Is Biking or Rowing Better for Weight Loss?

 

There are different ways of losing weight. Knowing which method works best for you can go a long way in making your weight loss journey more fun and effective. Biking and rowing are both great ways of losing stubborn fat. These cardio exercises not only help to burn calories, but they also strengthen muscles and improve your mood. 

To help you make the best choice, we compared the two to find out which is better for weight loss.

Biking vs. Rowing Comparison:

 

  1. Ease of use

 

Although the number of calories burned when rowing and biking depend on the amount of time and intensity, it is much easier to exercise on a stationary bike than on a rowing machine. This is because the rowing machine is more demanding due to the position, knee bending and two step movement when making the wheels turn as compared to a bike which requires less effort. This means that you would spend less time working out on a rower than on a bike. In this case, we recommend biking because you can exercise for extended periods of time compared to rowing. 

 

   2. Muscle work out

 

Both biking and rowing burn calories by working out the muscles and refining them. They strengthen your legs, butt and thigh muscles. Working on your muscles helps you to lose weight because it firms up the softest parts of your body and gives you an athletic body. A rowing machine uses more body muscles than a stationary bike.  The advantage of rowing over biking is that it works the arms, shoulders, back and abdomen muscles while biking only works the thighs and leg muscles. 

 

   3. Age and health

 

Biking puts little pressure on your back compared to rowing. It offers a chance to work on the knees gently which is a big advantage for the elderly. On the other hand, rowing is very demanding on the back and requires bending the knees completely. This makes it a poor choice for those who have back and knee injuries. We recommend biking for weight loss for both the elderly and those with back and knee ailments.

 

   4. Training

 

A bike is easy to use and does not require much training or effort to use. On the other hand, rowing requires experience to get the right movement and position. Biking is therefore suitable for both beginners and the advanced while rowing may require experience to be a good weight loss alternative. 

 

   5. Time

 

Rowing is more suitable for people who have limited time for a workout while biking is more suitable for people with more time on their hands for a workout. Rowing works out more muscles and burns more calories in a shorter time as compared to biking. If you don’t have much time for a workout and don’t mind getting tired faster, we recommend rowing. If you have more time on your hands, then biking is the better option for you. 

 

   6. Space

 

Rowing machines take more space in your home compared to stationary bikes. They have a large flywheel which takes a lot of space. If you don’t have less space to spare in your home, getting a stationary bike is better than getting a rower. 

 

   7. Safety

 

Exercise bikes are safer than rowers due to the simplicity of the exercises. They do not pose any kind of risk to the user. The rower however has more complicated exercises. If you tire on a rowing machine, you need to stop the exercise in order to avoid injury, while you can keep going on a bike even when you are tired. In this instance, biking is better than rowing.

 

   8. Noise

 

A stationary bike is very quiet compared to a rower which makes some noises. It is therefore suitable for people who live in apartments because it does not make noise. 

 

    9. Exercise variance

 

Stationary bikes offer you more variety of exercises compared to rowing machines. Rowing machines have limited options and can only be used in a specific way. If you desire more exercise variance, we recommend biking.

 

    10. Burnt calories

 

Because biking mostly utilizes the muscles of the lower body, it burns more calories as compared to a rowing machine. In an hour, you will have burnt more calories biking than you would have if you rowed. 

Both rowing and biking are great forms of exercise that burn calories and help people lose weight. However, biking is the clear winner when it comes to choosing the best form of exercise for weight loss. It has many advantages over rowing.  

 

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