The best form of exercise is the one you’ll stick with, but have you ever wondered about how efficient your workout is? As a cycling instructor and running coach, I often hear that cycling “feels easier” than running. They’re two cardio-dominant workouts, yet one is perceived as smoother and controlled while the other is consistently strenuous.
At its core, cycling is more energy-efficient because it cuts down on wasted energy. When you run, every step is an impact on the pavement (or treadmill). You swing your arms for momentum, brake slightly with each foot strike, then have to reaccelerate forward again—over and over. That constant stop-and-go motion costs us energy.
How cycling saves you energy
On the bike, whether you’re pedaling indoors or outdoors, that inefficiency disappears. The circular pedaling motion keeps your output steady and consistent, so you’re not constantly losing and regaining momentum. Your upper body is mostly still while your legs do all the work. Your output could be the same as going for a run, but you’ve completed a workout that’s saved you energy. Anthony Blazevich, PhD, a biomechanics expert, says cycling is at least four times more energy-efficient than running, mostly because it’s lower impact.
“This efficiency comes from minimizing three major energy drains: limb movement, ground impact and muscle speed limitations,” Blazevich says in The Independent.
But don’t confuse efficiency with ease. More efficient doesn’t mean an exercise is less effective.
In the spin classes I teach, I often see riders underestimate how hard they’re actually working because the effort feels controlled. It isn’t until class is over and their exercise high subsides that they realize how much work they did. Meanwhile, with runners, the immediate impact and intensity can make effort feel harder than it truly is. Different sensations, but not necessarily different outcomes.
There’s no right or wrong answer, but cycling’s efficiency is exactly what makes it an ideal workout to keep in your routine. It allows you to sustain effort longer, build aerobic capacity with less joint stress, and accumulate serious training volume without breaking down.
So yes, cycling might feel easier than running, but if you dial up resistance, play with cadence, and actually push your effort, it can be just as challenging—and just as rewarding.
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