Don't omit exercise from your health regime just because you can't afford expensive gym equipment or a membership to a gym. To get a good workout all you have to do is look at the obvious: a set of stairs.
Climbing stairs is good, uncomplicated exercise and is one of the most effective and versatile ways to work out at any fitness level.
It involves all fitness elements, including cardiovascular fitness, aerobic, anaerobic, strength, endurance, balance, agility and co-ordination.
The best part of exercising on stairs is that they can be found anywhere, at home, office buildings, apartments, hotels and parks. The ideal way to workout would be to find the longest set of stairs such as in an office building but if all you have are the one flight of stairs in your home then you'll just need to go up and down them a few more times.
As with any exercise program, always consider safety first. If you have a history of knee problems or poor balance this may not be the workout for you. But even if you have no knee problems, start slowly and stop if you experience joint pain or feel dizzy.
Stair workouts can be demanding on your joints, so make it part of your routine once or twice a week to give them time to recover between workouts.
Here are a few suggestions of ways to use the stairs for a workout:
- use the stairs for push-ups by placing your hands at the bottom of the stairs. Flip over to work on your tri-ceps.
- hold a set of dumbbells or wear a weight as you go up and down the stairs.
- lunge, run and jump up the stairs.
- if you have good balance, climb the stairs two or three steps at a time.
If you think of your stairs as a training tool, you'll be amazed at the workout you can get without paying a gym membership or buying equipment.
[Photographs copyright by Linda Dunbar. Reproduction prohibited]
