Exercise Snacks: Take the Stairs

As a home fitness trainer, I relish finding flexible methods for programming well-rounded exercise routines with limited space and equipment. Building strength, endurance and muscle from home takes equal parts motivation and innovation. You should invest in high quality gear based on your fitness goals and experience (on that note, I highly recommend checking out Garage Gym Reviews), but your home might have some inconspicuous non-gym related materials that can be utilized in your workouts.

One of the biggest benefits of working out remotely is that you can achieve incredible fitness goals at a pace that suits your overall lifestyle. A fairly simple way of doing this is through a method called exercise snacks.

If you’ve been a reader of mine for a while, you’re likely familiar with this term. If you’re a new subscriber, welcome; you can find a prior post about exercise snacking with an example of a workout here.

In summary, these are dynamic or strenuous activities that seamlessly blend movement into your daily routine. For example, if you’re inclined to sit at a desk for hours on end, you can ensure that you’re not falling into a sedentary lifestyle by getting up every fifteen to twenty minutes and doing a short set of bodyweight squats, or use your desk to do a few reps of incline or decline push ups. By the end of the workday, you’ll have done hundreds of reps, building muscle and strength.

One of the most convenient things to do at home, either as a full workout or an exercise snack, is stair climbs. It is exactly what it sounds like, walking up and down flights of stairs for a set period of time or number of reps. Maintaining a steady pace is a great way to build cardiovascular endurance, while including some faster movement, can train you V02 max. You can add some resistance for strength and muscle building with a weighted vest or by holding a pair of dumbbells by your side in a “suitcase” position.

While stair climbs are convenient and effective low-impact exercise that combines cardio and strength training, they require a lot of spatial and bodily awareness, especially when adding weight or tempo. Some ways to stay secure include keeping good posture with shoulders in a neutral position and climbing with a slight forward lean while placing your entire foot (from toes to heels) on each step to activate your stabilizing muscles in the glutes and quads. Find a pace or weight that you’re confident with to start out, and aim to progressively load up on weight and/or build speed over time.

One idea for turning stair climbs into an exercise snack, is that anytime you need to go upstairs, do a set of five stair climbs (one rep includes going up and down).

I’ll be posting more exercise snack features in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. In the meantime, take the stair climb challenge and let me know how it goes!

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