Both cycling and running are great activities to exercise since both keep us moving, and aerobic exercises help us improve cardiovascular function, increase bone density, strengthen bones, and help us lose weight.
But there is the question of how to decide which is the best?
Many people love to run. It’s a cheap calorie-burning sport, for starters, and it works well when combined with just about any training regimen you might have.
Now, what can help you choose which is the best activity for you between cycling and running?
However, cycling is more beneficial and efficient in the long run. Many sports specialists even advise runners to intersperse their training with cycling.
Cycling and running are two of the exercises most practiced by people who want to stay in shape.
But if you have to choose between cycling and running for some reason, there are several reasons why cycling is a better option.
Although both activities are right, both running and cycling, here are good reasons for cycling:
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It’s a More Fun Activity
Many running fans say that running is engaging. And we do not question it at all.
But if the bicycle arouses passions around the world and has a legion of followers in every corner of the planet, it is for something: few things are more fun than riding a bicycle at your legs’ rhythm.
You Can Go Much Further On a Bicycle
Maybe you just want to do a little sport, but what if you wanted to go one step further and make a route in good conditions?
If you do it by bike you can get anywhere, you want.
And we guarantee one thing: many places await you that will surprise you, and which you would hardly reach on foot or by any means of transport other than a bicycle.
You Burn More Calories
The University of Texas studied the differences between the two activities, both running and cycling, in-depth, and the conclusions were clear.
You Lose Your Appetite
A recent study conducted by Loughborough University in the UK indicated that participants showed a decrease in ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates hunger when cycling.
Cycling Causes Less Impact On Your Joints And Muscles
You need to know that running is a high-impact sport.
This means that, when you do it, your body and especially your joints are subjected to a continuous impact with the ground, sending vibrations or shock waves to the joints such as the knee, hip, and ankle. And because of this, the risk of injury is higher.
And although usually, the muscles around these joints will act as stabilizers, and you will hardly feel the impact. Over time, these muscles can end up damaged or worn, losing their characteristic vigor.
And what results from this are usually injuries that, if you don’t take proper care of it, can turn into, for example, a severe case of heel tendonitis, patellofemoral stress syndrome, or runner’s knee as it is commonly known, among other ailments.
It is clear that these results can be prevented through training to strengthen the joints, but it is normal that many runners inevitably suffer from them over time.
On the contrary, the bicycle has no impact.
Research conducted by Appalachian State University in the United States showed that long-distance runners experienced greater pain, muscle damage, and inflammation than cyclists after a period of intense training.
According to the physical trainer Pablo Bermúdez, “there are certain typical injuries of the runner that are avoided with the bicycle: plantar fasciitis, calcaneal spur, chondromalacia, among others.
For example, for meniscus injuries, racing is prohibited, but cycling is recommended.
Of course: it is recommended to insist on a good choice of the bike’s size, the correct alignment of the clipless pedals, the height of the saddle, and others.
For The Pedal There Is No Age
If you find yourself looking for an exercise regimen that will keep you in shape for a long time, cycling is a much better option.
Running will eventually take your body to greater wear and tear in less time than cycling. So if you practice cycling properly, you will avoid injuries, and you will be able to ride a bicycle even with several years of age on top.
This argument must be emphasized, and you can see people of all ages riding a bicycle.
On the contrary, it is very difficult for you to see an elderly person running.
This follows directly from the previous point; the bike is infinitely more transversal. And, that is why it is a sport that you can practice throughout your life because each one has its rhythm.
Cycling Improves Your Ability to React And Improves Your Concentration
The average speed you travel on a bicycle is much greater than what you could reach running.
This means that you will have to pay more attention to the environment, the terrain, and any circumstance that may arise.
Your reaction and concentration skills will improve by having a greater risk of a fall, especially if it is a new activity for you.
More diversity
One of the advantages of cycling is that it allows a great variety of paths and terrain, and due to its characteristics, long distances can be covered in one go.
It will help you identify and know possible places and then run in them again.
More possibilities
Do you want to go for a run? For that, only good shoes and a suitable place to do it are enough.
This, for many people, is considered an advantage when it comes to economic savings, but for others, it is enormously limited in terms of the possibilities offered by this activity.
Nothing to do with cycling, because in this sport you can choose not only the bicycle model that best suits your tastes and needs: it is also an infinite range of accessories and accessories to make your exercise outings something unique.
Health is a very important factor that must be taken into account. If you are in good health and just want to lose weight, you could alternate the two activities: riding a bike (can be static or outdoors) one day and running the next.
After all, there is greater taste in variety! What matters is staying moving, because any exercise is better than none at all.
