When choosing a route, try to find the best balance between two parameters of efficiency: time spent and energy expended. Your decision will also depend on technical factors, such as the length of sections of the route that have good bike lanes, and whether you have a shower in your office. If you’re lucky, you can combine different options. Does walking or cycling burn more calories?
Bike
The most important thing about riding a bicycle is air resistance, which gets worse the faster you go. When you are riding at high speed, the resistance is up to 90%. That is, if you cycle too slowly, it requires even less effort from you than walking at a fast pace. But it also means that as the pace speeds up, you have to put in a huge amount of effort. Hilly terrain and frequent stops can also turn your commute into a workout. Because of the interaction of air resistance and gravity, the most time-efficient tactic would be to move harder going uphill (when your speed is already slowing itself) and to rest as you come down the mountain.
Riding a bicycle is the most practical way to travel any distance within a few kilometers. True, in order to get the health benefits, you will need to constantly make an effort to maintain a certain pace. It is also possible that you will need to take a shower at work (if you have one) and take a detour to turn the ride into a good workout.
Walking
We all have an optimal walking speed at which we feel comfortable and burn the fewest calories. If you move much faster, you can achieve the same fast and intense calorie burning as slow running; except you can’t walk that way for long. I don’t want to offend anyone, but that’s why those who exercise walking look very funny from the outside. It’s important to remember the difference between walking fast and walking leisurely. You burn three times as many calories at high speed. Unlike a workout at the gym, here the length of your route is determined not by time, but by the distance walked. Take note of this advantage, but move fast so you can exert more effort.
Cycling is a more efficient means of transportation. Both methods can use the same amount of energy, but cycling will be faster. This means you could bike a longer route, “burn more calories” and get to work at the same time.
On the other hand, cycling has its disadvantages – it requires more support equipment (the main part is the bike, but also things like a helmet, a puncture repair kit, maybe some lights, and of course somewhere to park the bike safely). Finally, remember that the natural response to more exercise is to just eat more. This is difficult and requires a conscious effort to go against it (to increase exercise without eating more).