I am a strong advocate for running as exercise for fitness and health benefits. But, there are some individuals that running is not necessarily the best option. This came to light from my own experience with running. When I ran marathons, I weighed 155 pounds. After some powerlifting years I decided to do a short three-mile run weighing 185 pounds. I am not sure which of the two running experiences was the hardest for me. After that three-mile run weighing 185 pounds, I said that I would never tell an obese or overweight person to start running as the best exercise. I thought the best option would be to try riding a bike so that the stress on the feet and knees would not be as harmful to them.
When I tried to advise overweight individuals that maybe bike riding would be a better option, a problem with this form of exercise became very evident. When you mention riding a bike, have you thought of the options you have in choosing which type of bike you will ride? It seems there are a lot of varieties of bikes. Bike riding is about a 4:1 ratio with running. You have to pedal four miles to equal one mile of running.
How about a stationary bike? You have stationary bikes where you sit upright and you have stationary bikes where you sit down. You have easy pedaling bikes and you have adjustable resistance bikes that simulate pedaling up hills. You have racks that support a regular bike that allows you to spin the wheels and not move. Stationary bikes can be expensive, very expensive, and low cost bargains. Riding a bike for exercise started to become complicated.
