It’s easy, when walking and talking with friends or coworkers, to follow their lead and get on the elevator. Time for a change? Try being the leader and lead them toward the stairs instead of the elevator. Not only will you get where you’re going faster by taking the stairs, but you will also burn more calories throughout the day.
February is "Take the Stairs" month, so try to break the habit of using elevators! You have the power to persuade others to take the stairs and become more active.
Not only is it good to take the stairs when you have the choice, but it’s also good to incorporate stairs into your workouts. If you have stairs in your house or at the gym, that is great! But not everyone has that option, so you can resort to a stair climber or stair stepper. Most gyms have a cardio machine that simulates going up stairs.
Incorporating stairs will help to improve your aerobic conditioning and lower-body strength. Try this indoor workout during the winter months and look around for a set of stairs you can use outdoors when it’s nice outside.
- Jog in place for 3 minutes to warm up
- 20 jumping jacks
- 3 minutes on the stair climber at a moderate intensity
- 20 jumping jacks
- 20 squat hops
- 5 minutes on the stair climber at a moderate intensity
- Jump rope for 3 minutes
- 20 jumping jacks
- 20 squat hops
- 5 minutes on the stair climber at a moderate intensity
- Jump rope for 3 minutes
- 5 minutes on the stair climber at a moderate intensity
- Walk a lap around the fitness center/house to cool down
Legs burning? That’s okay. Your lower body will thank you for trying something new and incorporating more stairs!