Biking and walking are both popular cardiovascular activities. When you participate in either of them regularly, you raise your heart and breathing rate, creating a multitude of health benefits. The activity that is the best out of the two depends on your personal financial situation and your fitness goals.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercises, such as walking and biking, develop your heart and lung and decrease the risk of very serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Both biking and walking also burn a significant amount of calories, helping to promote a healthy body fat percentage. To see these benefits, you need to elevate your heart rate up to your training heart rate range, which is 65 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. You can calculate this by first finding your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220, then multiplying that number by both .65 and .70 to find your training range.
Weight Loss
If you're going to be biking or walking to lose weight, you want to participate in the activity that will cause you to burn the most calories. According to Mayo Clinic.com, however, walking and biking are very similar in terms of energy expenditure per unit of time. A 150-lb person will burn 277 calories walking at 3.5 mph for an hour, and will burn 292 calories biking at 10 mph or less for an hour.
Costs
Biking requires you to purchase a bicycle, which can cost about $100 to $2,000 dollars, and a helmet that can cost about $20 to $60. Walking only requires a quality pair of running shoes, which will cost about $60.
Transportation
If you're going to be using biking or walking as your mode of transportation, biking will get you to your destinations significantly faster than if you walk. Most locations will have a bike rack nearby, but you need to make considerations toward storage of your bike and helmet once you arrive.
Considerations
Biking requires an element of balance, so if you're concerned with your abilities, you may opt for walking. Whether you're biking or walking, be sure to move at a speed or intensity that elevates your heart rate to your personal training heart rate range. The key to an exercise being effective is to participate in it consistently, so consider which activity you enjoy most, as it may make an impact on sticking with your exercise regimen.
Member Comments