Introduction
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest that if you want to lose weight you need to maintain a consistent workout level for at least 30 minutes, 5 to 6 times per week. If you want to burn calories and lose weight, you can choose between an exercise bike and a treadmill. Both of these gym equipment comes with a myriad of benefits such as maintaining and building healthy muscles, burning calories, reducing disease risk, and promoting your health and well-being. In this article, we are going to look at which is better exercise bike or treadmill for weight loss and burning calories.
Treadmill for weight loss
One of the most popular types of cardio machines is the treadmill. A treadmill is a gym machine that is commonly used for running, walking or jogging while remaining in the same position. The Best Treadmill For Walking comes with features such as preset workout programs while most have digital monitors that allow you to track stats such as distance, speed, calories burned, time, and heart rate. This cardio device is one of the easiest to use, and if you are the person who is worried about uneven surfaces, then you can choose a treadmill because it is flat. The benefit of exercising on a flat surface such as a treadmill is that you do not risk injury which occurs as a result of tripping on uneven terrain.
One of the main advantages of a treadmill is that it helps you burn more calories and lose weight faster. Running for about 20 minutes at 10 km per hour can help you burn 229 calories. If you can increase your speed to 12 km per hour then you can burn up to 300 calories. It is possible to burn more calories while working out on a treadmill by using the HIIT principles. Combining your treadmill workout with a good diet can help you lose weight and achieve your fitness goals.
Exercise bike for weight loss
An exercise bike is an effective way to boost your heart rate while using smooth movements to strengthen your joints and bones without putting stress on them. There are different types of exercise bikes such as Recumbent Exercise Bike, Upright Exercise Bike and dual-action. You may prefer one type of stationary bike over the other depending on your workout goals, fitness level, and joint health. Exercise bikes are safe and they offer an effective form of cardiovascular exercise.
Cycling on the Best Exercise Bike helps to strengthen lower body muscles, including calf muscles, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Many people prefer biking for weight loss because it is low impact meaning that it puts less stress on your joints and muscles. Most stationary bikes come equipped with electronic workout programs that simulate interval training, hill climbing and display calories burned, distance covered, and time spent. The duration you have to use a stationary bike for weight loss depends on different factors such as the frequency and intensity of workouts.
The pros and cons between an exercise bike and a treadmill
Which is better exercise bike or treadmill? So far you know that the treadmill burns more calories, provides vigorous workouts but puts you at a higher risk of getting injuries. On the other hand, an exercise bike does not burn as many calories as a treadmill but offers greater strengthening benefits as well as lower injury risks. The following are the pros and cons of a treadmill and exercise bike.
Treadmill pros:
- You can burn more calories when walking or running on the steep incline
- Comes with variations of incline and speed
- It has a predictable surface which is easier to walk and run on compared outdoor trails
- Some treadmills come with special features like heart rate monitors and step counters
Treadmill cons:
- It can be boring to work out on a treadmill because of limited exercise to do
- Incline function may break down often
Exercise bike pros:
- It strengthens the lower body muscles
- Because you sit upright on a stationary bike, you are more comfortable on an exercise bike
- Riding a stationary bike is a low impact workout that puts less stress on your joints
Exercise bike cons:
- Doesn’t burn a lot of calories
- Does not work out the upper body
Factors to consider while choosing between a treadmill and exercise bike
While looking at the treadmill vs. stationary bike, you must pay attention to your needs, preferences, and goals. The following factors will help you know which is better exercise bike or treadmill.
-
Injury rate
You need to ask yourself what is the likelihood of getting injured on these two cardio machines. A treadmill mill is a high impact workout machine and comes with the risk that you could fall off and injure yourself at high speed. If you want to reduce your risk of injury, you may choose a low impact workout machine such as an exercise bike.
-
Calorie burn
If you want to lose weight, you need to look for a cardio machine that helps you burn more calories than you get from food. In this case, you may prefer a Treadmill Machine over a stationary bike because it helps you burn more calories at the same time.
-
Workout variability
Which machines between the treadmill and the exercise bike offer more variability? Both the treadmill and the exercise bike offer workout variability such as speed and resistance variability. With these two cardio machines, you can increase the incline and speed.
-
Durability
Durability is another important factor to consider. You need to ask yourself which machine is more durable to use and less likely to break down. A treadmill is more likely to break down in case something goes wrong with the motor, belt, or incline. On the other hand, a stationary bike rarely breaks down does not require maintenance.
-
Ease of use
A treadmill requires more time to get used to because you need to learn how the belt works. However, with an exercise bike, you just hop and cycle to burn calories.
Exercise Bike vs Treadmill
The question you are probably asking yourself is which is better exercise bike or treadmill. Both exercise bikes and treadmills offer a vigorous aerobic exercise and are effective in helping you shed some pounds. In case you have two choices between a stationary bike and a treadmill to lose weight, then you should choose a treadmill. If you are performing intervals on a treadmill, you will burn more calories. While working out at the same intensity, you will burn more calories on a treadmill compared to an exercise bike. This has to do with your sitting position on a stationary bike. On a stationary bike, your whole body weight is supported in the seat. However, when running on a treadmill you are carrying your entire body weight and moving it forward. Running on a treadmill may help you burn more calories than an exercise bike but if you work longer on an exercise bike, you will burn more calories.
Conclusion
Treadmills and exercise bikes are two popular cardio machines that can be found in the gym and used at home. They offer an effective cardiovascular workout and come with multiple resistance levels which can help you burn more calories. So which is better exercise bike or treadmill? Depending on your preference and needs you may prefer one cardio machine over the other. For example, if you want a cardio machine that is easy to use, low impact, and durable then you will prefer an exercise machine. But if you want to burn more calories and lose weight then a treadmill is an effective machine to use.
Related Review Article: