Both cycling and walking are excellent, relatively convenient forms of aerobic exercise. While both burn calories, bicycling typically burns more calories than walking when both are done on flat ground. However, several additional factors for each exercise must be considered to make an accurate comparison.

How Walking and Biking Compare

Calories Burned

In general, biking is considered a more intense exercise than walking and usually burns more calories per minute. Speed, effort, incline, and weight significantly affect the calories burned per hour. You can use a calorie calculator to predict the calories you would burn for a workout.

For example:

• A 190-pound person who bikes at a moderate pace of 12 to 13.9 miles per hour (mph) will burn approximately 690 calories in 60 minutes.
• A more leisurely cycling pace (10 to 11.9 mph) reduces the number of calories burned to 518 in an hour.
• The same 190-pound individual will burn an estimated 345 calories if they walk briskly (4.0 mph) for an hour and 216 calories if they walk at a slow pace (2.0 mph).

However, several factors can impact the number of calories burned during these activities. Adding resistance to a stationary bike or cycling outdoors in a higher gear is more challenging and contributes to more calories being expended. Walking or biking uphill also adds intensity to the workout.

Exercise Intensity

Walking is generally a low- to moderate-intensity physical activity. Walking briskly (typically at 3 mph or faster) achieves moderate intensity with increased breathing and heart rates.

Cycling is typically considered a moderate-intensity physical activity on a flat surface under 10 mph. Increasing speed and adding incline can achieve vigorous-intensity activity levels.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends adults achieve one of the following:

• 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise
• 75 minutes to 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity
• An equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity

Lower-Body Strength

Both cycling and walking are forms of aerobic exercise (exercise that increases your heart and breathing rates). These exercises primarily activate and strengthen the slow-twitch muscle fibers in your lower body. These fibers allow you to do a low-intensity movement, like pedaling a bike or taking a step, repeatedly without getting tired.

Building strength in your slow-twitch muscle fibers typically correlates to increased endurance during cardio workouts.

Cycling, particularly on hilly courses or with increased resistance on a stationary bike, can also strengthen your fast-twitch muscle fibers. These structures enable you to do a demanding movement, like climbing a hill or sprinting, for a short time.

Your body typically activates these structures when the slow-twitch fibers can’t generate sufficient force to complete an activity or exercise. The ideal workout regimen incorporates both aerobic and resistance training exercises to strengthen both fiber types.

Joint Impact

Cycling, whether on an upright, recumbent, or outdoor bike, is a no-impact aerobic exercise. Your feet do not strike the ground, so it doesn’t place a large strain on the joints in your legs.

Instead, the repetitive movement of pedaling a bike lubricates your joints by stimulating the production of synovial fluid, which is a substance that lubricates and reduces friction within joints. This is an important factor to consider for people who have pain when they stand or walk.

Walking is considered a low-impact exercise. It offers impact by increasing the strain on the leg’s weight-bearing joints. Even walking on level surfaces exposes your knee joints to forces of up to 1.5 times your body weight.

While level walking also triggers the production of synovial fluid, the strain on the leg joints may preclude it from being useful for some people. Walking at an incline on a treadmill or walking uphill outdoors places less stress on the joints and is less impactful; thus, it may be better tolerated than walking on flat surfaces.

Distance Covered

The distance covered while walking or cycling depends on the speed you choose. People biking outside at a moderate speed may travel between 12 and 13.9 miles in one hour, while people walking at a moderate pace typically cover about 3 miles in an hour.

Typical walking speed varies from person to person, which determines the distance they cover. For example, one study found that the average self-selected walking speed for healthy adults was approximately 2.9 miles per hour, though men tended to walk at a quicker pace
than women.

Treadmill vs. Stationary Bike 

If you plan to do most of your exercise at home, factor in the equipment required when choosing the activity. Treadmills allow year-round walking indoors. They are typically easy to use and closely mimic outdoor walking.

Treadmills are generally louder and more expensive than stationary bikes and usually require a slightly larger footprint in your home. They may also need costly motor or belt repairs as they age due to the repetitive forces that walking places on them.

Stationary bikes are relatively compact and quiet. Multiple versions are also available, including recumbent bikes for people with mobility issues and bikes with a seat back for people with low back pain. One potential downside, however, is that stationary bikes do not perfectly mimic the balance challenges and terrain variations associated with outdoor cycling.

Factors to Consider

People’s health conditions may factor into which aerobic activity is a better fit. Some of the most common ones are detailed below.

Bone Density Benefits

Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by decreased bone density and an increased fracture risk, particularly in the spine, hips, and wrists. Weight-bearing exercises such as walking help maintain bone density and reduce progressive loss of bone mineral density and bone mass.

One study found that postmenopausal women who went on 30-minute brisk walks at least three times weekly saw significant increases in their bone mineral density scores. As a non-weight-bearing activity, bicycling would not be as helpful for the bones.  

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis causes deterioration in the smooth, slippery cartilage that cushions your body’s joints. As this condition progresses, it can become painful to bear weight through your hips, knees, and ankles.

People with osteoarthritis may find it difficult to walk for exercise due to the impacts associated with this activity. Instead, the non-weight-bearing nature of biking may be more comfortable. In addition, the rhythmic movement of pedaling a bike helps lubricate arthritic joints with synovial fluid and can reduce pain levels later in the day.

Low-Back Pain

Cycling either outdoors or on a stationary bike typically involves some degree of spinal flexion. People with certain back conditions may find this forward-flexed posture painful. Adjusting the seat or handlebar height may reduce some of this discomfort. Recumbent bikes with a backrest may also be a good choice.

People with back pain may find walking more comfortable than biking. One meta-analysis of studies found that regular walking was effective in reducing pain and disability levels in people with chronic low-back pain.

How to Decide What’s Right for You

For health, it is important to engage in the recommended amount of physical activity consistently. Choose the form of exercise you’re willing and able to perform regularly based on how convenient and enjoyable it is.

Whether you have certain underlying health conditions or not, it is important to discuss your exercise options with a healthcare provider before starting a new workout plan.

Summary

When both are performed on a level surface, cycling burns more calories than walking in the same amount of time. Cycling may be preferable for those with osteoarthritis, which can cause pain when bearing weight.

Walking can benefit people with low back pain and help maintain bone density. It is also generally among the cheapest and most convenient forms of exercise.