Cycling vs. Walking

In life, we all engage in different activities during our leisure time. Some people prefer cycling around the neighborhood, while others prefer walking either around their neighborhoods or in the parks and other places where people go to relax such as beaches. Both cycling and walking are good methods of relaxation, which certainly, contribute to the physical wellbeing of the body. However, many people prefer cycling, than walking.

Cycling is more fun than walking. This is because, when cycling, one has an opportunity to cover longer distances, and even explore different places within a short period. On the other hand, an individual is usually limited from covering longer distances when walking. Cycling allows an individual to cover longer distances because it is faster as compared to walking. For instance, an individual cycling has the ability to cover four miles for every one mile covered by an individual when walking. In fact, an experienced cyclist can cover more than six miles for every one mile covered by an individual while walking (Cycling vs. Walking).

Hobbies are usually practiced during spare time. Therefore, we strive to maximize our hobbies and maximize relaxation within the limitations of spare time. It would be wise for an individual who loves adventures to cycle in order to explore more places within the available spare time, as opposed to walking. The longer the distance covered, the higher the chances of riding to new places, hence, the greater the chances of seeing different/new things.

According to Zabell, a fitness expert, cycling is a better method of achieving physical fitness as compared to walking. Zabell argues that, cycling allows an individual to engage in exercises that are vigorous, and require more energy than walking. When cycling, the entire body, which includes the upper limbs, the lower limbs, the back, and the pelvic area, is subjected to vigorous exercises. On the other hand, walking does not subject the entire body to vigorous exercises since walking largely utilizes the lower parts of the body. When the body is subjected to vigorous exercises, oxygen requirements for the heart are increased. The higher the oxygen requirements, the higher the production of body fuels, which are burned to produce oxygen. This implies that, an individual is likely to burn more body fuel (calories) when cycling as compared to the amount of calories burnt while walking.

Zabell points out a survey conducted by the Harvard Health Publications, which revealed that, a person weighing 155 kilos is likely to burn 1,228 calories per hour, when cycling at 20 miles per hour. On the contrary, the same individual is likely to burn 372 calories when walking at a speed of 4.5 miles per hour. This indicates that, cycling is a better method of achieving rapid weight loss compared to walking. However, this does not mean that one cannot lose weight through walking. Walking is a good method of losing weight but the results are visible in the long-term unlike in cycling, where the results are visible in the short-run (Zabell).

According to Empfield, muscle aches, which result after an individual engages in cycling at a maximum speed, are less than those that occur, after an individual engages in walking at a maximum speed. This is because, when cycling, the weight of the cyclist is distributed in the bike. As long as the cyclist assumes a good sitting posture on the bike’s seat, and ensures that the pedals are functioning properly, then he/she is able to cycle at maximum speed without straining the body muscles. On the contrary, when walking (apart from cases where an individual uses a walking stick or a crutch for support) the body weight of the individual is distributed mainly in the lower limbs. Therefore, there is no propelling object to assist the individual to move forward. Instead, an individual utilizes the body muscles, more so, muscles of the lower limbs, to gather walking strength. Apparently, an individual walking at a maximum speed gets exhausted faster, compared to a person cycling at a maximum speed (Empfield). 

Notwithstanding its numerous merits, cycling is risky than walking. When cycling, an individual is likely to experience an accident than when walking. A cyclist can fall off the bike accidentally, or accidentally runs into a stationary or a moving object. The impacts of such accidents are usually great and can result into skeletal damage (Cycling vs. Walking). On the other hand, walking is safer since an individual can control his/her walking speed, and move away from stationary or moving objects as soon as he/she spots them.