Cycling or Weighted Walking?

As seen in MSN, Yahoo! Health, and Women’s Health, exercise physiologist and Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Alexander Rothstein, Ed.D., comments on whether cycling or walking with a weighted vest is a better form of exercise. While weighted walking does challenge muscles and the cardiovascular system a bit more, he notes that slowing your pace because of the extra weight will prevent reaping cardiorespiratory benefits. Cycling, on the other hand, effectively builds lower-body strength, but Rothstein says this strength mostly lends itself to being on a bike.

While each forms of exercise have their pros and cons, the fitness expert says that in the end, the better option is whichever you can make a habit out of doing: “Whichever exercise is the one that you’re going to actually do—and the one that you’re going do with more intensity and enjoyment—is going be the one that’s more valuable.”