Walking or cycling – which is better for losing weight?

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But how healthy is it actually? And if you want to lose weight, is it better to walk or cycle?

Walking is one of the most accessible forms of exercise. A good pair of shoes and a little discipline are often all you need. It’s also an effective way to burn calories and can play an important role in weight management.

Walking at a speed of six kilometers per hour, you can burn around 400 calories. By walking seven kilometers a day (about 10,000 steps), you burn about 466 calories.

Since it takes about 7,000 calories to lose one kilogram of body weight, you could theoretically lose one kilogram every 15 days.

The more you weigh, the more calories you burn. To increase this number, you can use a weight vest. A vest weighing five to ten kilograms can make training more intense. However, you should listen to your body—especially if you are not used to long walks. The medium Margriet reported this, according to Nyheder24.

Five kilometers a day is a good start for most people – even if weight loss is not the goal. Regular walking can strengthen the heart, improve circulation, and lower blood pressure. Walking five to ten kilometers a day provides a good cardiovascular workout that can have long-term health benefits.

Cycling and weight loss

Cycling has an advantage over walking when it comes to weight loss. Walking is good for circulation but burns more calories in less time. According to trainer Olivia Amato, walking and cycling are good options, but cycling puts less strain on your knees and hips as the pedals have a supportive function.

Unless you’re on a treadmill, walking is unsuitable for HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts, which alternate short bursts of intense exercise with short breaks.

HIIT is particularly effective for weight loss, and cycling allows you to adjust the intensity easily. For example, pedaling hard for 30 seconds followed by a light effort for one minute increases the calorie burn significantly.

Walking strengthens the core muscles, but if the goal is weight loss, cycling is more effective. Cycling burns calories faster because you can increase the resistance.

Calorie burn depends on weight and speed. At a speed of less than 16 km/h, a person weighing 60 kg burns about 252 calories per hour, while a person weighing 80 kg burns about 336 calories.

At a speed of 19 to 22 km/h, the calorie burn increases to 504 calories for a person weighing 60 kg and 672 calories for a person weighing 80 kg. A person weighing 70 kg riding fast can burn around 500 calories per hour – more than walking.