Forget walking — this simple exercise strengthens your muscles and joints, and boosts your cardiovascular fitness
Sure, walking is great, but if you’re looking to up the intensity and don’t fancy adding HIIT walking sessions or jogging to your routine, why not try climbing stairs instead?
Climbing stairs might be a neglected part of your daily routine, but it’s actually an amazing way to build your cardiovascular fitness while also strengthening your muscles and joints. Read on to find out exactly why.
As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner or you’re returning to exercise following an injury or pregnancy, it’s always a good idea to seek guidance from a doctor before taking on a new workout routine.
Why is stair climbing good for you?
You might have seen those intimidating-looking Stairmaster machines in the gym. This large piece of equipment will often be somewhere near the treadmills and elliptical machines, and will look like a tiny escalator.
There are also smaller stepper machines, which usually look like two-foot pedals and can be easily added to a home gym.
Compared to walking on a flat surface, stair climbing can burn twice as many calories.
Both machines are a great way to boost your cardiovascular fitness, but when used properly, they can also give you a killer leg workout.
That said, if you’re short on space at home and don’t have a gym membership, I’d recommend using the stairs all around you in daily life. Choosing stairs over escalators in the mall or elevators on the subway helps boost strength and stamina.
Compared to walking on a flat surface, stair climbing can burn twice as many calories.
When you’re climbing steps, you’re using your legs, glutes, and core, as well as boosting your heart rate and metabolism. This simple bodyweight exercise can help you burn fat and lose weight if paired with a healthy diet.
If losing weight is your goal, you’ll want to ensure you’re in a calorie deficit, burning more calories than you consume. One easy way to keep an eye on this is to wear one of the best fitness trackers.
How to do a stair climbing workout
Whether you’re using the Stairmaster in the gym or you’ve found a set of stairs to climb, start by focusing on good form. You don’t want to aimlessly climb, instead, focus on keeping your core engaged, sucking your belly button into your spine, and pushing through your leading leg to lift your body up to the next step. Keep your body upright and avoid leaning forward as you step.
Focus on keeping your core engaged, sucking your belly button into your spine, and pushing through your leading leg to lift your body up to the next step.
If you’re on a Starimaster, you’ll want to hold onto the handrails lightly, rather than hanging on for dear life. If you’re outside, keep your arms by your side, and swing your arms as you step. Don’t let your knee collapse forward over your toes, as this can put too much pressure on the knee joint.
Set yourself a time goal — five minutes of stair climbing might sound easy, but we promise you it won’t feel this way once you’ve started. If you’re using a Stairmaster, we’ve found some of the best Stairmaster workouts here, which involve changing the speed you’re climbing.
If you’re using a set of stairs outside, either increase your pace, or the duration of your workout. You could also add squats, kick-backs, or take two steps at a time to increase the intensity.
What are you waiting for? Skip the elevator on tomorrow’s commute and send your heart rate soaring.
