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Are Stair Climbers Good Exercise?

While you can create your own workouts that you do with just your body, embracing exercise machines can make your workouts much more effective. Instead of relying on the staircase in your home, for example, you may want to use a stair climber. Stair climbers have been around for many years and are also known as a stair stepper, step machine, and step mill.

A stair workout machine has revolving steps that allow you to walk in place. The steps rotate at the speed and duration you set. If you're wondering whether incorporating stair climbers into your workout plans is worth the effort, below are a list of several benefits.

Here are 9 good reasons to start using stair climbers today.

1. Burn calories

If you're struggling with weight, climbing up on the stair stepper can be an effective and efficient way to lose those extra pounds and keep them off. Doing this kind of cardiovascular work increases your metabolic rate, torching more calories during activity and at rest.

According to a research study published by the Harvard Medical School, a 30-minute stair-climbing session burns about 180 to 260 calories.

Keep in mind that your weight and exercising intensity affect the number of calories you burn. Stair climbers with a high body weight tend to lose more calories. The quicker you climb, the higher the number of calories you burn.

Counting calories when using a stair climber is a lot easier nowadays, as most modern machines feature a calorie-counting calculator.

2. Improve aerobic capacity

Aerobic exercises like climbing stairs are good for increased cardio endurance. The workouts train your heart and lungs to pump more blood to the muscles and organs more efficiently.

In other words, they improve the maximum amount of oxygen ( VO2Max) delivered to your bloodstream. With more oxygen supply, you're likely to exercise for extended periods, even at high intensity, to burn maximum calories.

Findings from one study in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism show that stair-climbing at short intervals can help boost cardio health.

3. Tone lower-body muscles

A stair climber engages the largest muscle groups in the body, including:

• Core muscles.  As you start stair-climbing, maintaining an upright position wouldn't be a challenge. But several minutes into your workout, you may start feeling like slouching over.
  That's because the exercise recruits the muscles in the lower back, pelvis, hips, and abdomen. Strengthening your core muscles helps boost your power, support better posture, improve balance, reduce or prevent back pain, and more.
  So next time you get on the stair stepper machine, make sure you stay upright throughout the workout duration for an effective core engagement.
• Glutes.  Stair climbers also work your glutes (muscles of the buttocks). This group of muscles assist in propulsion when running, walking, and jumping.
  Stronger glutes keep your pelvis properly aligned, creating stability and better support for your lower back. They can also increase your power and athletic performance, even in heavy lifting.
• Quadriceps.  Quads consist of muscles that cover the front of your thigh. They are one of the group muscles that exemplify power and strength. Quads are critical in your everyday movements (walking, running, standing, sitting, or jumping).
  By strengthening and toning them, you will improve your balance and stability to avoid injury. Also, your overall athletic performance will change for the better.
• Hamstrings.  These are muscles in the back of the thigh. Their work is to control the knee flexion, helping the legs, hips, and back function smoothly. They are always involved in any movement that requires the knee to bend. Incorporating stair-climbing into your exercising regime is a great way to ensure these muscles remain strong and flexible.
• Calves.  Calves work in harmony with your hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes. The calf muscles get recruited each time you lift or move your leg to take a step on the stair climber.
  Besides playing a critical role in walking, running, and jumping, stronger calves enable you to maintain proper balance whenever you're standing.

In summary, a stair climber workout forces the four muscles to fire at the same time, actively engaging and stabilizing your lower body. By repeatedly recruiting these muscles to support your body weight, you facilitate their sculpting and toning.

4. Keep your bones strong and healthy

When you take steps on a stair stepper, you're essentially forcing your body to work against the force of gravity and rise vertically. This type of weight-bearing exercise subjects you to patterns of motion that can increase your bone density.

Having strong and healthy bones helps reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis as your bones undergo normal aging changes. If you are already diagnosed with osteoporosis, this low-impact knee strengthening exercise can also help manage the pain.

5. Less strain on your joints

With a stair climber, you only need to climb. Someone using a staircase to exercise is a little disadvantaged because they have to walk down. Unfortunately, moving down the stairs usually puts more significant weight and stress on the knee joints.

6. A versatile piece of workout equipment

Everyone can reap benefits, regardless of their level of fitness. That's because stair climbers allow you to adjust settings as needed to get the most out of your training. Exercising on a stair climber is not all about playing with the speed and workout duration. Otherwise, that would prove somewhat boring after some time.

The good news is that most stair stepper machines come with built-in programs to help you make your workouts more creative. For example, you'll find stair climbers with computer screens, enabling you to select from several well-known landmarks. Such a feature makes exercising appear like you're moving up actual structures.

Even without the additional programs, there are several ways to make your stair-climbing workout more challenging and rewarding, including:

• Wearing a weighted vest
• Performing side steps
• Skipping steps
• Doing sumo steps
• Adding leg kicks

What's more, you can combine stair climbing with other workouts for a killer exercising regime. In line with that, you may consider switching up your climb with a circuit workout and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

7. User-friendly

While you'll find many variations of the stair climber, there's nothing technical for you to learn or master before you start using them. Anyone who has climbed stairs before can use the machine without supervision, except those experiencing mobility problems.

Operating the machine is very intuitive. It functions the same way as the real staircase, only that you're required to set the speed at which you want it to move. A stair stepper produces natural movements. So, expect it to be impact-free.

First-time stair climber users are advised to start slow to avoid exhausting muscles so quickly. You can begin with 5 to 10 minutes at a moderate pace. Then, adjust the speed, workout time, and intervals depending on how your body responds.

8. Release endorphins

Stair climbers are a good exercise because they make your pituitary gland and central nervous system release endorphins. These are feel-good chemicals or mood boosters.

Endorphins trigger a positive feeling, resulting in overall reduced stress levels. Of course, you'll feel exhausted once you've completed your workouts. But the high endorphin levels will make you feel so good afterward.

9. Improve your overall health and live longer

Any workout plan that includes aerobic exercise and strength training is good for your overall health. Regular steps on stair climbers can help reduce the risk of life-threatening health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

The 2019 Harvard Alumni Health Study, which involved 8,874 senior men, highlighted a lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in men that climbed stairs.

In a similar study where researchers analyzed medical reports of 13,500 men, it was concluded that climbing at least 100 stairs a day helped the men reduce the mortality rate by 20 percent

As you can see, spending a few minutes on a stair climber machine can make a difference in your lifespan.

Wrapping Up

Are stair climbers good exercise? Absolutely. Stair steppers are one of the most effective gym equipment you need for the best cardio workouts and lower-body toning benefits. You enjoy all that without necessarily pounding on your joints.

While stair climbers are simple to use, it's imperative to familiarize yourself with the equipment safety aspect.

Proper form is critical when working out using any exercising machine, not necessarily a stair stepper. Well, this promotes more efficient movements and improves performance while avoiding or preventing injuries.

When exercising on a stair climber, you'll need to observe proper posture. Resist the temptation to lean on the handrails. Otherwise, you'll strain the back muscles. Warming up is also recommended to prevent back injuries. Always give the back and gluteus muscles a good stretch before you get on the machine.