Exercising indoors has its advantages --- extreme weather or high-volume traffic is not a concern. The ability to exercise at your convenience makes both a stationary bike and a treadmill solid choices. Additionally, both pieces of exercise equipment offer you the opportunity to burn calories, tone your muscles and increase your endurance. If toning muscle is one of your priorities, learn which piece of equipment may better help you reach your goals.
Benefits
The treadmill and the stationary bike burn calories, although at different rates. If you weigh 190 lb., you can burn about 345 calories per hour while walking at a very brisk pace and 604 calories per hour riding a stationary bike at a moderate pace, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. Both exercise machines strengthen your cardiovascular system, and reduce the risk of heart related illnesses such as strokes and high blood pressure. Walking is a weight-bearing exercise, which helps your bone density, while stationary biking is not a weight-bearing exercise.
Muscles Toned on a Treadmill
Your calf, thigh, buttocks and core muscles engage when you walk, giving you the potential to tone your entire lower body while you walk or run on a treadmill. When you run on a treadmill, you use more kinetic energy than walking, which both burns calories and works your muscles more intensely, according to Claire T. Farley and Daniel P. Ferris in a study at the University of Michigan.
Muscles Toned Riding a Stationary Bike
Your entire leg muscles work hard when pedaling a stationary bike, particularly the large muscles located on the front and back of your upper thighs. As you push through the pedaling stroke, you engage both your quadriceps and hamstring muscles, according to Spine-Health. Your abdominal and back muscles are somewhat engaged to help you cycle your legs and maintain your balance. If you ride a recumbent stationary bike, your hands are free to lift light dumbbells to tone your arms.
Variations
Both the treadmill and stationary bike offer you the ability to vary the pace of your workouts. Performing intervals on either piece of equipment increases your endurance and promotes more muscle tone. However, while walking or running on a treadmill, you can lift your legs higher during part of your workout, or shorten or lengthen your stride, thus altering the intensity required from different muscles. Treadmills also generally include an incline feature, which challenges both your legs and cardiovascular system. While you can vary the resistance levels on a stationary bike and work your leg muscles harder, you cannot change or vary the basic pedaling stroke.
Considerations
Although the treadmill tones more muscles during an average workout than a stationary bicycle, either exercise is an appropriate part of your exercise program. However, neither exercise bulks your muscles to the extent that lifting weights does. If toning and building muscle is one of your goals, perform a full-body strength training workout three times a week. Use hand weights, resistance tubes or exercise machines to achieve the toned body you desire.
References
- Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services: Calories Burned Per Hour
- University of Michigan: Biomechanics of Walking and Running
- Spine-Health: Exercise Bikes for a Low-stress Workout
- "Fitness": The 20-minute, Glute-sculpting Treadmill Routine
- MayoClinic.com: Slide Show --- Weight Training Exercises
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