Exercise bike or treadmill: which is better for losing weight?

Since not everyone has the opportunity to regularly visit the gym, buying an exercise bike or treadmill for your home will be an excellent solution for maintaining good physical shape. Both types of exercise machines also help you lose excess weight. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Comparing the pros and cons will allow you to determine which is better - an exercise bike or a treadmill.

What is an exercise bike

This is a type of sports trainer. It simulates riding a bicycle. There are three types of bike stands:

• mechanical;
• magnetic;
• electromagnetic.

The first type of exercise bike is a belt type. It works by tensioning a belt that wraps around the flywheel. On magnetic bike racks, the load is created by permanent magnets. On such simulators, the load can be adjusted by moving magnets to the flywheel.

Electromagnetic bike stations operate from the electrical network. There are no moving magnets on the devices.The load on the simulators can be adjusted by the amount of current that passes through the electromagnetic winding. This is a more accurate and advanced type of sports training device.

What is a treadmill

This is also a type of sports simulator. It creates a simulated running track. Jogging tracks can be mechanical or electric. The first type of device is a track. Its canvas begins to move when a person runs. Modern mechanical treadmills are equipped with magnetic tension.

On the one hand, it makes the movement of the canvas smoother. Thanks to it, a person can manually adjust the desired load level. In this case, the angle of inclination of the canvas will not change. On the other hand, due to magnetic tension, a person running will have to exert a lot of effort to keep the belt moving.

Electric treadmills are equipped with an electric motor. Most of these devices are equipped with computer programs. They create a personalized training plan. Electric tracks have a very smooth ride.

The difference between exercise bikes and treadmills

The main difference between the two devices is in appearance and operating principle. The bike station is equipped with pedals and simulates riding a bicycle. He looks like him. A treadmill is a flat surface designed for running.

Both devices also have the following differences:

• the track has many more mechanisms than the bike station;
• a treadmill is more bulky than an exercise bike;
• treadmills are more variable in terms of the choice of training mode compared to a cycling station.

Both types of sports equipment differ significantly in price.Treadmills, due to their more complex design, are much more expensive than exercise bikes.

Comparison of treadmills and bicycle stations according to a number of criteria

The differences between the two sports devices are especially noticeable when studying their prices, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. However, they also have several common characteristics.

What unites bike stations with treadmills is that they are both sports equipment. They have a common purpose of use - saturating the body with oxygen. Both units are classified as aerobic exercise equipment, as they are used to strengthen the body.

Pros and cons of an exercise bike

The bike station has both undeniable advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the unit include:

• active impact during exercise on the muscles of the legs and thighs (increased tone of the muscles of the legs, calves and buttocks);
• engaging the oblique abdominal muscles when training;
• pumping when exercising the spinal muscles;
• lack of heavy load on the joints of the legs due to the fact that the person is in a sitting position throughout the activity;
• improving blood circulation in the body;
• low likelihood of getting a back injury, since the exercises primarily involve the lower body;
• the compactness of many models (the ability to buy a mini bike station that will take up little space in the apartment);
• relatively low price (it is possible to find models in the price range of up to 10 thousand rubles, which will be equipped with both a magnetic system and a display).

The exercise bike has few contraindications for use. The unit is suitable for different categories of people. People with a lot of weight can also exercise on it. There are no significant contraindications for the use of the unit by people with any diseases. Exercises on a bicycle station are gentle and do not pose a serious threat to health. Even older people can use this unit.

The exercise bike also has some disadvantages. These include:

• use only to improve the tone of the lower body (during exercise the upper body is little pumped);
• uneven pumping of the body muscles (the legs receive enough load, but the back and abs do not have enough);
• weak weight loss, since during training only individual muscles of the body are used.

When performing exercises on a bicycle station, a person does not burn many calories. This exercise machine is not suitable for weight loss. Also, many horizontal exercise machines for cycling training can take up a lot of space in the apartment. They are not as compact as mini bike stations.

Pros and cons of treadmills

This unit also has advantages in comparison with a bicycle stand. Among them:

• uniform load during exercise on the entire body (not only the muscles in the buttocks, thighs, lower legs, calves are pumped, but also the back and abs);
• formation of a sculpted body during daily exercises on the machine;
• the ability to change loads thanks to the control system (running and walking modes, function of changing the angle of inclination);
• effective pumping on a movement coordination simulator (active impact on stabilizer muscles during training);
• high calorie consumption when running;
• rapid weight loss.

Modern models of jogging tracks can be folded. Thanks to this, they no longer take up as much space in the house as they did before with previous versions of units.

Treadmills also have significant disadvantages, including:

• presence of contraindications for use by obese people;
• undesirability of working on the unit for people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• fragility of the track surface (sensitive to high loads);
• high price.

The main disadvantage of treadmills lies in their negative impact on the human joints and spine. If a runner is overweight, then the body experiences especially severe stress when running. The joints and spine suffer from this, increasing the risk of serious injury.

When exercising on treadmills, the musculoskeletal system also suffers. These machines are not suitable for those who have breathing problems. Only well-trained people or those who do not have serious health problems can exercise on jogging paths.

In terms of price, treadmills are much more expensive than cycling machines. Their price may differ by one and a half, or even two times.Many running tracks are still large in size. Not all manufacturers make them foldable. Such units take up a lot of space in the house. Folding tracks are significantly more expensive and may not always be available.

What is better to choose for classes?

A comparison of the two types of exercise equipment suggests that exercise bikes are generally healthier than treadmills. There are few contraindications for exercising on a bicycle station. Exercises on them strengthen the cardiovascular system, and do not put heavy strain on it, as happens when exercising on treadmills.

Exercise bikes are much cheaper. They are more affordable to purchase. However, their effectiveness is significantly limited compared to running machines. Bicycle stations are suitable for a certain category of people, depending on the purpose of their exercise on the simulator. The same goes for treadmills. To understand what is best for you - an exercise bike or a treadmill, check out the characteristics of the models and determine your goals.

When is the best time to choose a bike station?

This type of exercise equipment is not suitable for those who want to lose weight in the shortest possible time. The exercise bike is recommended for people who want to correct their figure in the leg area. Classes on the unit are suitable for those who want to improve the tone of their buttocks and make them more elastic. Also, a bicycle station will be a good choice for those who want to pump up their legs and make the muscles of the thighs, legs and calves more pronounced.

The exercise bike is suitable in the following cases:

• the need to slightly lose weight for a person with a large build;
• desire to correct problem areas in the thighs and calves;
• the desire to make the abs more pronounced;
• the need for easy pumping and strengthening of the spinal muscles.

A bicycle station can be chosen as an alternative by all those who have any problems with the musculoskeletal system, back, joints and respiratory system. This type of exercise machine is useful for people with cardiovascular diseases, because when exercising on it, the heart muscle does not experience the same stress that occurs when exercising on a treadmill.

When to choose a treadmill

This type of exercise equipment is not suitable for obese people with severe health problems. If a person has diseases of the musculoskeletal system, heart, blood vessels, joints and respiratory organs, then it is better not to use such a simulator.

The treadmill is more suitable for people who are not overweight or who have an average build. Moreover, if a person wants to quickly lose weight, then choosing a treadmill will be the best solution.

The treadmill burns calories faster. In an hour of walking on the exercise machine, you can burn about 400 calories. By actively running, you can get rid of 900 calories. On a bike station, you can burn only 500 calories in a maximum hour of active work. For this reason, a treadmill is much more effective than a cycling machine when a person’s goal is to quickly lose weight.

The treadmill is also more suitable for people who want to shape their entire figure, not just the lower part. When exercising on it, the muscles of the whole body are tightened. A treadmill is the best choice for those who want to achieve a more even and proportional weight loss.