Running vs. Cycling: Which Cardio Exercise Is Best for You?

When it comes to cardio exercise, two popular choices often come to mind: running and cycling. Whether you’re an experienced weightlifter or a newbie in the field of fitness, it is advisable to fully understand the differences between running vs. cycling. This is to personalize your workout routine for greater results.

Continue reading to learn which cardio exercise works best for you and how to keep track of your fitness goals!

Differences between Running vs. Cycling

While both running and cycling offer their own benefits, we often asses both on the following parameters.

Cardiovascular Health

As far as cardio is concerned, there’s not much found in comparison for running vs cycling since both are excellent ways to improve cardiovascular health. These aerobic activities strengthen the heart, making it possible to pump more oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

Though both have overwhelming benefits, it is equally true that excessive, high-intensity cardio could also turn out to be detrimental. In fact, more than 1 hour a day or 5 hours per week of vigorous exercise might turn out to be bad for cardiovascular health. So make sure you keep it well-regulated and in check.

Burning Calories and Weight Loss

Running vs. cycling for weight loss is a common matter of debate among fitness enthusiasts. However, running takes the lead when it comes to running vs. cycling calories burned because it’s not just about the numbers but also how well it fits into your routine.

Running burns more calories per minute due to the higher intensity and impact it involves. For weightlifters looking to shed some extra pounds, consider applying high-intensity interval training as an add-on to the usual routine workout. This approach keeps the heart rate elevated, maximizing calorie burn even after your run is over.

Strength-Building and Muscle-Toning

When considering running vs cycling for a primary focus on lower-body muscles, these physical activities can contribute well to overall muscle tone and strength. Where running takes the lead in calorie burning, cycling shouldn’t be underestimated for muscle building.

Cycling works on various muscle groups, including your hamstrings, quads, and glutes, which help in their muscle toning. This directly correlates with increased strengthening of muscles and better resistance against forces.

Impact on Joints

One major comparison point for running vs cycling is the impact each activity has on joints. Running is a high-impact activity, and therefore, it stresses your knees, ankles, and hips. That surely can be a problem for weightlifters who already put enough weight on their joints during training.

On the other hand, cycling is low-impact, which makes it much better for people coming off injuries or people who have previous joint conditions.

Tracking Your Workout

Tracking your progress is important to achieving your fitness goals. An easy way to do so is to have an AI-powered app that auto-tracks all your activity and keeps personalized records of your workout sessions. This involves automatic monitoring of your running and cycling sessions with detailed metrics and insights- all from the convenience of your Apple Watch.

Whether you aim to build stamina, burn calories, or improve your weightlifting routine, accurate tracking and staying informed help you stay on course.

Conclusion

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