Does Walking or Riding a Bike Burn More Fat?
Incorporating physical activity into your regimen significantly increases fat loss. Cardiovascular activities, like walking and riding a bike, are especially effective at burning a relatively large number of calories.
Incorporating physical activity into your regimen significantly increases fat loss. Cardiovascular activities, like walking and riding a bike, are especially effective at burning a relatively large number of calories. It's important to develop a regular routine -- the more consistent you are, the more fat you will burn.
Burning Fat
Losing stored body fat requires that you burn a greater number of calories than you consume. When you do so, your body must break down the fat you have stored to use as fuel. Every 3,500 caloric deficit you create equates to about a pound of fat loss. Any workout you complete increases the total calories you burn and thus contributes to fat-burning. Therefore, the exercise activities that burn more fat are the ones that burn a greater number of calories.
Walking
The number of calories you burn with exercise depends on a few factors, including how fast you walk and your current body weight. According to MayoClinic.com, a 160-lb. person will burn about 183 calories for every 60 minutes they walk at 2 mph, and 277 calories walking at 3.5 mph. A 200-lb. person will burn 228 calories walking at 2 mph for 60 minutes, and 346 calories walking at 3.5 mph.
Riding a Bike
The calories you burn while biking are slightly higher than when you walk. A 160-lb. person burns 292 calories biking 10 mph for 60 minutes. A 200-lb. person burns about 364 calories riding at the same intensity for 60 minutes. More intense bike rides will cause you to burn a greater number of calories. The American Council on Exercise states that a 160-lb. person that rides at 10 mph will burn about 384 calories per 60 minutes, and if you're 200-lbs. you will burn about 438 calories during your 60-minute workout.
Considerations
Although riding a bike burns slightly more calories, make adjustments if you're more likely to be consistent with your walking workouts. However, whether you bike or walk, it's important to keep in mind the impact that your nutritional habits have on your fat-burning success. You can quickly cancel out the calories you burned during your workouts by consuming or eating high calorie drinks and foods throughout the day. Your workouts will not be effective at burning fat unless you create a caloric deficit.