When it comes to staying fit, staying healthy, and losing weight, is swimming better than cycling? Swimming and cycling are both great ways to stay fit and are accessible ways to do so without spending a lot of money. [If you're not sure which to take up as a new hobby or which to focus on as your newest health regimen, the following pages will answer all your questions before you buy the best exercise bike or break out your swimsuit.

Both swimming and cycling are relatively low-impact exercises, so if you have a marathon training injury or a knee condition that requires you to be careful with weight training, both should be fine (but be sure to check with your doctor if you are unsure). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 150 minutes of exercise per week to maintain good health, and both swimming and cycling can help you reach that goal.

Studies have shown that both swimming and cycling have a positive impact on overall health, especially heart health; one study of over 80,000 adult swimmers found a 41% lower risk of dying from heart disease. Another study looking at the benefits of bicycle commuting found that bicycle commuters have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. In other words, both are great when it comes to overall health.

One major difference between the two is water. It sounds like a silly opinion, but in fact, swimming is easier on the joints because the water supports the body weight. In addition, swimming works all the major muscle groups of the body, no matter which stroke is chosen.

Cycling, on the other hand, offers less resistance, but is less demanding on the joints. In fact, cycling is still the recommended exercise for arthritis sufferers, and studies have shown that both cycling and swimming reduce joint pain and stiffness. Compared to swimming, there is no need to learn or perfect a specific stroke to get the most out of cycling; just jump on the bike and pedal. Nevertheless, it does not train as many muscles, primarily the lower body and core.

If weight loss is your main goal, burning calories is important. Of course, as with any sport, the exact amount of calories burned during exercise depends on body weight and the intensity of swimming or cycling.

In swimming, butterfly strokes burn more calories than breaststroke strokes, and in cycling, pedaling hard and fast up a hill burns more calories than cycling gently through the park.

As a rough guide, a 70 kg person exercising for 60 minutes will burn 700 kcal in breaststroke, 704 kcal in front crawl, and 818 kcal in butterfly. On a bicycle, a 70 kg person consumes 422 kcal at 9-11 mph and 563 kcal at 11-13 mph.

Swimming burns more calories per hour than cycling because the water acts as resistance and forces the muscles to work harder to move. As mentioned above, it is also a total-body workout. Nevertheless, swimming for an hour is a challenge, and not everyone can jump in. If you are not a confident swimmer, you may find it easier to go for a long bike ride on the weekend and burn calories instead. [To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit, and both swimming and cycling can help with that.

If you are worried about getting hurt, swimming is probably safer than cycling. However, if you are completely new to swimming, it is important to take lessons before diving into the deep end.

For swimmers, the most common injuries are usually concentrated around the shoulders, so if this is a weak area, be sure to watch for overuse problems after regular pool visits. For cyclists, aside from impact injuries from collisions, overuse injuries are usually concentrated around the knee area.

Both exercises are very useful and can be done inexpensively - however, the cost of cycling can definitely be much higher. In theory, all one needs for cycling is a bicycle and a helmet. However, if one does not yet own a bicycle, it would be a significant expense to purchase one. Additionally, if you intend to cycle regularly, you may want to invest in bib shorts and cleats to make it more comfortable. If you intend to bike to work, you will also need to purchase bike lights and bike locks, and there are endless other cycling gadgets to invest in along those lines. People can (and do) spend thousands of dollars on cycling.

Swimming is the cheaper of the two options, since all you need is a swimsuit and goggles. Nevertheless, if you are serious about your weight loss goals, investing in an activity tracker is a good way to track calorie consumption.

Ultimately, both swimming and cycling are great ways to stay fit, but the best exercise is the one you want to do. If you're afraid to jump into the neighborhood pool, you're not going to be dragged out of bed at 6 a.m. every morning. In that case, bike to work or buy a Peloton alternative. [Swimming burns more calories per hour, but cycling is more convenient and easier to learn.