Both exercise bikes and treadmills can be effective ways to burn calories and improve your cardiovascular capacity. Each method has its supporters, but determining which modality is right for your cardiovascular training program is a matter of knowing your physical capabilities and what exercise goals you want to achieve. The quality of the machine you use and its workout features may also affect your ability to sustain the exercise program.
Calorie Burning
Many people think of losing weight when choosing aerobic exercise. In this respect, the treadmill has a slight edge over a stationary exercise bicycle. In 2004, Harvard Medical School released information on the average calories burned during 30 minutes of common exercises and daily tasks. That comparison found that moderate exercise on a stationary bike burns 260 calories every half-hour for a 155-lb. person. With the same testing parameters, that person burns 298 calories when running at 5 mph, a pace equivalent to a 12-minute mile.
Load Bearing Exercise
Running or walking on a treadmill has significantly less impact on your ankles, knees and hips than the same exercise outdoors because the decks of most treadmills have a suspension system to absorb the shock of your footfalls. However, the stress put on your joints by a treadmill is still significantly higher than that of a stationary bicycle. If you have past injuries or a raised susceptibility to them in your lower extremities, an exercise bike is the better cardio choice for you.
Motivation
Personal preference between these exercise modalities largely determine whether you will be better able to stick with your exercise program on a bicycle or a treadmill. If you have trouble maintaining your exercise level throughout a workout, a treadmill may be a better choice, however. This is because the backward propulsion of the belt keeps you moving at the same pace the entire time, as opposed to the bike where it is easy to slow down if you become tired.
Electronic Display
If all other factors between an exercise bike and a treadmill are equal for you, the quality of the equipment's electronics may clearly make one machine better. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the equipment should track your speed, time, distance and calories burned at a minimum. A variety of programmed workouts can also be a useful tool in keeping the cardio interesting to you on a daily or weekly basis.
References
- Harvard Medical School: Calories Burned in 30 Minutes of Leisure and Routine Activities
- Exercise Equipment Expert: Treadmill Vs. Exercise Bike
- American College of Sports Medicine: Selecting and Effectively Using a Stationary Bicycle
- American College of Sports Medicine: Selecting and Effectively Using a Home Treadmill
- Bodybuilding.com: Not All Cardio Is Created Equal
Member Comments