If you are looking for another way to stay in shape, you have the perfect exercise equipment at home, in your hotel or at your fitness center: a set of stairs.
That's right - head over to the nearest steps if you want to include a new form of aerobic workout into your fitness routine. If this sounds too easy, try it before you snicker. Climbing stairs isn't as simple as it sounds. Why do you think they invented escalators and elevators?Stair-climbing is not only an excellent means of cardiovascular exercise, but it's also a great way to tone up and strengthen your front thighs, buttocks, lower back and calves. Stair-climbing was one of the greatest moments in the movie "Rocky." The image of Rocky Balboa running all the way up the massive steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art has become an international symbol of an athlete in the midst of intense training.
Recently, with equipment specifically designed to simulate the movement of going up a set of stairs, stair-climbing has been transformed into something of an art form. Many health clubs and fitness centers have added these new machines to the repertoire of rowing machines, stationary bicycles and treadmills. In New York, there is even a race up the stairs of the Empire State Building, designed to test the stair-climbing abilities of consummate fitness enthusiasts. The winner does the more than 1,500 steps in less than 15 minutes.
Long before the rest of the world caught on to the stair-climbing phenomenon, football players, wrestlers, rowers and track-and-field athletes all across America were running up and down stadium stairs. The vertical component added variety to the athletes' runs as well as enhancing gains in aerobic and lower-body strength.
If you decide to incorporate stair-climbing into your exercise routine, do so with appropriate caution. Because it is such an all-encompassing exercise, it is important to ease into it gradually. As with all aerobic activity, make sure you take the time to stretch before and after you scale the stairs. A great deal of stress is placed on your leg and back muscles, so concentrate your warm-up and cool down stretching to these areas.
Remember that in order for an exercise to qualify as aerobic, you have to keep moving for at least 15 continuous minutes. To break into aerobic stair-climbing, you should start low and progress slowly. For example, during the first week, begin with five minutes (or less, if necessary), add 21/2 to five minutes the second week and continue to add time each succeeding week until you have reached your exercise goal. If you push yourself too hard at first, you'll feel exhausted and sore.
Another rule is to avoid stair-climbing on consecutive days.