You burn more calories riding a stationary bicycle than walking, even if you're bicycling moderately and race walking, according to a study of more than 100 activities that was published in the July 2004 issue of the "Harvard Heart Letter."
However, other exercise experts, including "The Complete Guide To Walking" author Mark Fenton, argue that "how hard you pursue" the activity has more of an impact on calories burned than the activity itself.
Best Gym Activity
Vigorous exercise on a stationary bicycle is the best gym activity for burning calories, reports the "Harvard Heart Letter," which studied 20 gym activities. "Vigorous" is defined as continuous activity.
You burn 932 calories if you ride the stationary bike vigorously for an hour and weigh 185 pounds, 782 calories if you weigh 155 pounds, and 630 calories if you're 125 pounds. Race walking burns more calories than any other walking exercise. It burns 578 calories if you weigh 185 pounds, 484 calories if you weigh 155, and 390 calories if you weigh 125.
Moderate Exercise
Moderate exercise on a stationary bicycle burns more calories than brisk walking, reports the "Harvard Heart Letter." "Moderate" is defined as allowing breaks. You burn 622 calories while riding the stationary bike for an hour in two or more noncontinuous segments if you weigh 185 pounds, 520 calories if you're 155 pounds, 420 calories if you're 125 pounds.
Brisk walking is defined as walking 3 3/4 mph, according to "The Well Adult." You burn 400 calories per hour if you walk 4 mph and weigh 185 pounds, 334 calories if you weigh 155, and 270 calories if you weigh 125.
Long-Term Gains
You burn a lot of calories if you walk regularly for 15 years, concluded a study of 4,995 people that the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" published on Dec. 3, 2008. Women and men who walked 35 minutes daily weighed 18 fewer pounds than nonwalkers.
There is no equivalent study in stationary bicycling, but "Harvard Men's Health Watch" reported in August 2009 that moderate exercise, including riding a stationary bike, reduced the heart disease death risk of 8,946 patients by 26 percent.
Heart Rate Important
You burn more calories if you exert more effort during exercise regardless of whether you are walking, bicycling or "even washing your car," reports "The Complete Guide To Walking."
How much effort you exert is reflected by your heart rate. "Only if your heart rate is elevated somewhat do you know that you're really churning through the calories," wrote author Mark Fenton. To burn "serious calories," your heart rate should be 65 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate--220 minus your age.
Importance of Speed
The "Harvard Heart Letter" reported that you burn more calories if you walk faster, 60 more calories per hour if you weigh 125 pounds and walk 4.5 mph rather than 3.5 mph.
However, "The Complete Guide To Walking" reports that calories burned is dependent on each individual because some exercises are more difficult for some people than others. Thus, walking fast and bicycling can burn more calories than running, and "speed isn't the best measure of your workout intensity."
References
- "The Complete Guide To Walking"; Mark Fenton; 2001
- Harvard Heart Letter: Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights
- "The Well Adult"; Dr. Mike Samuels and Nancy Samuels; 1988
- "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program For Reversing Heart Disease"; Dr. Dean Ornish; 1996
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