Better To Run Or Bike? The Pros And Cons Of Each Discipline

Many new athletes or people who start the year with the purpose of improving their physical condition wonder what the ideal sporting activity for your characteristics and needs.

Cycling or running: which mode is best for me?

It is more than proven that practicing physical exercise is good for mental and physical health. The burning question is, rather, which sport best suits our needs.

Once those sports that require a logistical deployment and a greater economic investment (skiing, paddle tennis), group sports (basketball, soccer), which require other teammates with whom to meet to practice, or highly physically demanding sports have been ruled out, (tennis), the truth is that the range of possibilities for the new athlete is quite limited. Thus, one of the most frequently asked questions when starting a routine sporting activity is: Is it better for me to bike or run?

Before giving you my point of view, we must analyze the basic pros and cons of each of these two activities, so that you understand my opinion.

Although there are more factors, the most important are those described in this table, and they are what I recommend that you carefully evaluate before making a decision.

But okay, then: they were? Now comes the answer to this tedious question. Let’s delve deeper into the specificities of each sport to learn about the advantages and disadvantages that come with practicing each of them.

Is it preferable to go running or bike?

Depends It depends on your goal, your joint and muscle health, your age, the intensity of the exercise, and a long etcetera. There is no valid answer for all cases. What you should do is analyze your Personal objectives and you advance preparation in order to be aware of which modality is most beneficial to you. For this company, I invite you to continue reading.

Personal goals: go by bike or the running?

If we want to be a great runner, we cannot achieve it using the bicycle. If what we want is to get in shape, the best thing is to go running, unless we have pain or our health situation does not allow it. In any of these cases, we must be cautious and, if we see that the level of demand of running is too high, we can resort to another sports practice, such as cycling, which is a discipline less aggressive and whose practice is, in principle, more adaptable to each individual’s physical state.

On the other hand, if we suffer from joint pain or are elderly, what I would most recommend is using the bicycle until the ligaments, tendons and muscles adapt to the pace of exercise. Once this is achieved, we should Try doing a light run and increasing the intensity depending on how comfortable we feel. In any case, we must adapt the intensity of the exercise to our physical capabilities: you do not want to make great efforts if you are not prepared because you can get injured.

Yes indeed: If you choose the bike, be careful and protect your head, elbows, knees and wrists, and be very careful not to fall. And, for the most part, try not to take routes where there is a possibility that you could be hit by a car. safety first.

As we have said, there are various factors that could lead us to one side or the other, you always have to be consistent and have a minimum of logic. Common sense, in these cases, is what must determine the decision. If something causes discomfort or pain, you should avoid doing it until it stops hurting, especially when the pain sensation comes from the joints or the bones

Muscle pain can be confused with DOMS (commonly called laces ), especially in novice athletes or sedentary people, therefore we recommend that in the event of temporary muscle pain, physical activity should not be changed or reduced. If this pain were persistent, the best option would be to switch to another activity that does not cause pain and consult the relevant specialist to rule out any possible microinjury or pathology.

Possible problems generated by the running

Now we are going to name the different situations that can warn us of a possible injury to the ankles, knees or hips if you decide on the running instead of the bicycle. Remember that going for a run is riskier for your body than cycling, so it doesn’t hurt to know some of the dangers of running in order to decide if we are prepared to face it or not.

Incorrect shoes or without shock absorption

You should check that your shoes are suitable for the activity of running, since poor footwear can lead to significant injuries.

Terrain without shock absorption

Running on this type of floor causes injuries to the fibrocartilage (menisci). The best terrain to go running is solid ground, because it absorbs much of the joint impact when stepping on it. As far as possible, you should avoid stepping on hard ground such as asphalt or parquet.

Problems in stabilizing the joint

Running can bring up problems in stabilizing the body due to underlying joint or muscle problems. You may notice that you don’t have much balance, for example, when trying to stand on one leg. The possible solution to this problem is to perform proprioception exercises, which help muscles and joints to strengthen and maintain the balance of your body on their own.

muscle decompensation

You can notice it if the opposing muscles grow asymmetrically and aesthetic decompensations occur. In this case the best solution would be to carry out a muscle toning in general, and a stretching program to seek compensation. Where there are usually problems is in the muscle psoas which joins the lower body with the upper body.