Which cycling option is best?
Cycling is a great workout that can be both refreshing and high on intensity. Once you get a hang of cycling, you can enjoy the ride even while listening to some music, or enjoy the cool breeze at a park; all while getting a great cardio workout.
But if you don't know how to ride a bike, or are a gym freak instead, cycling could also mean an indoor cycle for you. With indoor cycles, you can also reap the benefits of cycling without worrying about hitting a pothole or riding without music.
Whatever you decide to pick, cycling in itself is an effective workout which is even recommended for people who have chronic stroke to help their heart rate recover. So which type of cycling should you pick -- care-free indoors or adrenaline-packed outdoors?
How many calories do you burn?
The amount of calories you burn from either indoor or outdoor cycling depends on multiple other factors than just the kind of cycling you opt for. It can vary with your weight, what speed and intensity you choose, how many breaks you take and how long you work out for. However, outdoor cycling is shown to burn more calories than cycling indoors.
For someone who is around 56-57 kgs, indoor cycling can burn about 210 to 315 calories in 30 minutes, depending on how low or high their intensity is. The same person can burn around 240 to 495 calories in 30 minutes based on their speed.
In the same way, if someone is 83-84 kgs, riding a stationary bike for 30 mins will help them burn 311 to 466 calories, depending on speed. For the same person, outdoor cycling can help to burn around 355 to 733 calories burned in 30 minutes, based on intensity.
Benefits of stationary bike
While cycling outside is super fun, with a constantly changing landscape for view, you may not be able to work up the intensity of your workout when riding outdoors. On the other hand, using a stationary bike will allow you to work up on your intensity. You can even challenge yourself by increasing the resistance level on your stationary bike. If you don't want to worry about following traffic rules and changing a flat tire, every now and then, a stationary bike could be the best option for you. You can literally spin indoors with your eyes shut while your legs pick up pace!
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Stationary bike and weight loss
If you are confused whether you should invest in a stationary bike or not, it is also important to figure out if it can help you lose weight and shed fat. There have been several studies to find an answer to this question. A 2018 research found that indoor biking along with strength training helped to reduce cholesterol levels, enhance endurance, and strength in young women, without any significant changes in their diet. Another study involving 40 women participants found that after 12 weeks of indoor cycling, there was a drop in their overall cholesterol levels, body mass, fat percentage and body mass index. This shows that indoor cycling will help you to lose weight and get fitter.
Spinning vs. cycling
In a research in South Korea, researchers studied 24 female middle-school students who engaged in a 16-week course of cycling. 12 of them cycled indoors and the rest 12 cycled outdoors. In terms of weight loss, the researchers found that there was no significant difference between indoors and outdoors. However, they did find that cycling indoors had a greater effect on the participants' physical fitness, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI).
Due to rising infectious diseases, if you are skeptical about sweating it out in a gym or a public park, you can either ride a bike outdoors or you can buy a stationary bike for home. You may want to stick with outdoor cycling if you prefer working out outdoors or riding with your friends.
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The bottom line
Indoor and outdoor cycles offer lots of similar health and fitness benefits. Plus, the benefits which are limited to each are great in their own unique ways. For example, indoor exercise can help you to zone out and focus entirely on your workout; while cycling in fresh air can be stimulating and refreshing for your mind. So what should you choose?
One of the best ways of choosing a workout is by seeing what suits your lifestyle in general and situation, in particular. For example, if it's raining everyday or too sunny outside, you can simply stick to indoor cycling. But if your friends are cycling outdoors or the weather is beautiful, you can jump in too! Remember that both of these are great workouts and you can reach amazing health results with both of them.