Benefits of Stair Climbing Exercises

You’ve spent hundreds of dollars on the most modern workout high-tech equipment and there they are just lying in the dust. It’s time you look around the house and save huge amounts of money you might otherwise be spending on the fitness equipment.

Do you have a set of stairs at home or anyway nearby? If you do, it’s good because this is all you will need to get into uh-mazing shape. Climbing stairs are not only ready-made cardio blasters, but they can also be effectively used for bodyweight exercises such as calf raises, lunges, step-ups, dips, and even pushups.

Just 30 minutes of stair climbing exercises every week can help you achieve immense cardiovascular benefits, as stated by a study in the British Journal of Sports Science and Medicine in 2007. We would advise you to use your imagination and get wild- but do not hurt yourself.

How many calories can you burn from climbing stairs?

Climbing stairs for weight loss

Climbing stairs for weight loss

For all the calorie-junkies out there, here’s the good news: you can burn up to a whopping 500 calories per 30 minutes of running up and down the stairs. This is for a 150-pound woman, so the number of calories you burn can vary. Walking the stairs will help up burn up to 250 to 290 calories and is thus, more effective than walking on a flat surface.

PS: Addicted To Food? Here are all the calories you need!

You may have already tried the super-exhausting stair climbing and running exercises. It’s time to incorporate them into a circuit workout to include HIIT and cardio workouts. And just in case you didn’t know, climbing upstairs is a low-impact exercise but can give you some amazing results over time if done properly and regularly.

BONUS READ: Why Are Warm-Ups Important?

Warming up always creates a positive influence on your workouts. As a process, it stimulates your cardiovascular system and warms up the muscles to the bigger game ahead. A lack of such acclimatizing exercises can increase the risk of injuries subsequently.

Before you start any exercise, you must stretch and warm-up for about 3 to 5 minutes by walking up and down the stairs. Here are some smart reasons to start your workouts with a warmup. The following checklist would help you get started the easier way:

Start Sprinting

Start Sprinting

Sprinting up and down the stairs for 30 seconds could be just the workout to go for in the morning. It can help you set the tone for your upcoming HIITs and Cardio exercises, and you can also use them to build your resistance. Go beast-mode!

Pushup

At the base of the staircase, put your hands on the third step, and get into a pushup position. With your core engaged and spine neutral, lower yourself and then ascend just like you would during a normal pushup. Repeat for a count of 20.

Perform as many pushups as possible, we would recommend at least 12 of them. If you aren’t a pushup-pro, you can do this exercise with your knees on the ground. Be sure to wear the best fitness tracker band around to measure the vitals.

Standing Rows

Standing Rows

Get a resistance tube and run it around the banister of your staircase. With the handles in each hand, go back far until you feel enough resistance on the resistance tube. Pull the handles towards your body with your spine neutral and core engaged and return to the starting position. Perform at least 12 reps.

Bicep Curls

By holding one handle of the tubing in each hand, pull the handles up to shoulder level by bending your elbows. Elbows should be in contact with your body. Slowly return to the initial position and perform at least 12 reps.

Triceps Dips

With feet flat on the floor, sit down on the second step of your staircase, keeping your hands on the step behind. Keep your knees at a 45-degree angle and lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground. Push your body back to the starting position, making sure your shoulders are away from your ears at all times.

Cardio Blast

Cardio Blast

Walk up and down the stairs for 2 to 3 minutes. This would help you burn more calories per unit session too, and you can count on nothing less than a burnout of ten calories with just walking 30 steps at a time.

PS: Here’s what makes Stair Climbing exercises such an amazing anaerobic activity to pursue every day. If you keep at it, you could even develop enough strength to even go for your first 5k race someday!

Squats

Perform a squat while pushing your elbows behind your torso. While you ascend, extend your arms overhead. This is one overhead reach squat, get ready for as many as you can do for 60 seconds.

Alternating Lunges

This should be done like a normal step-lunge. Step your right foot on the first step with your left leg behind you. Lower into a lunge and let your left knee bend to 90 degrees. Use your butt muscles to return to the standing position. Repeat by putting your left foot forward. Keep alternating it every minute.

Active Rest

Active Rest

Walk on a flat surface for 60 seconds and repeat the entire cycle twice more so that you have 3 in total.

We understand you could be thinking of running for the stairs. However, it would paint a one-sided image of getting some weight loss. It would rather be a more practical approach to get in line with a more refined diet.

Caution: If you are pregnant, you should check with your gynecologist if you can continue to exercise during pregnancy. This is indeed a serious medical condition and taking a second opinion through online doctor consultation would help. You can avail of it right from your smartphone, as and when you might need it!

Walking up a Flight of Staircase for 20 Minutes Can Burn 100 Calories

A fitness expert would advise you to stay away from all junk foods because they can create havoc on your immune system and affect your fitness level negatively. We recommend using stairs as a routine exercise but you should always back it up with a better diet plan through the following ways for free.

Home-based no-equipment exercises are the easiest way to lose weight faster. You would almost always find several lifestyle professionals recommending ways to shrink your waistline without having salad all the time. Here’s how it makes sense:

Drink More Water

Drink More Water

You’ve probably heard the “8 glasses per day” rule a hundred times by now but do you think you’re hitting 8 or even 5 every day? Chugging on a glass or two of water before every meal can help you eat much less. You won’t feel hungry so it’s a foolproof approach that you can stick to.

The National Library of Medicine quotes research that involved two groups- one that drank water before a meal and the other that didn’t. The results showed that the group that drank water lost roughly three more pounds than the other group and also ate less.

This also proved that the more water you drink before a meal, the less you would eat. Water refreshes you, fills you up, and helps you achieve satiety before you even finish your food. A related concept is Portion Control that relates to taking smaller parts of foods on small-sized plates. This is a psychological trick that helps your mind believe that it has eaten enough and it should wind up the show for now.

Clean Your Kitchen

Clean Your Kitchen

A messy kitchen can make an already stressed mind even tenser.

Stress is one of the main reasons people eat more than they should. You’ll think that if your environment is not in control, why should you be? One study showed that when 100 women were split into two groups, one with a clean kitchen and the other with a dirty one, the latter consumed 65 more calories in 10 minutes than the clean kitchen group.

If you have newspapers all over the table, a phone that doesn’t stop ringing, sticky notes all over your fridge, and dirty dishes piling up in your sink, it’s time to make a major makeover. De-cluttering your surroundings may make a huge change to your eating habits as well.

Exercise in the AM

Exercising in the morning helps boost your energy and metabolism throughout the day and curbs your appetite. For best results, throw in some activity throughout the day. After your morning workout routine, simply taking the stairs, parking further away from your office, and doing some jump squats or crunches when you’re free can help.

Load up on Protein and Fiber

Protein is a slow-digesting macronutrient and fiber is an indigestible matter that adds the bulk of plant-based foods, making both effective in filling you up fast. It takes even longer than carbs and fats to digest so your best bet would be to go for chicken, fish, beans, or quinoa on the plate than rice or boiled potatoes.

Your metabolism levels are significantly boosted when you take proteins. Therefore, if you’re having a fiber-rich green leafy salad, you can also consider adding tofu, cottage cheese, or chicken to increase its protein factor. If you’re having a banana, you can have some peanut butter to go with it.

Easy Weight Loss Tricks

Easy weight loss tricks
  • Skipping margarine for breakfast: Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to your wholegrain waffles instead of butter or margarine to save 110 calories.

  • Avoiding anything “candied”: Swap a small candy apple for a medium apple to save 118 calories.

  • Eating whole fruits instead of juice: Have a medium orange instead of 12 ounces of orange juice saves 106 calories.

  • Choosing thin over thick: Instead of ditching pizza completely, have a thin crust over thick to save up to 106 calories.

  • Eating Marinara instead of Alfredo: Craving for pasta? Replace 5 ounces of Alfredo sauce in your dish with 7 ounces of marinara sauce to save 129 calories.

  • Frozen yogurt for dessert: Have one cup of low-fat frozen yogurt instead of ice cream to save 121 calories.

It would also be just as important to avoid these 5 basic mistakes that rookies do in a gym The key is to note that any exercise done improperly and inappropriately can even cause an irreparable loss to your body. Also, if you are exercising at home, you should do so under qualified assistance only- and consulting a virtual fitness expert could help by a mile!

Related Posts