Cardiovascular training can improve heart health, speed up the metabolism, balance hormone levels and manage diabetes. The stationary exercise bike and the treadmill are two typical pieces of cardiovascular equipment present at many gyms. While their purposes are similar, each machine focuses on different muscle groups and challenges the body differently. A common concern is whether the treadmill or the stationary exercise bike burns more calories, but you should consider other factors as well when deciding which machine to use.
Calorie Expenditure
Calories are units of energy derived from food and burned as fuel by the body. Excess calories that are not necessary for energy are stored as fat. To lose weight and prevent weight gain, cardiovascular exercise is helpful in burning excess calories. Calculating the exact amount of calories burned during any given activity is difficult because it is based on several individual factors including gender, age, weight, illness, fitness level and intensity of the activity.
Benefits of Treadmill Running
The treadmill is an accessible alternative for runners who generally exercise outdoors because they can use it regardless of the weather conditions. The running surface of most treadmills is also designed to give a small amount of padding and reduce the strain on joints caused by impact with hard surfaces. Treadmills also give runners the ability to set a consistent pace, which can be useful if trying to achieve a certain speed or mile time.
Benefits of Stationary Bikes
Stationary exercise bikes give the same accessibility of treadmills and can be used regardless of outdoor conditions. The pedaling motion of stationary bikes is completely without impact and could be useful to exercisers with joint conditions when used at low intensity. Recumbent stationary bikes, which provide lower back support, can also be useful for people with back problems who otherwise would find it difficult to exercise.
Calorie Comparison
According to the American Council on Exercise, a 130 lb. person of either gender will burn approximately 236 calories on a treadmill running at 5 miles per hour. The same person would only burn about 118 calories maintaining the same speed on a stationary bike. You would have to maintain a speed of 12 to 15 miles per hour on a stationary bike for 30 minutes to burn 236 calories. This may be due to the fact that running on a treadmill requires you to to support your body weight throughout the duration of the workout.
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