Two machines reign supreme in home fitness equipment: the exercise bike and the treadmill. Both offer a convenient and effective way to pump your heart and burn calories, but which is right for you? Let’s delve into the world of cardio contenders and discover the true champion.
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These two machines are excellent at burning calories and improving cardiovascular health.
Treadmill vs exercise bike is an important and difficult decision as both burn many calories and have many variations. Both are excellent equipment that can improve your fitness levels and cardiovascular health. However, treadmills and stationary bikes also have their unique advantages and disadvantages.
So, which one should you buy?
Let’s check their similarities first.
Exercise bikes vs Treadmills – Similarities
Avoid Traffic & Bad Weather
A treadmill eliminates worrying about walking or running in traffic or poor weather. As a result, treadmills are regarded by many fitness enthusiasts as the finest cardio equipment.
The same is the case with an exercise bike. You need not take out your bike and pedal around in traffic or poor weather with an exercise bike at home.
Monotonous
While running or cycling outside gives you more freshness, keeps you more motivated, and gives you more options in terms of directions to run or routes to bicycle on, doing both activities at home can be very monotonous, and you can get bored with them easily.
To counter this, you must add other activities like watching TV, listening to songs or podcasts, etc.
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Exercise Bike vs Treadmill – Cardio
Running is considered the best cardiovascular exercise that strengthens our hearts, lungs, and muscles, increasing blood and oxygen flow. In addition, it improves your memory and brain function, lowers blood pressure, and improves your sleep.
Cycling also improves your heart rate, lungs, and muscles and enhances blood and oxygen flow. It helps lowering your blood sugar, boosting your immunity, and keeping you happier with less stress and more vigor.
Calories Burned- Exercise Bike vs Treadmill
Exercising on a treadmill burns many calories, and there is a lot of variation, too. If you have an average weight and are walking on a treadmill desk, you will burn 100 to 150 calories an hour. Running at a speed of 6 mph, you can burn 500-600 calories in an hour. If you have an incline in the treadmill, you can burn even 3 to 4 times the calories you expend on a flat run.
A stationary bike for 30 minutes daily results in approximately 260 calories for a 155-pound person.
Exercise Bike vs Treadmill for Weight Loss
Treadmill running or cycling sessions burn your calories and keep your weight in check. If you are also on a calorie-deficit diet, it may lead to weight loss and proper weight management.
Regular cycling sessions, a sensible diet, and healthy lifestyle habits can transform your fitness journey and lead to sustainable weight loss success.
Simultaneously, both also lower your cholesterol and triglycerides.
Treadmill vs Exercise Bike for Fat Loss
Considering a treadmill or exercise bike for belly fat depends only on how many calories you burn. Spot reduction is not possible. So belly fat will go along with total weight reduction only. It happens when you exercise, regularly keeping the body in a calorie deficit.
Differences – Exercise Bike vs Treadmill
Treadmill is hard on joints and bones
Treadmill joint impact can be high during aerobic activities like running or jogging. It may strain your ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders. So, especially for seniors, you have to be overly cautious that the track should be cushioned, the handlebars should be longer, and they should use the emergency key.
Due to the regular movement of the belt and its height from the floor and short handles, the risk of injuries is there.
The additional movement and weight-bearing exercise may not be appropriate for everyone. For example, treadmill exercises may not suit you if you are overweight, have poor balance, or have rehabilitative injuries.
A stationary bike workout uses smooth movements to strengthen bones and joints. It makes it a great exercise for joint pain. It is more recommended than a treadmill if you have joint pains or weak bones. Also, a stationary bike is healthier for your joints because your feet don’t leave the pedals.
Treadmill Burns More Calories
Jogging burns 50% more calories per hour than sedentary cycling. It’s because you’re utilizing your core muscles more.
Though a stationary cycle burns many calories, it is no match to a treadmill. You can burn 500 to 600 calories on a treadmill in an hour, and if you are using the incline function of the treadmill, then the calories expended can be 3 to 4 times the flat surface running.
Exercise Bike vs Treadmill for Toning Legs
Running is an all-around physical activity, and your whole body is involved. It is a great exercise for your lower body strength, as it works your legs, hips, glutes, and core muscles. Doing your treadmill workouts can help you improve your bone density and muscular strength. It is in addition to a well-toned physique with great stamina.
Building leg and lower body strength on a stationary bike is easy. Peddling may help develop calves, hamstrings, and quads. It may also work your glutes and core. However, unless you use an assault bike, a stationary bike will not significantly improve your upper body.
Treadmill Running Variations
Treadmills allow lots of variations in running. Prominent among these are incline and decline running and high-intensity interval training. So you can get very good exercise for upcoming events like marathons etc.
You can do interval training by alternating brief bursts of strength with prolonged, less intense intervals. As a result, your aerobic fitness goals may be achieved, and you may burn more calories.
Stationary bikes provide moderate- to high-intensity workouts. It’s great for intervals but doesn’t allow as many variations as possible on the treadmill.
Bigger Footprint
Treadmills also have a bigger footprint. A treadmill needs its area due to its mechanics, weight, and size. Buying a treadmill may not be the best option if you live in a small place. However, you do get treadmills nowadays that can be folded and pushed under a bed or a table.
Bikes cover a much smaller space than cars and are much less bulky. In addition, these exercise machines can be much more easily pushed or pulled than a treadmill.
Treadmills are Costly
Treadmills are costly, having an inclination motor, a driving motor, an electronic display, and a computer motherboard. The new models are more expensive and need regular replacement and maintenance. An exercise bike is considerably less costly and simpler to maintain.
A treadmill can range in price from $150 to more than $10,000. The three major variations are a manual treadmill, an electric treadmill, and a manual curved treadmill.
A stationary bike costs around $125, but you can get the best machines for $1000. The three major variations of a stationary bike are the exercise bike, the recumbent bike, and the assault bike. Recumbent bikes can be the most comfortable and burn the fewest calories. Assault bikes give you whole-body exercise, which burns the most calories.
Recurring Costs
While a treadmill is a more expensive machine with more recurring costs due to regular maintenance, an exercise bike does not need as much care, and its maintenance is less costly.
Conclusion
Sure, an exercise bike won’t give results as quickly as a treadmill, but that does not mean the treadmill is a piece of better equipment in all ways. On the contrary, both pieces of equipment have their benefits.
Exercising while sitting on a bike is more comfortable. Recumbent bikes are there if you want more comfort and low exercise intensity for senior citizens. For a full-body exercise routine, there are assault bikes.
So both have their place in the gym, whether it’s a home gym or a commercial one. It depends on your needs and which one you want to buy.
The only thing you need to make sure of is that you use them after you buy them. Most people lose interest and use these for hanging clothes after a few months.
So it will be much better if you first form the habit of exercising daily and then buy these unless recommended by a doctor.
FAQs
Is 30 minutes on a stationary bike enough?
It depends on your fitness goals and the intensity of your workout based on your preferences and fitness level.
Can stationary bikes burn belly fat?
Stationary bikes can burn belly fat, but you must also consider other aspects of your lifestyle and health to achieve the best results.
How long does it take to see results on an exercise bike?
It depends on your fitness level, goals, and workout intensity, but generally, you can expect some results after one month of riding a stationary bike.
