Are you trying to decide which piece of exercise equipment to add to your home? Many folks who like to exercise at home often have trouble choosing between what to buy.
Creating a home gym can be expensive and take up lots of space. The last thing you want to worry about is if you made the right shopping choice!
It’s important to evaluate the pros, cons, and your personal needs when making a decision. If you’ve asked yourself what’s better an exercise bike or treadmill, we’re here to help you pick one!
What’s Better an Exercise Bike or Treadmill
Exercise bikes and treadmills are both great pieces of equipment. They can help you lose weight, increase your health, and help you have fun working out.
However, every individual home is going to have a different need. So, we’ve listed some of the most important things to consider when buying so that you can see which option is best for you.
Comparing Pricing
Treadmills can be pricy. Many users prefer treadmills for their ability to do a lot. You can run quickly, walk at high inclines, or anything in between. Since they’re so versatile, there are a lot of parts that go into them.
While some models only have the bare-minimum belt, others have all the bells and whistles. You can find treadmills with a fancy touch screen browser that tracks every analytic out there. The average price of a treadmill can be quite high for those looking to shop on a budget.
Fortunately, the exercise bike is easier to buy on a budget. There are plenty of expensive options, which typically have more fitness trackers. However, the average exercise bike is cheap enough to be a wise spending decision.
If your budget is the most important factor in deciding what’s better an exercise bike or treadmill, then you may want to stick with the exercise bike.
Weight Loss
Losing weight may not be one of your goals in exercise. Though, for many, losing weight is a key goal and can be the ultimate factor in deciding what exercise to do.
Regardless of which machine you choose, you can lose weight by using it.
But will it work fast and efficiently?
Let’s compare our two options to help you decide what’s better an exercise bike or treadmill when it comes to weight loss.
You can burn nearly 400 calories while using an exercise bike in only 30 minutes. Of course, this is when using it with high intensity. So, you have to be pedaling quickly and at a high resistance, which can be a challenge for many.
For an average-sized adult, you’re more likely to burn around 260 calories when using your exercise bike moderately.
The weight you lose while on a treadmill will completely depend on how you’re using it. Slow walking will burn significantly less than running at an incline.
Running a 10-minute mile for 30 minutes at no to little incline on a treadmill will burn about 357 calories. If you can run quickly, you’re more likely to burn far more calories on a treadmill. Walking, however, will burn about 136 calories in 30 minutes if at a moderate pace.
If you have the speed and stamina to run, then we recommend the treadmill. However, if you’re a more moderate exerciser, the exercise bike is a smarter choice for weight loss.
Safety
Your safety when choosing between an exercise bike and a treadmill will again depend on your usage of the treadmill. Walking is incredibly low-impact and has minimal safety risks.
Running, on the other hand, carries more risks. Running is a higher-impact activity, which means it can cause muscle strains and joint pain. Other more common concerns include blisters and soreness.
Improper training is one of the most concerning risks of running. It’s easy to do too much and too soon. So, if you choose a treadmill, be sure that you’re sticking within your limits. Know your body and don’t push it too hard right away, or else you’ll find yourself recovering from an injury.
Compared to treadmills, the exercise bike tends to be safer. They provide a low-impact exercise, as your body is suspended so you put minimal stress on the body. The most common concerns are back pains due to improper posture, which can easily be fixed.
If you’re recovering from an injury already or have mobility concerns, we recommend the exercise bike.
Targeted Areas
Are you trying to decide what’s better an exercise bike or treadmill so that you can target certain areas?
Both of these machines have unique areas that they help with. Whether you have a list of areas you want to target, or just want to see which has more, we’ve listed them all out for you!
Using an exercise bike can help the following areas:
- Calves
- Hamstrings
- Quadriceps
- Glutes
- Core
- Back
- Upper body (biceps, triceps, shoulders – if the bicycle has handles)
Using a treadmill for walking can help the following areas:
- Quadriceps
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Hip flexors
- Calves
Using a treadmill for running can help target the areas mentioned above, and the following:
- Upper abs
- Lower abs
- Biceps
You can target plenty of areas with either of these machines. So, it all boils down to your personal goals and how you plan on using your machine!
Are you curious about comparing other exercises? We have plenty of guides to help you decide which to go for!
When it all comes down to making a decision, your personal goals and needs matter the most.
If you love running or hiking, a treadmill is the machine for you! If you prefer to have plenty of options for how intense you want to go and would prefer a safer machine, the exercise bike is your go-to!
We hope that this guide of what’s better an exercise bike or treadmill has helped you decide which to choose.
