Treadmill Versus Stationary Bike: The Battle Of The Fitness Equipment

By Author: Shilpika Ponnappa
Total Articles: 428
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So, you are trying to get your heart pumping with some fitness machines? Good for you? Purchasing such equipment can be a great investment since you can do all your cardio and other exercise routines at the comfort of your home. The most popular of fitness machines would have to be the treadmill and the fitness bike. Are you thinking of purchasing both? There are some advantages on both products but one tends to be more reliable when it comes to offering fitness to the person.

The treadmill is fitness equipment that uses a conveyer belt platform. When a person walks on the conveyer belt, they push the belt backwards and make it move, allowing you to walk steadily into one position. It entails doing either a walking, jogging or running motion. It is your call. The stationary bike resembles a bike without the wheels and brakes. It has a pedal that is connected to machinery that tells you how long you have been running, the distance and the amount of calories that you have burned. It also tells how long you have been running. The movement is similar to how the bike is actually being used but in a stationary manner.

So ...
... which is better? When it comes to impact to the body, the stationary bikes offers less joint impact since the legs are moving in a rotating motion, not hitting a flat surface. The treadmill has more impact and can be a bit more intensive. Some people, after their training feel that their butts will fall off after using the treadmill. Therefore, if you have bad joints or you have arthritis, a stationary bike is more ideal. You can also use a step machine if you want standing up. Nonetheless, the bike is good for this purpose. However, when it comes to effectiveness in burning more calories, the treadmill offers a lot more.

Let us say you are 130 pounds. You used both products for 30 minutes. Running at a speed of 5mph on a treadmill, you can burn up to 235 calories. The same person, riding the stationary bike at a faster setting of 10mph for 30 minutes will only be able to burn 175 calories. As you can see, you spend more effort on the bike if you want to burn exactly the same amount as with a treadmill. This is because if the amount of impact that the treadmill can offer. Since you are sitting down on the bile, your legs are mostly engaged in the stationary bike. For a treadmill, you have to maintain posture and move the arms if necessary, adding up to the calorie burn.

Shilpika Ponnappa,
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