May be you want to lose weight, tone your shape better or improve your endurance and physical strength through exercises. In this regard, biking can be a great option as regular cycling will help you tone and develop muscles, shred fat and get a healthy life. 

However, as a woman, you need to decide, “Indoor cycling vs. outdoor cycling, which is better exercise for women?” Also, it is a crucial decision as stationary biking or indoor cycling has become the latest buzz in the gym and exercising world. But, can it deliver the same efficiency and benefits of cycling outdoor? 

No doubt, indoor cycling is as challenging and exhilarating as outdoor cycling. Also, when you combine indoor biking with other cardio exercises, it seems to get an edge over outdoor cycling. But, even cycling outdoor has its benefits such as muscle build-up, freestyle cycling to improve your endurance and confidence level, etc. 

Thus, it’s time to discuss the benefits and disadvantages of indoor and outdoor cycling for women’s exercise to make the final decision. If you are wondering about a better workout medium to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, it’s your jackpot. 

So, stay with us. 

Indoor Vs. Outdoor Cycling Which Is Better Exercise For Women?

The modern-day civilization has seen a massive focus on a healthy lifestyle, and so, indoor and outdoor workout has become the new buzz. Consequently, indoor and outdoor cycling has emerged as two popular medium workout options for men and women. 

Yes, women can too enjoy cycling as physical exercise now. It has been made possible with the female-specific bicycles. These special bicycles have a few features that make them suitable for women in every sector. Some of the key features of cycles made for women include:

  • Bikes or cycles for women will have smaller frames suitable for them to ride comfortably and smoothly. 
  • The handlebars will be narrower. It allows women to hold the handlebar better without stretching their hands too much. 
  • The saddles or seats of these cycles are made to mimic women’s unique anatomy. So, it is a big difference in the cycles for women from regular ones. It lets women sit comfortably. 

Now that we understand the key features of cycles for women, it’s time to answer the main question. Which exercising medium should women choose, indoor or outdoor cycling?

The answer lies in the advantages and disadvantages of outdoor and indoor cycling. So, let’s look at them. 

Benefits of indoor cycling for women:

There’s no doubt that indoor or stationary biking will give you more inclusive opportunities for workouts. Also, when you use an indoor stationary bikes at gyms under the supervision of a trained instructor, you can better prepare your exercise plan. It will surely boost your confidence. Also, the supervision of the gym instructor will allow you to exercise better. 

However, this benefit is only a superficial one. So, let’s look at the real advantages of cycling on a stationary bike in gyms or at home. 

According to research on the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, indoor cycling for women has helped them shred fats and lower their cholesterol levels when combined with power training. Also, it boosts their strength and endurance without any significant change in their regular diet. It is incredible. 

Another study published in Pub Med suggested that women lost considerable cholesterol within 12 weeks of their cycling. So, it is clear that indoor cycling will help women reduce their weight, control obesity, and develop their fitness. 

Other key benefits of cycling indoors for women include the following ones:

  • There’s less risk of falls and accidents from the cycle in indoor conditions 
  • When done under the supervision of gym instructors, you can combine it with strength training 
  • You can perform indoor cycling in all weather. So, it is a great option for a workout during bad weather. Also, it will be useful during wintertime when you can’t ride cycles in open locations. 
  • Cycling on stationary models will help you improve cardiovascular health. You can combine it with cardio workouts for better exercise benefits. 
  • Indoor cycling will help women choose their favorite schedule before or after their offices and home works. So, it offers better flexibility to women. 

Disadvantages of indoor cycling for women: 

Although indoor cycling offers excellent health benefits to women, you need to account for its cons before finalizing your decision. 

  • Indoor cycling is often linked with spinning. Women will find it too intense in most situations. So, many women might find it difficult to cope with the intensity. 
  • Indoor biking is by any means extremely boring. So, you can soon lose your interest in indoor cycling exercises. 
  • When you perform indoor cycling at gyms, it will be costly. You need to register for the gyms and pay the monthly gym and cycling workouts fees. Stationary cycles are expensive too. So, positioning them at home isn’t a good idea. 

Benefits of outdoor cycling for women:

Outdoor cycling is truly an amazing benefit. Of course, it brings all the health benefits of indoor cycling. But, it expands the advantages even further. 

  • You can enjoy the fresh air and engaging sceneries while performing outdoor cycling and exercises. So, you are naturally attracted to it. 
  • You can choose cycles as your daily transportation medium. Thus, you can exercise through cycling as you go to and come from workplaces. There’s no need to invest additional time. 
  • You can easily integrate it into your daily life during morning or evening walks, running, or going to places. 
  • You don’t need to pay additionally for gym fees. Also, regular outdoor cycles are more affordable than stationary ones. 
  • You can choose different locations for outdoor cycling. It will remove your boredom. 

Disadvantages of outdoor cycling for women:

Before choosing outdoor cycling as your main workout option, let’s look at its cons. Thus, your decision will be based on factual data. 

  • During bad weather, you need to stay at home without any exercise. 
  • Unlike indoor cycling in gyms, you can’t perform any cardio workouts outdoor. 
  • When you cycle outdoors, it has a few safety concerns. You might fall over and injure yourself. 

Consider Calorie Burn 

Apart from the pros and cons of outdoor and indoor cycling, you must consider the amount of calories these two exercises will burn. So, let’s look at our gathered data. 

  • For 30 minutes of exercise of 120-150 pounds individuals, outdoor cycling will burn 240-495 calories. On the contrary, indoor cycling will reduce 210-315 calories. 
  • Indoor and outdoor cycling will burn 260-390 calories and 295-615 calories, respectively, in a 30-minute session for individuals weighing 150-185 pounds. 
  • For those who weigh over 185 pounds, indoor cycling will burn 310-460 calories. Outdoor cycling will lower 350-720 calories. 

Thus, outdoor cycling is preferable for calorie burn and quick weight loss. Nonetheless, indoor cycling in gyms allows your other exercises. You can’t overlook it. 

Don’t Ignore the Pandemic Situation:

Finally, you need to consider the ongoing pandemic situation seriously. Going indoor cycling in gyms increases the chance of coming in contact with more people in a confined place. Also, the stationary bikes might not be disinfected. 

On the contrary, outdoor cycling will give you seclusion and isolation. So, you can maintain distance from others and enjoy better insulation from the vaccine. However, this advantage of outdoor cycling will soon wear out if you choose a crowded place for cycling. 

The Takeout  

We have discussed indoor and outdoor cycling pros and cons for women. Undoubtedly, both forms of exercise are incredibly efficient, beneficial, and suitable for standard workouts. It means you are free to choose either cycling option for your regular exercise. 

Nonetheless, for intense training, indoor cycling will be a better alternative. On the contrary, outdoor cycling will be good for women for quick calorie burn and enjoying the fresh air.