Which Is Best - Cycling or Running?

Which Is Best – Cycling or Running? Which is better? Running or cycling? Anyone who has ever grappled with this question will tell you that it can easily cause chaos between proponents of either side. Put the proponents in one room and before long, cycling cleats and running shoes will be flung.

Experts seem to sit on the fence. To them, there is no clear winner. But is this really the case? Like you are about to find out, some weight will tilt the scale towards the bike? Here’s why.

Calories

This is without a doubt the most common consideration people make when choosing to either ride or run. Which options burn more calories? The short answer is, many variables affect the amount of calories one will burn. Running seems to be the obvious winner here because it involves more parts of the body. That is everything though. Factors like age, weather and weight are known to affect the amount of calories an individual can burn. A physician will therefore take all these factors into account before recommending the most appropriate solution.

It is also important to note that the bike option gives one the luxury of freewheeling. That means you can rest mid-cycle and proceed with the exercise after a small break. This allows you to work out more and ultimately, burn more calories. That said and done, biking takes the medal as the most ideal work out for individuals with underlying weight and other healthy issues.

Muscle building

Who wouldn’t want a flat belly? Abs are after all, eye candies known to attract either sex. Here is what most work out enthusiast don’t know though. Using cycling or running to build muscles is as efficient as using a hand pump on a car tire. That doesn’t sound too good. There is a bright side to it though. Muscle hypertrophy comes about when one creates small tears to the muscle tissue with any form of resistance exercise. The micro-tears gradually recover between work out sessions and grow stronger. Eventually, one resists weight without effort. As weight increases, muscle size increases. This cannot happen when running. But like you may have guessed, it can happen while cycling.

Ride as often as you can. Ride on steep terrains and observe your wait as you ride. Before long, you will notice your muscle mass increasing. The only downside here is the fact that your hands and torso area won’t benefit from cycling. Your best solution is to therefore consider weight lifting to supplement the deficit.

Risk of injury

Talk of injuries and one thinks of nothing else but pain.But like most fitness gurus will tell you, no pain no gain. Think of both running and cycling as weight bearing exercises. They are good activities for bone strength. So ultimately, you can be sure of strong bones as you age. Unfortunately for running, the risk of injury is always high. You may have to deal with a hamstring at some point, a torn tendon or a painful muscle pull. This does not mean that the bike is 100% injury free. The rate of injuries is simply lower compared to running. There is also the fact that with a little bit of caution, you can easily avoid most bike associated injuries.

Misconceptions

The first misconception has a lot to do with money. Give anyone a chance to choose between running and cycling with money in their minds. The answer will be certainly the running option. After all, one will only need to buy running shoes. But the bike is cheap. Think of it as a long term investment. You can opt for a Hybrid Bikes and use it for a long time. If your budget allows, you can opt for Best Fixed Gear Bikes. These are certainly not recurring expenses. Buy the bike once and use it for a lifetime. All you have to do is take good care of your fixed gear bike.

Fun

Think of all the places you can go with your bike. It gets better if you choose to ride with friends and family. Running also gives you this option. But by the time you cover a mile on your feet, your friend on wheels will have covered two more miles. The bike simply kills two birds with one stone. You get to see more. You also work out more in the end.
Be sure to find biking clubs near you. You will save more on bike riding adventures. You will also get to learn more about using the bike as a work out tool.

Conclusion

The bike certainly bags the medal. The good news however, is the fact that you can opt for both. Set your schedule and have days set aside for running and others for riding. Then while at it, always watch what you eat. In a nutshell, maintain a healthy lifestyle.