Easy Way to Get Your Exercise
By: Cameron Cutler
One easy way to get that exercise you have been promising yourself that you would do is to stop taking the elevator and use the stairs. How many of us use the elevator out of convenience when we are only ascending to the next floor? Maybe we’re only going two floors up. It doesn’t matter – what matters is that those stairs are lonely and they need to feel that they are needed.
Did you know that stair climbing burns more calories than most other workouts for comparatively similar periods of time? Maybe we are just dying to hear that ever-so-popular infamous elevator music as the doors close? Yes, it’s wonderfully soothing music. It relieves all the aches and pains in our muscles. It is better than therapy. But here’s an idea – take the elevator down, not up.
Here are some basic benefits of climbing stairs:
• It requires no specific equipment to climb.
• Stair climbing is effective for cross training in between workouts.
• 30 minutes of stair climbing can be incorporated anytime during the day.
• One's aerobic capacity increases which is indicative of a healthier and effective heart, lungs and blood vessels.
• Good for weight loss.
• Reduces the cholesterol levels and maintains a good level of it in the body.
• It can reduce the risk of osteoarthritis that primarily affects the knees and the hip.
• Boosts your attitude, mood and confidence.
• Increases your stamina and energy to perform activities.
• Helps you lead an active and independent life by strengthening your muscle and heart capacities.
• Helps tone the muscles.
• Puts less pressure on the joints than running or jogging on concrete surfaces would do.
Climbing stairs can quickly increase your heart rate, which can greatly improve your cardiovascular fitness. It also helps in strengthening and toning the lower parts of our body, especially the calves, thighs, buttocks, and even the abdominal area. So if you have decided to take stair climbing as a part of your fitness routine.
Here are a few things you should keep in mind:
• Treat it as a proper workout.
• Do a warm up that includes quadriceps and calf stretches and a few flights of stairs at an easy pace.
• Start stepping, taking deep steps with your hands either on the railings or swinging them to burn additional calories.
• Start slow. If you are in poor shape you should walk up and down the stairs for 20 minutes.
• While climbing, you should lean forward slightly from the hips with the back straight. At no time, should you be rounded in the lower back area.
• Look forward, keeping your eye on the stairs from time to time.
• Don't skip steps in between by jumping 2 steps at a time.
• Place your whole foot on the step. Avoid climbing with your heels hanging off the edge because you can injure your Achilles tendon.
• To prevent overuse injuries caused by repetitively doing the same activity try alternating days of stair climbing with another activity.
• Drink water, keep yourself hydrated.
• Always wear good running shoes.
• Do a cool down that includes a walk as well as a stretch of hamstring, calf and quadriceps.
As you look for little opportunities to be active – like taking the stairs rather than the elevator, or parking your vehicle a little further away from the entrance to the grocery store – you will start to see a change in your attitude. The next time your vehicle breaks down on the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere, you’ll think, “Great, now I can get a little exercise into my day. It’s only 30 miles back up the road to the nearest service station.” You will then be on your way to a healthier you.