Thursday, February 6, 2020

5 Fitness Hacks, Courtesy of the Stairs



The stairs have it and they’re waiting for you.

What’s that, you say? The stairs?

I’m always looking for new or creative ways to work-out at home. I’ve come to realize a stairway is a pretty decent “fitness hack,” all on its own.

Care to hear why?


First, and possibly foremost, it’s a great piece of cardio “equipment.” I have both a treadmill and an elliptical, but I think the stairway dominates in terms of cardio output. Try to climb 10 quick flights without your heart rate increasing, I double-dare you!Whether you’re climbing a 10-story building, or simply going up (and down) the same stairway 10 times, you’re gonna feel it.

The stairway simulates a short (but steep) hill, so it can serve as a pseudo hill workout (hill repeats, anyone?). Don't forget, the simple act of going up the stairway (just like climbing a hill), will have you fighting gravity. The increased effort to step "up" (instead of "out") not only ups your cardio effort, but also enhances your running dynamics.

Climbing stairs will also give you a decent lower-body workout. Ever heard of step-ups? Similarly, you can step up and step back down (with caution)...or you can continue to the top of the staircase (I do triple-steps for this). You can add hand weights to increase the resistance or just utilize your own body weight. Go ahead, give a few triple-steps a try...but do them slowly.

How about your balance? Or, does your core need some work? Yep, those will benefit from stair-climbing. Remember, the act of running is essentially a series of balancing on alternate feet. Add in the element of going vertical and things will get a little more challenging and the strength of one's core will come into play.


The stairs can be used as a warm-up! Just recently, I’ve realized a quick 10-20 flights (of double-steps) serve as an effective warm-up before heading outside for a run. It not only gets the heart pumping, but fires up the glutes and warms up the hammies and calves.


A few pointers:
* If your stairway is carpeted, it may be safest to wear shoes with a good tread (for traction). I occasionally do barefoot workouts on the stairs, but would NOT recommend attempting to do so in socks. Climbing barefoot will give your feet a fuller range of motion and will work your calves more than when in shoes.

*Use flights of stairs as part of a HIIT circuit. I typically do these in sets of 10 flights (double-stepped).

*As far as strength-training, proceed with caution. More often than not, I simply do these as body-resistance workouts. Sometimes I carry light hand weights (8-12 pounds). If you're looking to lift heavy, though, that is best reserved for a gym setting. There's a reason heavy-lifting is usually done with a spotter, and a stairway would not be conducive for that.

*Go at your own speed. As mentioned, you're already fighting gravity. We all have legs of different lengths...I can triple step pretty easily (albeit slowly) with my long legs, and I can go pretty fast double-stepping, but not everyone is as tall as me.

*You can implement plyometics (jump training) into your climbing with "stair-jacks"(jumping up the stairway instead of stepping).

*It's a good idea to vary the steps as you work-out. I'd recommend alternating between flights of single-steps and double-steps, or mix in a flight of triple-steps to give your legs a good stretch (due to the slower stepping needed).


Bottom line, as with any fitness routine or workout, proceed with caution. Though the stairs have been a great cardio option for me, I respect not everyone will be as eager to go climbing. That's the great thing about fitness....we get to do what works for us.


So, what do you think? Have you ever done a stair workout? If not, any interest in giving it a try?

**Need a few other non-running workout options to consider? Give these a read:
Taking it to the Stairs
Stuck inside? A few non-running fitness options to consider
No gym? No excuses!


I'm linking this with Meranda and Lacey for the Friday with Fairytales and Fitness link-up. 

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19 comments:

  1. I'll leave the stairs to you, Kim. I'd rather tackle the hill repeats (when the streets aren't covered in ice).

    It's definitely a great workout, though!

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    1. Ha! I'm pretty sure you aren't the only one leaving the stairs to me LOL Although, I do like the outdoor hill repeats, too ;-)

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  2. Love your stair workouts! And they are for free, too!
    Some years ago at work, there was a tall building nearby with 16 floors. In winter I would climb the stairs several times as part of my workout. It was intense!

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    1. It's really a great workout, for so many reasons. WE can do hard things, right :-)

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  3. Stairs FTW! When I was in college I used to take the stairs in a 12 story building everyday, and back when I went to the gym I used to give myself a stair mill day once a week. Recently I've been including a short workout from trail runner in my strength training that is 30 rear lunges/20 double stair step ups and I feel like it's really boosted my power.

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    1. It's amazing the benefits we get from it! They say hills are speed work in disguise, I'd argue that the stairs are strength work in disguise as well LOL

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  4. I never really thought about using stairs as a workout until I saw you mention it. Great idea!

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    1. I'm really glad I discovered the stairs as a workout option...it can be (somewhat) easy or just as challenging as you want to m ake it.

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  5. It's really amazing how you can get such a great workout on the stairs!

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  6. I never do stairs (on purpose) but I love how you embrace them. They can be a great training tool for building lower body strength. You can also use them for dips and decline pushups

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    1. I totally didn't think to mention the upper-body moves! I do inclined (and declined) push-ups all the time on them, as well as tri-dips. Duh LOL

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  7. I do want to try the stair workouts. This may be a dumb question, but do you take it easy coming down the stairs each time? How does that work?

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    1. Not a dumb question, and one I take for granted...but I use the "down" part as a bit of a recovery. Often times, if it's a lengthy workout (lots of triple-steps, or an especially high number of double-steps), I'll use the railing on the way down, to assure I have steady footing and balance. Trying to "run" down the stairs when one's body is already fatigued from going up is a recipe for a face plant.

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  8. I think its great that you find a way to get a good work out in with your stairs. I never have. When I am home I usually just go to the gym so I barely want to walk up them when I am done let alone run them. Great job!!

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    1. I know it's crazy....but I don't mind the constant up and down for 30-40 minutes. Put me on a treadmill, though, and I almost have a panic attack after the first five minutes.

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  9. When I worked nights I would do stairs to stay awake. I also did stairs at my daughter's dance competition when I was (stuck) there all day...I'm sure the other parents thought I was crazy.

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  10. It's great that you've found the stairs to work for you. Back in the day, I used to workout on the stair climber--it was an actual set of stairs that rotated up while you climbed.

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  11. I’ve done the stair climber but have never done an at hike workout. It would be good to take advantage of the stairs at home when I’m doing a movement break after sitting in front of my laptop for work. Thanks for the tips!

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