It's all about the stairs today and I'm not talking about stair stepper machines, I mean regular ol' stairs. Chances are you have stairs in your home but if not, I'm sure you can find a location that has them whether it is a gym or other area. Climbing up and down stairs can be an awesome way to workout.
If you have ever climbed several flights of stairs and became winded, then you can imagine how intense an actual workout up and down flights of stairs would feel like. It's important to improve your conditioning with each workout. Don't expect to climb 20 flights of stairs with no problem. Ease your way into it by walking first and as you feel comfortable, add more of a challenge like walking one flight, running another, etc.
Benefits of Stair Exercises
- Great aerobic and anaerobic workout
- Free to use
- Shorter workouts because they are difficult
- Strengthens the lower body
- Improves blance & coordination
Check out the types of exercises you can do going up and down stairs:
- Walking
- Running
- Hopping
- Lunges
- Skipping steps
For more advanced workouts you can wear a weighted vest or carry someone on your back they way it is demonstrated in the video below. You can jump rope in between sets. Rubber exercise bands around the ankles and climbing steps side-to-side can be a great resistance exercise.
Of course, if you plan on utilizing stairs, be careful because it is easy to take a tumble if you miss a step. Also, remember to warm-up before diving into your workout. Check out the video below of stair exercises. It provides good sample exercises as well as being motivational:
Resources:
Stair Exercises Training Clinic (Video)
Using Stair Exercises to Improve Strength, Power, Flexibility & Conditioning
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Be careful when you incorporate lots or stair exercises into your workouts as they can be bad for your knees. I really don’t encourage carrying people on your back while doing them for the same reason.
Stair exercises are still great, though. Just don’t get carried away with the intensity (how hard the work is) or volume (how often you do the work) unless you know exactly what you’re doing.
Yes, stair exercises are intense. Adding extra weight is probably not the best idea, especially if you’re looking out for your knees.
Stairs are a great workout, but I like a brisk walk 20-60 minutes. I also learned about belly laughs from Dr. Don Colbert. 10 belly laughs equals a 30 minutes of exercise.
Walking is great, Jon. I enjoy taking brisk walks around the tourist areas in the city.
Stair workouts are certainly a challenge. I’m always afraid of getting so winded that I’ll trip and come tumbling down.
Same here, Dave. I’d worry about missing a step and hurting myself.
In Fact stairs are the Gym which reduces fat really fast. Thanks for the healthy info. But its also risky cuz if you miss a stair and loose the balance then it might …………… hopes that everybody would be careful to do this.