Workouts to Get You to the Woods: Take the Stairs!
What do you do in times of stay-at-home solidarity; when gyms are closed and you just can’t muster up the strength to do anything virtually anymore? What if you want to get ready for an epic Fit Trip hike but state parks and local parks aren’t open to the public?
One of the best exercises you can do at home is take the stairs or simply workout in your stairwell. People that live in a fifth floor walkup raise your hand. I can remember running stairs at our stadium in high school to help improve my cardio, balance, and leg strength. Maybe it’s time to get back to this minimalist, pandemic-friendly workout (Don’t touch that railing!).
So, what are some of the benefits of stair running, climbing or walking?
Well, first, stair climbing can burn up to 8-11 calories per minute, which is really high compared to other forms of exercise. Think about it: have you ever burnt 1,000 calories in an hour on the treadmill? One minute is about five flights of stairs, if you’re moving pretty fast, so if you do that 3x a day for a whole year that’s burning enough calories for about 3-4 lbs. of fat. And that’s only 3 minutes of work a day!
Some of the other health benefits include lower risk of chronic disease and mortality, increased bone density, increases in blood lipid panel (aka better cholesterol/blood glucose), fighting stress and tightening those buns and quads so that you can climb any mountain-- hopefully on a Fit Trip with us in the future.
When the time comes, we want you to be ready. So take the stairs!
Here’s a workout to get you started.
THE STAIRWELL WORKOUT
Go up three flights
Stop on the landing
20 lunges each leg
Three more flights
Stop on the landing
15 air squats
Back down 6 flights
Back up 3 flights
15 push ups
Up 3 more flights
20 Tricep Stair Dips
Beginners can do it 2x but if you’re feeling motivated, go for 3x.
Your next hike is just a few months away. When the parks open up and travel becomes a thing again, you’ll want to be prepared. No need for fancy equipment or high-priced classes. Try our workout and take the stairs.
Are you gonna try it? If you do, we want to see! Post it in your stories and tag @fitandforest
