Ever wondered which is better, the exercise bike or the treadmill?
We all know that these two workout machines offer you the perfect cardio, not to mention that they’re easy to use and beginner-friendly. However, you’ll find out that there are some little differences between them that you should know about if you’re deciding between the two.
In this article, we discuss the pros and cons, muscles trained, and more factors to compare the exercise bike and the treadmill. Let’s get to it!
Exercise Bike vs. Treadmill: Pros and Cons
Like every piece of gym equipment in existence, there are some positive and negative points to the treadmill and the stationary bike. This section lists them out to help you understand what you’ll be dealing with.
Exercise Bike
Let’s start with the plus points of the exercise bike, shall we?
- Provides a relatively low-impact workout that doesn’t put a lot of strain on the joints
- One of the best cardio machines that help you burn calories fast (even much faster when you do HIIT workouts on it)
- Helps you focus on your lower body muscles
- Much lower in risk than using a treadmill because you’re seated, and achieving proper form on it isn’t hard
- Lower noise output than a treadmill
- The better choice for people with back or knee injuries
- It is great for rehab, especially recumbent bikes.
- Has a comparatively small footprint, making it a great option for small houses
- More affordable than a treadmill
Yet, a stationary bike has the following downsides:
- Doesn’t offer a full-body workout (unless you use a model with handles that let you work your arms and shoulders)
- Not the best choice for building muscles as it’s not a weight-bearing workout
- Stationary cycling doesn’t boost or improve bone mineral density like running.
Treadmill
Now, here are all the benefits you’ll get if you use the treadmill instead of the stationary bike:
- Burns a lot of calories, too, especially if you run instead of walk and use the incline feature to make the workout more challenging
- A weight-bearing exercise that engages all your body muscles
- Provides more versatility than using stationary bikes because you can adjust many parameters to change the nature of your workout (walking vs. running, incline feature, etc.)
- It may be used as a rehabilitation tool for gait-related abilities like balance.
The points below aren’t exactly in the treadmill’s favor:
- Since it’s a weight-bearing workout, the treadmill may not be the right option for people with back or leg problems.
- Higher risk factor than stationary bikes
- Good-quality treadmills are generally a lot more expensive than most bikes on the market.
- Higher noise output
- Most treadmill models have a larger footprint than exercise bikes, which might not work well with limited spaces.
Exercise Bike vs. Treadmill: Muscles Trained
It goes without saying that the treadmill works more muscles in your body than the exercise bike. Here’s a quick comparison of the muscles trained in each case:
Muscles Trained with the Exercise Bike
- Glutes
- Quads
- Calves
- Hamstrings
- Core and back
- Biceps, triceps, and shoulder (in case you’re using a model with handles)
For more details, read: muscles trained with different types of stationary bikes.
Muscles Trained with the Treadmill
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Calves
- Adductors
- Abs
- Back muscles
- Arms and shoulders
- Pecs
Exercise Bike vs. Treadmill: Which One Is Better for Endurance Workout?
Sure, both workout machines do well in the endurance workout area, but admittedly, the treadmill shines brighter in this category.
The reason behind this is that the treadmill gives you a wider range of exercises that are guaranteed to boost the stamina of your leg muscles and lungs. To achieve that goal, you have to control three key variables, which are the duration, speed, and incline.
Start with slow, steady jogs several times per week, and ensure you mix in one session where you increase the speed. With time, you’ll find your aerobic and anaerobic endurance building up.
Exercise Bike vs. Treadmill: Which One Is Better for Weight Loss Workout?
Technically, the exercise bike burns less amount of calories. A study found that an hour of running on a treadmill burns 490 to over 1000 calories while cycling on an exercise bike for the same amount of time usually burns 478 to 628 calories.
So, why does the exercise bike excel at weight loss?
When we exercise, we burn calories, but not all of them come from fat tissue. In fact, at the beginning stages of a workout, our body tends to use mostly glycogen as an energy source. However, if we perform a low-pace Zone 2 workout for a longer period of one hour, our body is pushed to use energy reserves from fat, which can help with weight loss goals.
While it is extremely challenging to jog for an hour, working out on a bike for an hour is much easier.
Tip. For more information, read our guide: How to lose weight with an exercise bike.
Exercise Bike vs. Treadmill: Which One Is Better for Seniors?
Without a doubt, the exercise bike should be the immediate go-to option for seniors who wish for a low-risk, low-impact workout. As previously stated, using the bike doesn’t put any strain on the joints, which many seniors may already have problems with.
Plus, those with lower back and knee pain won’t have to worry about triggering these areas since exercising with the stationary bike doesn’t tire out these muscles as the treadmill does.
Ultimately, a lot of seniors may have trouble walking on a treadmill for a long period of time if they have conditions like arthritis, for instance, or if they have balance and mobility issues.
They can gain almost as many health benefits sitting down on a bike, where the risk factor is much lower!
Final Words
Sometimes, it may be hard to determine which is better, the exercise bike or the treadmill. Yet, after reading our brief comparison of both, you must know by now which one you need for your fitness goals.
In a nutshell, the exercise bike has a lower impact on your joints, burns many calories, and is a wonderful choice if you want a lower-body-focused workout.
Alternatively, the treadmill is better if you want to build those leg muscles, boost your endurance, or, say, train for a marathon!