Which Is Better, a Treadmill or Stationary Bike?

When choosing the right cardio equipment, you must consider your preferences, goals, and needs correctly. Each type of equipment offers different benefits and disadvantages. Having this knowledge is the beginning of buying the right equipment for your workout program. So, which is better, a treadmill or stationary bike?

A treadmill will offer you more intense workouts, help you burn more calories, but it is also riskier. On the other hand, a stationary bike has less risk of injury, it is perfect for strength training, but it doesn't burn as many calories.

Back to the question at hand, stationary bike vs. treadmill? Let's find out.

Defining The Treadmill vs. Bike Debate

The factors to consider when looking at the exercise bike vs. treadmill conundrum include:

Burning Calories

If you want to lose weight, you have to burn some calories. This means that the best equipment, in this case, is the one that offers exercises that burn more calories in a given period. Here, the treadmill wins over the stationary bike.

You can burn between 600 to 700 calories when walking or jogging at a brisk pace on a treadmill with a higher incline in an hour. This is a tremendous impact on fat loss. Using a bike with an equal intensity will only burn between 400 and 500 calories within the same hour.

Rate Of Injury

Treadmill or bike, which one has a higher risk of injury? Again, the treadmill wins (or loses). The treadmill is high impact, and it also provides a higher chance for you to lose your balance. Therefore, any misstep on the treadmill can easily result in a sprained ankle.

The three injury types you can expect from a bike include:

• Pain in your butt after sitting for long periods – you can alleviate this pain with padded undergarments.
• Pain in the knees after continuous circular rotations
• Pain in your shoulder or back from hunching over for a period

Practices like taking days off the bike and good posture can prevent you from these types of pain. A back and shoulder massage will also reduce pain and discomfort. But the injuries from the treadmill are severe and hard to avoid.

Workout Progression

Constant variability will determine whether you make continuous progress with your workout program. This means regularly changing something about your workouts to ensure your body doesn't adapt and stops responding.

So which has the best variability in the treadmill vs. bike puzzle? Neither beats the other in this fight. While you can increase the amount of resistance or speed with the bike, you can increase the treadmill's incline and speed.

Therefore, they both have excellent ways of increasing your workout intensity.

Usability

The two devices will require some natural movement patterns you are already used to. Therefore, no difference appears in the stationary bicycle vs. treadmill debate regarding ease of use. Nevertheless, you might need to get used to the treadmill since the feel of the belt beneath your feet will be different from the usual hop and go you experience with a bike. Both will allow you to watch your favorite soccer teams battle it out while you exercise. Since both are easy to use, they are perfect for beginners and experienced trainees alike.

Durability

Which of the two will break down quickly, bike vs. treadmill? The treadmill loses here since it carries more parts that can break down, like the motor, belt, and incline mechanism. On the other hand, it is difficult to find a broken stationary bike. Hence, the bike has fewer maintenance costs.

Footprint

Concerning the space each piece of equipment occupies, the bike wins the treadmill vs. bike race since it takes up less room than a treadmill. Although, you can get a folding treadmill. But, expect it to occupy more space than the bike once it is unfolded. How much space is available and where you plan to use the equipment will probably decide which one you favor.

Bottom-line

Your preferences will determine the winner between the treadmill and the bike. For instance, the bike carried more advantages like providing less risk of injury, more durability, and usability. However, if you want to lose weight, a treadmill will be your best bet.

But, you need to be careful to prevent the occurrence of injury. By and large, take time to decide the best equipment for your workout program.