Cycling and running both bring many health benefits, suitable for all ages to exercise every day. But many people wonder if cycling or running is better for our health? Let's explore this issue with CouponUpto in the following article to compare cycling vs. running!
1. Is cycling or running better for health?
Cardiovascular health
In fact, both cycling and running have a positive impact on health, thereby helping you to reduce cardiovascular problems such as stimulating the circulatory system, strengthening the heart muscle, stabilizing the heart rate, improving lung health, and even reducing blood fat levels. Some studies showed that cycling is also beneficial for people after stroke to improve heart rate.
So you can flexibly choose between running and cycling for heart-healthy benefits. However, you should only exercise for no more than 60 minutes a day and about 5 days a week, to avoid over-activity affecting your current health.
Bone health
Most studies show that running is more beneficial for bone health than cycling. When running, the body force will be exerted on bones thanks to stimulating bone tissue to grow with the help of pancreatic activity.
If you cycle, the amount of calcium contained in the bones tends to release into the blood, thereby making the body vulnerable to weakness. Even when cycling, you should only exercise at a gentle level to minimize the symptoms of arthritis.
In general, those who have bone and joint problems should ride a bicycle, while for normal people, running will improve their bone health better.
Risk of injury
Apart from the health benefits, you also need to consider the risk of injury between cycling vs. running. Some injuries during running or cycling can happen, from mild to severe such as:
For cycling: knee injuries, back pain, numbness, or pain in the wrist-forearm, can cause head injuries. Furthermore, cycling can cause leg numbness.
For running: knee injuries affect the feet, legs, thighs, and pelvis. In addition, when you run, you may experience inflammation around the shinbone (also called shin splints) that occurs about 2 weeks after you start to have signs of pain.
In summary, injuries in runners are more common than in cyclists, especially when it comes to pain and muscle damage. Therefore, you should adjust the level of exercise to suit your body condition.
2. Is cycling or running better for fitness?
Calorie burn
With different activities, the body will burn different amounts of calories to increase metabolic activity.
In general, running burns more calories than cycling because we use more muscles. Therefore, for those who want to consume a lot of calories fast to maintain their shape, priority should be given to running! Besides, to burn more calories when cycling, you should cycle uphill than on a flat surface.
Building muscle
Although cycling consumes fewer calories, it will help you build muscle better, especially the muscles located in the lower body of the body. In contrast, running can help you develop stronger, toned muscles.
Toning muscle
Running is better for toning muscles. When running, your body has to bear a lot of force, especially every time the running leg touches the ground, making the muscles of the lower body become more toned.
Besides, running also makes the body burn more calories, so this also contributes to enhancing toning muscle.
3. Other factors to consider
Whether you pursue cycling or running, these are factors to consider before exercising:
Current health condition
When exercising, you should also pay attention to your health. You must avoid excessive exercise that will affect your current health, especially for those who have a chronic disease. It's better to ask a doctor for guidance on exercise time and exercise schedule so that it is reasonable to improve health.
Basic exercise accessories and equipment
If you plan to run, then you should buy good shoes that are both breathable and able to support your feet while running. Pay attention to the soles of the shoes that are slip-resistant, and at the same time minimize the wear of the soles after a period of use.
If you plan to cycle, you should buy a new bike, right for your use, such as a street bike, or sportbike. In addition, it is possible to equip other cycling accessories such as helmets, reflective vests, lights, water bottles, etc.
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Conclusion
Hopefully, with the above information, you have made your own choice about whether to cycle or run to match your current health!
