These days, my friends keep asking me what kind of exercise is good, and at first, I thought walking and cycling were pretty much the same.

But as I raise kids, work, and live my life, my body starts to react first. So, I want to share what I've been feeling lately.

First, let's talk about walking, which is a common form of exercise. Walking is just a part of daily life. I walk when I go to the store, I walk when I take my kids to school, and by moving around all day, it naturally becomes exercise.

But it also surprisingly helps with lower body strength. Every time I walk, my thighs and calves are constantly working, so my body isn't just standing still; it keeps balancing itself. Especially when walking uphill, I can feel my core engaging. To protect my back, I naturally engage my core, so I feel like I don't need to do separate ab workouts.

These days, I sometimes wear a weighted vest when I go for a walk, and it's no joke. At first, it just feels heavy, but after a little while, I can really feel my outer thighs and calves working. My whole legs feel heavy, and I definitely feel like I've exercised. But to be honest, just walking won't make your muscles bulge. It's not comparable to strength training with dumbbells. It's good for maintaining muscle and keeping the body healthy.

Cycling feels completely different. When you add resistance to the pedals, your legs start to hurt immediately. The inner thighs, outer thighs, glutes, and calves all work together. At first, I thought I was just using my legs, but as I ride, I can feel my core and arms engaging too. Holding the handlebars and trying to balance makes my whole body tense up.

Especially when climbing hills, cycling has great exercise benefits. Just a few minutes of riding makes me out of breath and my legs feel shaky. It's hard to create that intensity with walking. So, on days when I'm short on time, cycling is much more efficient. Even a short ride shows clear signs of exercise.

That said, cycling isn't always the best option. If you sit for too long, your back can get sore, and your knees might feel uncomfortable. Especially if your posture is bad, your body gets more tired. On the other hand, walking has almost no such burdens. You can just walk comfortably.

So these days, I mix the two. On weekdays, I ride the bike for a short time, and on weekends, I take long walks with my family. This way, my body gets less tired, and I can keep exercising consistently. It's much more practical than sticking to just one.

When I look at my friends, some only ride bikes, and some only walk. But honestly, doing both is better. Walking is for daily use, and cycling is for intense workouts; that division fits perfectly.

Sometimes, I feel lazy. I don't want to go out when it rains, and I don't have time because of the kids. Still, even if it's just for a little while, going out for a walk changes my mood. Feeling the wind and looking at the sky really relieves stress.

The conclusion is that if you want to build strength, cycling is faster. But if you want to maintain your body comfortably, walking is the best.

Today, I'm enjoying both walking and cycling while taking care of my body and mental health.