Stair hiking-walking your way to wellness

I love climbing up stairs, or running downstairs. I love doing the stair machine at the gym, running up stairs at Piedmont Park, and even walking up stairs in between meetings at work.  I’m sure it’s related to my love of hiking, which I don’t get to do as often as I’d like anymore.  So, whenever I climb stairs, I always imagine myself scaling a mountain top in Colorado.  Some people may call it daydreaming–I call it motivating visualization!  And it works!

 

Stairs are a great cardiovascular workout both ascending and descending (so even the easy down stair cases are providing a beneficial workout).   Stair climbing targets the glutes, abs, hips, and quads, but it also conditions your heart and lungs.  As you climb, you’re exerting energy.  Your heart rate increases, your lungs are requiring more oxygen and are working harder.   Your overall body and muscles work harder and require more oxygen.

Earlier this summer, I started a new job where everyone takes the stairs.  So of course I jumped on that bandwagon and was excited to see immediate results.  Just before I started my job, I bought a brand new pair of capris —and within just a few weeks, the pants were falling off.  Silly me poo-pooed the effects of the stairs thinking instead I had just bought the wrong size or they must have stretched until….I was injured in a paddle boating incident and couldn’t do the stairs for a while.  (Yes, paddle boating incident—let this be a warning—Do not cave in and let your fussy toddler sit on your lap if you are the one paddling—it is not kind to one’s legs).  My leg muscles recovered but then I got lazy using cute high heeled shoes as an excuse for avoiding the stairs.  So fast forward after a couple months of not being on the stair bandwagon and my cute “baggy” capris, barely fit.  As part of my 40X40 journey, I am definitely adding stairs back in to my daily routine.

1)      You can do stairs at home, at the park/neighborhood school, or office.  Be sure to make sure indoor stairwells are well-lit and well-used.

2)      Keep a pair of comfy, yet cute shoes at your desk to slip into.  Try and get up once every hour or so. Grab those cute shoes, and just walk the stairs.  Do a few flights, whatever you feel comfortable with.

3)      If you’re cold because of air conditioning or cool weather, stairs are a great way to get your heart moving and warm you up.

4)      Bring some workout clothes to work and run the stairs at lunch or before/after work.

5)      Visualize yourself climbing a mountain top.  You will be  physically and metaphorically meeting that “peak” performance goal!

Check out this short video on two stair workouts from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

So, try it out and leave me a comment with your thoughts.  Happy (stair) Hiking!