treadmill or stationary bike????

SparkPoints: (7,491)
Fitness Minutes: (5,636)
Posts: 223
4/26/12 12:35 P

I am an avid runner and I can tell you that running on a treadmill can really jack with your pace, gait, and form if you are not sure what you are doing.

I prefer running outside and leaving all inside cardio to a bike (or elliptical).

My treadmills at the place I frequent really messed my knee up again after I had worked so hard on not impacting it so hard. Lesson learned.

Posts: 110
4/26/12 11:52 A

I personally prefer to bike. Whether it is an actual bike or a stationary bike, I ride it. I have both and when I don't have the time or ability to venture outside, I hop on my stationary and go at it for a while. It's easier on the knees than running and you are able to pace yourself better in my opinion. I love it :) I hope to do a century sometime.

SparkPoints: (9)
Fitness Minutes: (0)
Posts: 3
4/26/12 10:33 A

Save your knees and ride a bike!

Posts: 4,593
3/12/12 9:04 A

treadmill

SparkPoints: (45,322)
Fitness Minutes: (18,811)
Posts: 260
3/12/12 8:52 A

that is a question I had. LOL, I like to walk outside butI just got a Tony Little Gazelle & glad I did because it was raining this morning!

SparkPoints: (28,046)
Fitness Minutes: (18,075)
Posts: 1,260
3/12/12 8:36 A

treadmill

Posts: 3,814
3/12/12 2:13 A

neither. Run or bike outside.

SparkPoints: (70,926)
Fitness Minutes: (19,493)
Posts: 1,622
3/12/12 12:47 A

treadmill

SparkPoints: (240,401)
Fitness Minutes: (174,816)
Posts: 19,212
3/11/12 10:01 P

I prefer the treadmill over the stationery bike.

Posts: 852
3/11/12 9:45 P

I use my stationary bike some every week

Posts: 4,045
3/11/12 6:10 P

prefer treadmill and bike outside

Posts: 260
3/11/12 5:42 P

...but did treadmill today

Posts: 260
3/11/12 5:42 P

prefer stationary bike...

SparkPoints: (8,875)
Fitness Minutes: (11,533)
Posts: 200
3/11/12 5:31 P

Treadmill

SparkPoints: (62,636)
Fitness Minutes: (65,023)
Posts: 4,018
3/11/12 2:12 P

treadmill

SparkPoints: (10,616)
Fitness Minutes: (7,044)
Posts: 193
3/10/12 11:25 P

I prefer the treadmill, but it is important to consider other factors like body shape and height. I use the stationary as an alternative for my running off days

SparkPoints: (61,497)
Fitness Minutes: (31,227)
Posts: 2,148
12/22/11 3:22 A

I would go with threadmill. If I were to get a decent threadmill, I would also try to get a high table, put them together, and do part of my work on the computer while walking. That is exercise in which you don't trade in anything to get it. That way I probably would never experience any plateaus in my weight drop.

SparkPoints: (13,624)
Fitness Minutes: (12,892)
Posts: 220
12/22/11 2:38 A

!!

SparkPoints: (35,938)
Fitness Minutes: (98,383)
Posts: 123
12/22/11 1:17 A

Running is a high impact activity. Biking is low impact. Moreover, spinning on a bike can burn mucho calories, and doing intervals on it is a great exercise too.
So actually, both are great machine. It depends on your own preferences...
Good luck!

Posts: 1,702
12/21/11 10:02 P

I prefer an elliptical or cross-training machine because it requires me to move my whole body (upper and lower body), and it's not as high impact as running on a treadmill. I probably burn more calories per hour on an elliptical (one with arm movements) than walking on a treadmill, but burn more calories per hour running on a treadmill. However, I'm prone to injury, and I have fewer problems with cross-trainer and elliptical workouts. But it's important to find a machine that feels comfortable. I've used some cross-trainer machines that I hate - they just don't seem to "fit". I've never had that problem with a treadmill.

A couple of other things to consider:

1) Don't just focus on cardio. Make sure that you're doing strength training, too. That's going to have a significant impact on your overall appearance, and building muscle will help you keep more metabolism up so that you burn more calories at rest.

2) Do you have a bicycle? If so, you could get a treadmill, plus a special stand that allows you to use your bicycle indoors as a stationary bike. Then you have two machines for workouts.


Edited by: EMMANYC at: 12/21/2011 (22:04)

SparkPoints: (16,619)
Fitness Minutes: (14,555)
Posts: 384
12/21/11 7:32 P

I love my stationary bike. I do a video in the Shred in the morning and then in the afternoon I get on my stationary bike. I am wanting to be able to bike from my home to my favorite coffee shop that is 15 miles from my house this summer. I am working out as much as I can so I can accomplish this.

SparkPoints: (35,936)
Fitness Minutes: (66,181)
Posts: 7,159
8/7/11 9:46 P

I agree with MOTIVATED@LAST's bottom line comment doesn't matter which.. Strength training is more effective burning off fat..

Posts: 603
8/7/11 6:51 P

treadmill

Posts: 6,719
8/7/11 6:20 P

@EQ-How much you weigh should not deter you from running if that is what you want to do. The contestants on"The Biggest Loser" all start running as soon as they step on the ranch.

Edited by: JINXSTORM at: 8/7/2011 (18:21)

Posts: 625
8/7/11 5:34 P

You do not have a weight tracker attached to your post. So this may not apply.

I have to loose more than 100#, treadmill will work more muscle groups. But, stationary is easier on the joints. I one day hope to jog/interval train. But not until I am closer to goal weight.

Posts: 15
8/7/11 4:52 P

Wow, thanks guys, such an awesome and helpful response. I was so ready to get the spinning bike, but I think I will have to find a good treadmill with intervals on it, so, any suggestions and I do not want to nor can I afford to purchase a really big bulky and expensive treadmill, suggestions please and thanks again.

Posts: 1,339
8/7/11 2:53 P

treadmill :-)

SparkPoints: (44,086)
Fitness Minutes: (26,884)
Posts: 1,298
8/7/11 2:37 P

Treadmill - as dull as it is, it is the best all-body fitness machine around.

SparkPoints: (14,262)
Fitness Minutes: (6,571)
Posts: 904
8/7/11 11:23 A

I love the ide of running, but I've had 3 knee surgeries and I just can't run. I have a stationary bike and I looove it! I have a very challenging interval routine that I do almost every day and man does it get my heart rate up! I highly recommend it.

Posts: 135
8/7/11 11:19 A

I'm a treadmill girl myself. I was just reading an article that interviewed Jillian Michaels and she said something along the lines of: I never skip running. Running makes you skinny.

SparkPoints: (66,792)
Fitness Minutes: (61,314)
Posts: 6,545
8/7/11 10:40 A

I love doing interval training on the treadmill.

Posts: 13,550
8/7/11 10:35 A

Firstly, burning fat is an all-body process, not a localized one. As long as you are burning calories (and watching your intake), neither is going to be any more or any less effective than the other. Working the butt, thighs, etc does NOT reduce fat in these areas - except to the extent that it helps create a calorie deficit and reduce your OVERALL body fat.

A stationary bike has the advantage of being low-impact, which means you can build to higher intensity workouts faster. It can take a long time (several months) to adapt your leg muscles and tendons to the stresses and impact of running, so higher intensity workouts may be a slow journey.

Of course, running is very natural, and a treadmill is a good means of keeping your running conditioning up when bad weather prevents you from running outside.

Bottom line: what equipment you use doesn't matter. What matters is the intensity and duration (and thus overall calories burned). And either is going to help you reach your goals providing you do it regularly.

Of course, there is a fair bit of scientific evidence that strength training is actually more effective in fat reduction than cardio.

M@L

Posts: 645
8/7/11 9:34 A

Treamill works day or night, rain or shine, hot or cold.

Posts: 27
8/7/11 9:17 A

Agree with Turbo_Turtle60 - running is the highest calorie burning workout on the planet. Running practically works every area of your body. The treadmill is the sure bet.

SparkPoints: (8,304)
Fitness Minutes: (22,220)
Posts: 1,536
8/7/11 7:58 A

I prefer treadmill.

SparkPoints: (8,769)
Fitness Minutes: (12,828)
Posts: 175
8/7/11 7:30 A

the treadmill is more full body, the bike works all the lower big muscle group.

Posts: 1,106
8/7/11 6:15 A

Treadmill

Posts: 15
8/7/11 6:06 A

Guys, which of these machines is more effective for a Full body workout that tones and slums, butt, thighs, hips, waist/stomach and arms? That's the machine I NEED........ready to hit a yard sale for a great find so I'm waiting on the experts to help me, I'm irritated with my weight, even more at exercising and only losing 7 pounds in 3 months......ughhhh, please help me.