Weight-Bearing vs. Non-Weight-Bearing Exercise
Walking is a weight-bearing exercise; biking is not. This means that when biking, the bicycle is the machine moving and doing some of the work for you. When you walk, your body is the only thing working. Generally, weight-bearing exercises burn more calories per session than non-weight-bearing activities.
That said, you can burn more calories by increasing the intensity of your non-weight-bearing workout. For example, according to Harvard Health Publishing, a 155-pound person who walks at 3.5 miles per hour (mph) will burn 133 calories in 30 minutes. Compare that with a person of the same weight, who can burn 288 calories by biking at a brisker pace of 12 mph for the same amount of time.
Walking is also a great option for those looking to burn calories or lose weight, according to Mayo Clinic. You can throw in some high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts to increase your calorie-burning potential. However, keep in mind that weight-bearing exercise puts more stress on your joints. If you are looking for a lower-impact form of exercise due to knee, hip, or other joint problems, biking may be the better form of exercise for you.
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