No matter how convenient the treadmill or the elliptical machine might be, you can easily get tired of them after a while. Or maybe getting to the gym just isn’t convenient or inspiring to you right now. The good news is that all you need to break out of your fitness rut and give yourself some variety is a set of stairs—yes, seriously.
Whether you’re using a staircase in your home or the stairs that go up the bleachers at a local stadium, you can use these steps to give yourself a great aerobic workout that strengthens your entire lower body. You’ll also get some resistance training and balance work in there as well.
The Mayo Clinic encourages stair workouts as an addition to your fitness routine because the aerobic nature of the exercise will improve your cardiovascular health and even help maintain blood sugar levels. Just three minutes of going up and down stairs following a large meal will reduce blood sugar spikes that leave you feeling tired or lethargic.
Ascending or descending a set of steps targets many of your major muscle groups, including your glutes, quads, and calves. Working these large muscle groups will burn a lot of calories, which is great for people who are trying to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
For runners, a speed workout up and down stairs provides a nice alternative to hills. Stairs tend to be much steeper than gradual hills, so they’re more challenging. A high-intensity ascension or descension will spike your heart rate, which will train your body to use oxygen more efficiently. This translates to faster speed when you later go back to training on a flat course.
It’s important to remember that stairs pose a bit of risk for those who aren’t steady on their feet. Before starting a stair workout, test your balance by standing on one foot for 45 seconds, followed by 45 seconds on the other foot. If you can’t do this, undertaking a stair workout might be risky for you. People with bone loss or osteoporosis are especially at risk because falling on stairs could mean greater injury to them than to someone with healthy bone strength.
Be sure to move with straight posture when going up and down stairs so you avoid neck or back injuries. Maintaining focus on your posture will help improve core strength as well.
Ready to try out a stair workout?
Here are three basic exercises to get you started. As you become more comfortable, consider wearing ankle weights or carrying light dumbbells to boost the intensity.
Stair Pushups
Stand at the foot of the stairs and lean forward to place your hands on the steps in front of you. Keep your arms directly under your shoulders. Extend yourself so that your body is in a plank position. Your toes should be pressed into the ground and your core should be supporting your body. Bend your elbows to lower your body toward the stairs. Pause when your chest is about an inch away from the stairs. Straighten your arms and push your body back to your starting position. Repeat 20–30 times. Perform three sets.
Stair Crabwalks
Seat yourself at the top of a set of stairs with your legs bent at 90-degrees angles in front of you and your feet resting on lower steps. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart. Bend your arms and grip the edge of the stairs you’re sitting on. Push yourself up. While continuing to face forward, crawl crab-style down the stairs, going down one step at a time. Move your left arm at the same time you’re moving your left leg, and your right arm when you’re moving your right leg. When you reach the bottom of the stairs, go backwards back up. Repeat 10–20 times. Perform three sets.
Stair Jumps
Stand at the bottom of the stairs with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your hips and bring your body into a squatting position. Jump up and forward onto a stair about three or four steps up. Swing your arms to give yourself momentum. Turn around and jump back down to the bottom of the stairs. Repeat 10–20 times.
