6 Ways To Use A Stairway To Stay Fit At Any Sports Level!
Very few people look at a staircase and see the perfect exercise equipment. Nevertheless, integrating your stairs into your exercise regiment will help you transcend your fitness expectations. Whether you’re a beginner walking your way to fitness, stepping up to the intermediate level or sprinting to the advanced level, you will find a stair exercise that will result in a fitter, trimmer you. Besides, why not use the stairs to lose weight when you have to climb them after your workout anyway to shower? It makes more sense to make the stairs work for you rather than against you.
Beginner’s Level
Walk to Fitness
You probably view stairs as more of an irritating obstacle than exercise equipment, but they will help you walk to fitness. Begin warming up by climbing up and down the steps at a slow pace for approximately two minutes. Then, increase your speed to get your blood flowing, your muscles working and your heart pumping. Don’t push yourself too hard or all you may achieve is an injury. Doing this aerobic exercise for about 30 minutes helps you burn fat and stay fit.
Side Step Fat
Another exercise you can perform on stairs is Side Step Ups. Begin by standing at the base of the stairs, turn left or right and place your feet close together. Next, climb up 15 steps sideways, turn in the opposite direction and climb up another 15 steps sideways, repeating three times for each side. Doing side step exercises burns fat while improving your strength, balance and flexibility according to AZCentral.com. It would seem those dreaded stairs serve a higher purpose after all.
Intermediate Level
Step Up Your Work Out
You’ve walked up and down your stairs so much you swear you know every creak and groan, even your own. It’s time to step up your workout, but don’t forget to warm up first. Then, try jogging up the stairs and slowly walking back down. Do this as many times as you can without pain for three minutes, take a 90-second breather and repeat. Jogging up the stairs works your buttocks, calves and hamstrings along with burning fat faster according to Fitnessbin.com.
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Lunge Away the Fat
A little variety in your exercise regimen helps you meet your goals and lunges provide plenty of variety. You can either perform stair lunges or stable stair lunges depending on your preference. For stair lunges, begin by climbing up every other stair until you reach the top. Walk back down the stairs and repeat the exercise twice more. Lunges, no matter the variation, work the muscles in your thighs, calves, hips, back and buttocks, helping you strengthen and tone your body.
Advanced Level
Sprint to the Top
There is no doubt you can hear your mother yelling at you to walk up the stairs when you contemplate this exercise. Of course, stair sprinting definitely isn’t for beginners, intermediate level individuals or anyone who suffers from knee pain. According to UCR.edu, you perform this exercise by running up the stairs as fast as safely possible and slowly walk back downstairs. Do this five times and you will tone and strengthen your body while decreasing your body fat percentage.
Crossing to the Next Level
Lunges can become as tedious as walking, especially when wallpaper designs become old friends. So why not change things up a little? To perform this exercise, climb the stairs two at a time, stretching over to the other side with each step. Perform the crossover lunge six times, switching your lead leg every flight. As with other lunges, you strengthen your lower body and back and watch the fat melt away.
Whether you’re at the beginner’s level, intermediate or advanced, your staircase is a step up to a healthier you. You don’t even have to invest in upgraded equipment as your increase your workout intensity, your stairs serving as all you need. You can walk up the stairs, lunge up them, run up them or even sidestep up them. Before you know it, you’ll bound up the stairs ready to go again.
