Cycling or jogging?

Question

which is better?

Answer 1

They both are good cardio workouts and work different muscle groups. Cycling is low-impact and will be less stressful on your knees and ankles.  With cycling, you can also incorporate your workout into your daily routine by cycling to work or school. For overall fitness, why do do some of each?

Edit - Mr G -- it wasn't me giving thumbs down!!

Answer 2

Cycling is my sport, and I've been doing it for decades, riding at least 4,000 miles per year, but my surprise answer is jogging (running).  You didn't reveal your age, which might change my answer, but if you are young and can run with relatively low pain, then run.  It's cheap, flexible, portable, and usually safer.

And you can always take up cycling later.  I spend a good deal of time working with beginning cyclists and my favorite students are experienced runners.  They already have the basic fitness and the discipline and only need to learn some technique.

A final note: you've posted this question under the cycling category, which will doubtless result in a pro-cycling slant to the responses you receive.

Answer 3

Running.

Bruce Lee, the greatest specimen of fitness, in his book on fitness (1966) says that running is THE SINGLE Most important all around fitness exercise: develops lung fitness, cardio fitness, and overall upper and lower body muscle strength.

He discourages runners from running down hills--suggesting after your run up--to come down at a walking pace to avoid injury to hamstrings and lower back muscles.

He also recommends you start to become fit running by running 200 meters at a fast pace (for you) and then walk 200 meters, and so on until you can run a full mile as fast as you can.

When I cycled it only developed huge thighs and I looked bad--thin all over with these thighs I couldn't fit into any clothes.

Also the danger on the road in today's world--I know lots of my friends who have been hit on their bike.

Check out Bruce Lee's book--you'll be convinced when you see his amazing body!! good luck.

Answer 4

Both are excellent. Both have draw backs as well. Running is not better or worse. It is difficult for newbies because even jogging is somewhat hard, but cycling can be very easy a a slow pace. Both can be done to failure too.

Running puts a lot of stress on your feet, ankles and knees. But the basic requirement are the shoes and you can usually just walk out the door and run. It cheap and simple.

Cycling, is low impact and very knee friendly. It's way more enjoyable and when riding much cooler on hot days. You can actually incorporate transportation into a work out as well. You can get somewhere. One very important aspect of cycling is that out of condition people can start cycling right away. Anyone can cycle for an hour in short order, while running it quite difficult for an out of shape newbie. You can cycle as easy or as hard as you like. The down side of cycling is the cost, several 100s of $ for a general purpose bike to 1000s. If you can't or don't like to cycle from your home, you have to travel and load the car up to ride somewhere. Bikes require maintenance as well.

Quoting Bruce Lee with regards to running? Come on. There are 100,000s of runners far more qualified to discuss running than him. Running working your entire body? - hardly. Long distance runners are fragile if anything. And as for building leg muscles, look at the pros, they ride FAR more and harder than anyone else would and they have lean, well defined legs not bulky muscled ones. As with any sport it take years of training to build up muscles, especially in women.

Answer 5

Biking is easier on the knees and a quicker way for rock solid legs.  Running is the best way for an all body work out and to boost our metabolism.  Each person has to decide what is better for them.

Answer 6

Definitely cycling.  You get the same cardio benefits without the potential damage to your joints.

Answer 7

cycling

Answer 8

Cycling- your joints aren't bearing any weight so they aren't coming under the stress that they do when you are jogging.

Answer 9

Pros and cons to each, right?  Reading other peoples' responses, they are all right.  Running is a better overall workout, but it does 'punish' the body more because of the harder impact on the joints.  I also find running incredibly boring.  

Cycling is a lower impact exercise, easier on the body.  More fun to do, with increased scenery, especially if you off-road.  but it's not as even a workout, focusing more (although not entirely) on the lower half of the body.  I've gone on some long rides where my arms were giving out by the end too!

Depends what you're looking to get from your exercise, your tolerance for boredom, and what kind of riding you're thinking of doing.

Answer 10

jogging by a long run

Answer 11

Running is far better to exercise your cardio system, but it is high impact and will damage your knees and rip tendons far more than cycling.

Sorry Sara S  - hate to disagree with Bruce Lee (I am a fan) but I don't think upper body has much of a work-out!!

You asked which is better cycling or jogging! - Call me biased but I would have to say Cycling!!!!

EDIT: lol at the thumbs down - interesting that my answer is the same as others who know a thing or two and received thumbs up!  Mmmm I wonder who it could be eh?

EDIT: Thanks Crazydave. - It doesn't bother me, it's just that it's done anonymously and usually by people who aren't clued up! and don't have a valid reason why my answer deserves (in their opinion) a thumbs down.  -  never mind eh?

.

Answer 12

Neither.   They both have strong points.  

I've always considered my most effective workouts to be combinations:  Bike/run, swim/run, bike/lift, swim/lift.

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Edit: quoting Bruce Lee on running is like quoting Al Gore on Earth Science or William Shatner on space travel

Answer 13

jogging. your whole body get exercised