Both walking and cycling can help you lose weight – but one is stronger and more effective for weight loss

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walking Several years passed between viral growth Hot girl walking trend Like social media and walking stuff Children’s bangles and Weighted vests becoming trendy. It is a concrete form CardioBut that doesn’t mean you should sleep on other heart-healthy workouts, such as oldie-but-goodie activities. riding a bicycle.

Walking and cycling are two of the most popular types of aerobic workouts – and there’s a reason. For starters, they are both Low impactMeaning, they are “easy on the joints, say, running or HIIT training“, says Olivia AmatoCPT, a bike, trade, boot camp, and strength coach 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 the wrists or Ankle weightOr cranking up the resistance on your bike. Both types of exercise have benefits when it comes to improving endurance, building strength, and losing weight, but one may *reign supreme*.

What form of exercise are you thinking of making a mainstay in your workout routine? Ahead, coaches reveal the benefits of both — and how to incorporate walking and cycling into your schedule.

Benefits of walking

Walking has less impactSo it’s easy on the joints, and it’s accessible — you just need a pair of walking shoes — and you can get your steps in or out on the treadmill, he says. Claudette SariaCPT, a NASM-certified personal trainer and alum Women’s Health/Men’s Health Power in Diversity Initiative Based in New York City.

Walking is also easy. If you’re used to walking on flat ground (or a treadmill), you can level up your walking by going uphill or increasing the incline, Sariya adds. You can also walk briskly, or wear a weighted vest or ankle brace Wrist weight.

Walking is also a weight-bearing exercise, because “you’re holding your whole body when you walk,” says Amato. It can strengthen your lower body and improve your posture, back pain, and more Bone densityadds Melissa DarlowRDN, CPT, a New York City-based registered dietitian and certified trainer. And walking can definitely improve your stamina and endurance, depending on the type of walking you do and for how long. For example, power walk It’s a great way to build your stamina, says Amato.

Benefits of cycling

While cycling is also less impactful than walking, Amato says, it’s easier on your knees and hips because pedaling provides support, so you don’t have to hold your body as high. 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. Saria says that the fact that you can add more resistance to cycling and walking results in greater strength gains and burns more calories.

Power walking vs. cycling

In general, walking is “definitely one of the ways to exercise that’s going to build lower body strength,” Amato says. This is a good one Core workout than cycling because you are standing and you have to take care of yourself Balance Moving on, Saria adds. (Walking on an incline makes your core harder because you have to brace it to protect your lower back, Amato adds.) Also, if you’re wearing a weighted vest, you’ll be working all the muscles in your lower body, especially your outer quads and calves.

However, you won’t get a true strength workout while walking because you’re not carrying as much weight as you would if you were lifting dumbbellsFor example, Darlow says. If you cycle you can really only build muscle Walking up an inclineBut, despite that, not much, Saria says. But “in combination with other weight-bearing exercises, absolutely, [walking] can lead to increased levels of strength,” says Darlow.

When it comes to cycling, because there is the ability to add resistance, it builds more strength and muscle in your entire body, especially your lower body muscles like inner thighs, quads, Hamstring, Glutes, Calvesand feetSaria says. You are using your core and weapon to catch yourself. Resistance also helps build strength quickly Adds Amato, if you’re walking. So, you can spend less time cycling than walking, and get stronger.

Walking vs. Bicycling for Weight Loss

If you want to burn body fat, you want to get your heart rate in Area 2 Or 3 – Threshold tells you where your body will burn fat for fuel — either while walking or biking. You can do this by walking on an incline or increasing the resistance on your bike – you just have to see if your heart rate hits that threshold.

FYI, you’ll know you’re doing Zone 2 cardio if your heart rate is 60 to 70 percent of your maximum (multiply your age by 0.7, then subtract that number from 208). Or, if you don’t have a tracker, you might think your rate of perceived exertion (RPE), that is, the effort you put into exercising is three to five out of 10. For Zone 3 cardio, your heart rate will be 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, and your RPE is six out of ten.

It’s easy to do Burn calories Faster on a bike because you can resist. To burn the same amount of calories as walking, you need to add weight and speed up, says Saria. So, if you only have 20 minutes and you don’t have a weighted vest or knee weights, hopping on the bike is more effective if weight loss is your goal, says Amato.

The most effective way to lose weight is to choose an activity that you’ll be consistent with, says Darlow. So, if you sign up for a Soul Cycle Class Pack but you hate cycling, you can lose a lot of weight if you know you enjoy it a lot.

Walking versus cycling for heart health

You can tap into different cardio zones in both workouts, which are good for both 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 to be able to change your resistance and switch from your zone 2 to your zone 4 and then back down,” says Saria. But when walking, you may not have nearby inclines or hills to walk on, or there may be people in your way on the sidewalk, making it difficult to change your pace to reach higher ground.

However, “as long as one finds a regular movement routine and is challenging oneself to some degree,” your heart will see benefits, whether you’re walking or cycling, Darlow adds.

Walking vs Bicycling for Your Goals

Whether your goals are improving endurance, building strength, or Weight lossCycling is good exercise, especially if you only have a few minutes to exercise, says Saria. But incorporating both walking and cycling into your routine also benefits the entire body, adds Amato.

Here’s how to incorporate walking and/or cycling into your routine, based on your goals.

If your goal is Build endurance: Cycle or walk three to four times a week for 35 minutes, making sure your heart rate is in zone 2 cardio for 80 percent of the workout. Other times you should cycle between zone 3 and 4 cardio, says Saria. 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 up. On a scale of one to 10, you should feel like you’re giving 70 or 80 percent of how hard you’re working, but also give yourself some breaks during the workout. Supplement your cycling sessions with two to three days of strength training.

If your goal is to lose weight: Get at least 30 to 45 minutes of cardio four to five days a week, whether you’re walking on an incline or cycling to increase your resistance. 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 benefits from both. “What’s right for you really depends on your personal goals and what makes you happy,” says Amato. “Finding any way you can have fun is really the goal.” So, whether you’re walking or cycling, make sure to push yourself, and you’ll see great benefits.

Meet the experts: Olivia AmatoCPT is a bike, trade, boot camp, and strength coach for Peloton based in New York City. Claudette SariaCPT, is a NASM-certified personal trainer and alum Women’s Health/Men’s Health Power in Diversity Initiative Based in New York City. Melissa DarlowRDN, CPT, is a New York City-based registered dietitian and certified trainer.

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