On June 4, 2012, Italian soccer player, Francesco Totti, and his wife, Ilary Blasi, were spotted out shopping on bikes in Miami, Florida. I think we need to applaud both for making such an effort to incorporate an active activity (biking) with a relaxing one (shopping.) They have found the perfect way to indulge while still keeping fit. And we love it!

Now what really is the difference between walking and biking? (Both being great cardiovascular workouts, by the way.) Besides the obvious of course, one being on foot and one on a bike. The first and foremost difference is the calorie count. How much more are we actually burning by biking than walking?

According to Livestong:

When you exercise with moderate effort on a stationary bike, a 150-pound person will burn about 462 calories an hour, according to SparkPeople.com. If you engage in the same amount of exercise time while walking, you will burn only 264 calories.

So there you have it. Biking (stationary or outdoor) actually burns a little under double the amount of calories as walking. And another big plus to biking is that it’s not nearly as much impact on your knees as walking or running has. The constant impact on concrete or hard surfaces while running can cause knee pains, which is not a factor when biking.

Next time you’re going to lunch, running errands, or want to do a little shopping like Francesco Totti and his wife Ilary Blasi, try biking instead of walking or driving for your mode of transportation!

Photos courtesy of: FameFlynet