’s gentler on your knees and hips since pedaling provides support, so you don’t have to hold your body up as much. You can pedal as slow or fast as you want and easily increase the resistance, so it’s easy to control the intensity of the workout. The fact that you can add more resistance while cycling versus walking leads to bigger strength gains and more calories burned, Sariya says.
Walking vs. cycling for weight loss
If you want to burn body fat, you’ll want to get your heart rate into Zone 2 or 3—the threshold states where your body burns fat as fuel—either while walking or biking. You can do this by walking on an incline or increasing resistance on your bike—you just need to see that your heart rate hits that threshold.
FYI, you’ll know if you’re doing Zone 2 cardio if your heart rate is at 60 to 70 percent of your max (multiply your age by 0.7, then subtract that number from 208). Or, if you don’t own a tracker, you might feel like your rate of perceived exertion (RPE), i.e., the effort it takes you to do the workout, is at a three to five out of 10. For Zone 3 cardio, your heart rate will be at 70 to 80 percent of your heart rate max, and your RPE will be at a six out of ten.
It’s easier to burn calories faster on a bike because you can up the resistance. In order to burn the same amount of calories walking, you need to add weights and increase your speed, Sariya says. So, if you only have 20 minutes and you don’t have a weighted vest or ankle weights, it’s more efficient to hop on a bike if weight loss is your goal, Amato says.
The most effective way to lose weight is by picking an activity you’ll stay consistent with, Darlow says. So, if you sign up for a SoulCycle class pack but you hate cycling, you might end up losing more weight walking if you know you enjoy it more.
Walking vs. cycling for strength
Generally, walking is 'definitely one of the forms of working out that's going to build lower body strength,' Amato says. It’s a better core workout than cycling because you’re standing up and you have to maintain your balance while moving, Sariya adds. (Walking up an incline works your core even harder because you have to brace it to protect your lower back, Amato adds.) Plus, if you’re wearing a weighted vest, you’ll work all of your lower body muscles, especially your outer quads and calves.
However, you won’t get a true strength workout from walking because you’re not bearing as much weight as you would if you’re lifting dumbbells, for example, Darlow says. You can really only build muscle while cycling if you’re walking up an incline, but even then, it’s not a lot, says Sariya. But 'in combination with other weightbearing exercises, absolutely, [walking] can lead to an increased level of strength,' Darlow says.
When it comes to cycling, because there’s an ability to add resistance, it builds more strength and muscle in your full body, especially your lower body muscles like the inner thighs, quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and ankles, Sariya says. You’re also using your core and arms to hold yourself up. The resistance also helps build strength faster than you would if you were just walking, Amato adds. So, you can spend less time cycling than walking, and become stronger.
Walking vs. cycling for cardiovascular health
Since you can tap into different cardio zones in both workouts, they’re both good for heart health. But if you only have a few minutes for a workout, 'cycling is going to be your best bet because it's easy and quick for you to change your resistance and be able to switch from your Zone 2 into your Zone 4 and then back down,' Sariya says. But with walking, you might not have an incline or hills nearby to walk on, or there might be people in your way on the sidewalk, which makes it harder to change your speed to reach a higher zone.
However, 'as long as someone is finding a regular movement routine and challenging themselves to an extent,' your heart will see benefits, regardless of whether you’re walking or cycling, Darlow adds.
Walking vs. cycling for your goals
Whether your goals are improving endurance, building strength, or losing weight, cycling is a better workout, especially if you only have a few minutes to exercise, Sariya says. But adding both walking and cycling into your routine is also beneficial for working the full body, Amato adds.
Here’s how to fit walking and/or cycling into your routine, based on your goals.
If your goal is building endurance: Cycle or walk three to four times a week for 35 minutes, making sure that for 80 percent of the workout, your heart rate is in Zone 2 cardio. The other time should be spent cycling between Zone 3 and 4 cardio, Sariya says. This interval training will help build your endurance.
If your goal is improving strength: Cycle two to three times a week for 35 to 45 minutes, cranking up your resistance so it feels like you’re going uphill. On a scale of one to 10, you should feel like you’re giving 70 or 80 percent in terms of how hard you’re pushing, but also give yourself a few breaks during the workout. Supplement your cycling sessions with two to three days of strength training.
If your goal is losing weight: Get at least 30 to 45 minutes of cardio in four to five days a week, whether you’re walking on an incline or cycling with your resistance up. Make sure your heart is in Zone 2 or 3 for the entire workout so you burn fat.
At the end of the day, both walking and cycling are great, and you’ll see gains from both. 'What's right for you really depends on your personal goals and what makes you happy,' Amato says. 'Finding any way to move that you enjoy is really the goal.' So, whether you’re walking or cycling, make sure to push yourself, and you’ll see the best gains.
Meet The Experts: Olivia Amato, CPT, is a bike, tread, boot camp, and strength instructor for Peloton based in New York City. Claudette Sariya, CPT, is a NASM-certified personal trainer and alum of the Women’s Health/Men’s Health Strength in Diversity initiative based in New York City. Melissa Darlow, RDN, CPT, is a New York City-based registered dietitian and certified trainer.
You Might Also Like
