Climbing Stairs Can Take You to New Heights of Fitness
Wayne Westcott, PhD
South Shore YMCA
Special from Bottom Line's Daily Health News
June 16, 2009
Every year since 1978, a group of intrepid runners gathers at the foot of the Empire State Building to compete in an event sponsored by the New York Road Runners. But this is no ordinary run -- these competitors will run up 1,576 steps, from the bottom level to the Observatory deck on the 86th floor. Most finish in under 20 minutes, while the record thus far is just under 10 minutes.
Crazy? Hardly. Stair climbing is an increasingly popular way to squeeze a great aerobic workout into a short period of time. According to fitness expert Wayne Westcott, PhD, author of Get Stronger, Feel Younger, climbing stairs is among the most vigorous cardio workouts you can find. "You’re lifting your center of mass vertically," he explained. Since your body weight is not supported -- as it is with, say, swimming or rowing -- you expend greater effort and burn more calories. Athletes have a long tradition of training by dashing up sports stadium bleacher stairs... and who could forget the triumphant scene in Rocky? You can get a great workout using the stairwells in hotels, office buildings, apartments or even your home, and many people find it is an inexpensive, convenient alternative to the gym.
Stair climbing increases cardiovascular fitness as well as muscular endurance and strength. It works most of the leg muscles, especially the quadriceps (front of thighs) and buttocks, and requires a tremendous outlay of energy. Some "tower runners" (as those who compete in events like the Empire State Building Run-Up race are called) use their arms on the stair rail to help pull themselves up, which gives the upper body a bit of a workout as well. Additionally, stair climbing delivers a good core muscle workout -- this, in turn, improves posture.
TIPS FOR STAIR CLIMBERS
Intrigued? Here are a few tips to help step up your workout:
1. Wear running shoes or those designed for cross-training.
2. Take a few minutes to warm up first by walking around on level ground before you start your ascent... and cool down the same way afterward, followed by stretches (described below).
3. Stretch the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves after your workout, not before.
4. As you climb, lean slightly forward from your hips while keeping your back straight.
5. Place your entire foot on each step. Allowing your heels to hang over the edges may injure your Achilles tendon. Look forward, keeping your head up. Don’t let it droop, which can cause neck strain, though it is fine to glance down when necessary to get your bearings.
6. Don’t lock your knees as you climb up.
7. Vary your pace for maximum fitness benefit. Start by walking... walk faster... then slow down and speed up again, and again.
8. Stay safe. Just as you wouldn’t jog in a dark alley alone, don’t use stairs in a remote stairwell where calls for help wouldn’t be heard.
9. Drink plenty of water before and after. Stair climbing is intense, so you should plan to rehydrate just as you would during a jog or a race on level ground.
PREPARE FOR DESCENT
Though it’s aerobically easier, Dr. Westcott warns that coming down has its own dangers. "Walking down stairs or running downhill puts incredible stress on the joint structure -- in particular the tendons, fascia and ligaments," he says. You can minimize this stress by descending slowly, perhaps even stopping for a moment on landings. Resist the temptation to bound down two or three stairs at a time and instead come down purposefully. Or, you could take the elevator down -- but first, walk around up top to let your heart rate return to normal.
NEXT STEPS...
There are plenty of ways you can change-up stair climbing workouts. You may feel a bit breathless when starting out. If so, walk around the landing (or down the hall of whatever floor you are on) and then return to the stairwell and climb some more. You can create an interval training program by alternating spurts of high intensity (climbing up fast) with periods of "active rest" (walking on flat ground). Vary your workouts by climbing higher, faster and/or longer between rest stops.
Another benefit: You don’t need to work out for long periods of time to take your fitness to a higher level. In fact, Dr. Westcott told me that climbing 10 flights of stairs at three different times over the course of a day is actually preferable to going up 30 flights all at once. The reason? "Some of the most important physiological adaptations, such as improvement in aerobic capacity, take place during the recovery period," he explains. "With three separate bouts of exercise, you get the benefit of three recovery periods." Also, you may find it easier to push yourself to do 10 flights at a time, rather than having to take on all 30.
A stair-climbing machine can deliver many of the same benefits, of course. Dr. Westcott noted, however, that the classic StairMaster machines aren’t as intense, since you’re not working against gravity -- they don’t require you to lift your feet off the steps but rather shift your weight from one leg to the other. He said that a better choice for gym rats is the type of machine that features an actual revolving staircase -- though I can tell you from experience, these are significantly harder.
If you’re interested in competing, you can get a listing of worldwide "tower running" events at www.towerrunning.com/english/races.htm, which sorts the races by number of stairs. For example, in Chicago you can "Hustle Up the Hancock" (1,632 stairs) or really high achievers could consider the pinnacle of the sport -- the "Sächsischer Mt. Everest Treppenmarathon" in Germany, climbing a nearly unimaginable (to me) 39,700 stairs. Also, Canada StairClimbing Association(www.stairclimbcanada.com) has a list of stair climbing fundraising events.
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Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Dream the Impossible...Then Go DO IT!!
Life is such an amazing adventure isn't it? A close friend of mine once said life is a bunch of small decisions in a row.
How true. Life is choices, life is decision. Are you bored with the current routine that you drag yourself through? Do you wish for more excitement, more adventure but are not sure how to achieve this?
It comes down to one phrase:
"MAKE A DECISION!"
Seems pretty simple doesn't it? You may be surprised to find out that most people cannot make a decision! Or they make a decision and then they worry if that decision was the correct one!
First what are you really passionate about? What makes your heart sing? For me its fitness, training and pushing my body to its physical thresholds.
My passion pushes me to make decisions that will fulfill my destiny which will allow me to live a full and juicy life. Sure I still have to do the mundane things, but my passion pushes me past these and I get to live in the moment with my passions.
Think about all the things that your passionate about. For just 5 minutes write down everything that you can think of that your passionate about.
Got it? You actually stopped and wrote things down right? I hope so!
Now, close your eyes and dream of doing that passion full time. Maybe your a painter and you have always wanted to paint in Rome! Or Maybe your playing in a band and you want to book some shows in L.A.
I don't know what the dream is for you, but what I do know is this ....
DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE...THEN GO DO IT!
Its the only way to live in the moment and have a fulfilling life.
We are only here on this earth for so long, make every day count!
Carpe Diem! (Seize the Day!)
Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
How true. Life is choices, life is decision. Are you bored with the current routine that you drag yourself through? Do you wish for more excitement, more adventure but are not sure how to achieve this?
It comes down to one phrase:
"MAKE A DECISION!"
Seems pretty simple doesn't it? You may be surprised to find out that most people cannot make a decision! Or they make a decision and then they worry if that decision was the correct one!
First what are you really passionate about? What makes your heart sing? For me its fitness, training and pushing my body to its physical thresholds.
My passion pushes me to make decisions that will fulfill my destiny which will allow me to live a full and juicy life. Sure I still have to do the mundane things, but my passion pushes me past these and I get to live in the moment with my passions.
Think about all the things that your passionate about. For just 5 minutes write down everything that you can think of that your passionate about.
Got it? You actually stopped and wrote things down right? I hope so!
Now, close your eyes and dream of doing that passion full time. Maybe your a painter and you have always wanted to paint in Rome! Or Maybe your playing in a band and you want to book some shows in L.A.
I don't know what the dream is for you, but what I do know is this ....
DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE...THEN GO DO IT!
Its the only way to live in the moment and have a fulfilling life.
We are only here on this earth for so long, make every day count!
Carpe Diem! (Seize the Day!)
Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Preparing for the CN Tower Climb!
Are you wanting to climb the CN Tower this year??? Here are some common questions that I get from my members on climbing the CN Tower!
Enjoy!
1). What would you recommend we eat before the climb and how long before? Since the climb lasts somewhere around 20-40 minutes per person you do not have to do any carb-loading the week prior. However I would increase carb intake slightly Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Just increase you carb intake slightly each time you eat for those particular days. This will ensure your glycogen storage in your muscles are full and you will have the needed energy to complete the climb in the quickest amount of time possible.
The morning before the climb you should eat what you have always eaten in the morning. Do not introduce any new food at this point. It may cause GI distress or not agree with your system at all. Therefore if you have always had oatmeal, then stick with oatmeal, if you have always had toast in the morning stick with toast.
You want to make sure thou that the meal before your climb is small and light, with little to no fat, and more carbohydrates then protein. Keep it simple: Oatmeal, eggs, and some coffee to kick start you. Eat your meal within 30-90 minutes of the event.
2) Do we get to take the elevator down? - Yes. You will not be allowed to go down the stairs as this will create too much chaos. You will not be allowed to stay at the top for long either. They want to make sure the top of the tower does not get overcrowded.
3)How is the climb done, are people staggered up? - Yes for these climbs that have 2000 + people attending (For WWF its 5000+) they stagger everyone up. If you are one of the first people to make it to the tower then you will not have to wait long in order to climb the tower. You have to go through security checkpoints, but that does not take long. Usually they let 15-30 people go every few minutes.
4) What is the average time of the climb? Our group is regular fitness fanatics - The average time is 20 - 45 minutes depending on your fitness level. For elite females anything under 15 minutes is amazing, for males anything under 13 minutes is amazing!
5) Is it hot in the stairwell? - Depending on the weather conditions outside the stairwell can be cool and dry, or hot and muggy. I experienced this phenomenon last August when I attempted to break my PB. The weather outside that morning was humid and there was fog that day. Inside the stairwell it was humid and got even more humid as we reached the halfway point. I ended up being a minute slower then my previous time in April, even thou I felt I was more conditioned and in better shape. All of my friends experienced the same phenomenon! Lets hope its a cool day outside!
6.) What is the biggest challenge about the climb? - I would say the biggest challenge is being mentally ready to handle the pain of the climb. Especially if you are trying to beat a certain time or break a PB. The mental aspect of climbing stairs that have that much elevation and that quick is the pain factor. You must be tough enough to take the pain and not stop, no matter what. Of course you have to be physically ready to push yourself to that level, or you will be forced to stop. - Psychologically it helps if you know that the total amount of floors is 144.
7.) Can you see outside during the climb? No you cannot. The stairs are closed, with no view to the outside. This is a good thing for climbers. For people that are scared of heights, the stairwell is designed so that you cannot see the bottom when you climb. My advice for people that are scared of heights. Look up at the number of flights done, and keep your feet moving. If you stop you will have time to think...and thinking will get your mind racing!
8.One of the sillies wants to know if the bar is open at the top? - Ironically they do have the bar open early! A few years ago when I climbed the tower I was the first one up to the top. I actually went to the bar at the very top and they were having a ceremony with all the people from the United way that had put on the event. Of course there was no alcohol, but there was plenty of muffins, coffee and juice!
On a side note, if you are climbing to beat a record of if your climbing as fast as you can be prepared to cough for a few days afterwards. I have experienced this every single time I have climbed. It is sue to the rate of elevation and the workload on the lungs. Because of the quick elevation and the extreme workload on the lungs the aveoli sacs in the lungs become slightly damaged, causing you to cough. No worries thou, the damage is fixable and you should stop coughing within a few days!
For more stories on stair climbers climbing the CN Tower check out stair climbing stories from out members here
Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
Enjoy!
1). What would you recommend we eat before the climb and how long before? Since the climb lasts somewhere around 20-40 minutes per person you do not have to do any carb-loading the week prior. However I would increase carb intake slightly Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Just increase you carb intake slightly each time you eat for those particular days. This will ensure your glycogen storage in your muscles are full and you will have the needed energy to complete the climb in the quickest amount of time possible.
The morning before the climb you should eat what you have always eaten in the morning. Do not introduce any new food at this point. It may cause GI distress or not agree with your system at all. Therefore if you have always had oatmeal, then stick with oatmeal, if you have always had toast in the morning stick with toast.
You want to make sure thou that the meal before your climb is small and light, with little to no fat, and more carbohydrates then protein. Keep it simple: Oatmeal, eggs, and some coffee to kick start you. Eat your meal within 30-90 minutes of the event.
2) Do we get to take the elevator down? - Yes. You will not be allowed to go down the stairs as this will create too much chaos. You will not be allowed to stay at the top for long either. They want to make sure the top of the tower does not get overcrowded.
3)How is the climb done, are people staggered up? - Yes for these climbs that have 2000 + people attending (For WWF its 5000+) they stagger everyone up. If you are one of the first people to make it to the tower then you will not have to wait long in order to climb the tower. You have to go through security checkpoints, but that does not take long. Usually they let 15-30 people go every few minutes.
4) What is the average time of the climb? Our group is regular fitness fanatics - The average time is 20 - 45 minutes depending on your fitness level. For elite females anything under 15 minutes is amazing, for males anything under 13 minutes is amazing!
5) Is it hot in the stairwell? - Depending on the weather conditions outside the stairwell can be cool and dry, or hot and muggy. I experienced this phenomenon last August when I attempted to break my PB. The weather outside that morning was humid and there was fog that day. Inside the stairwell it was humid and got even more humid as we reached the halfway point. I ended up being a minute slower then my previous time in April, even thou I felt I was more conditioned and in better shape. All of my friends experienced the same phenomenon! Lets hope its a cool day outside!
6.) What is the biggest challenge about the climb? - I would say the biggest challenge is being mentally ready to handle the pain of the climb. Especially if you are trying to beat a certain time or break a PB. The mental aspect of climbing stairs that have that much elevation and that quick is the pain factor. You must be tough enough to take the pain and not stop, no matter what. Of course you have to be physically ready to push yourself to that level, or you will be forced to stop. - Psychologically it helps if you know that the total amount of floors is 144.
7.) Can you see outside during the climb? No you cannot. The stairs are closed, with no view to the outside. This is a good thing for climbers. For people that are scared of heights, the stairwell is designed so that you cannot see the bottom when you climb. My advice for people that are scared of heights. Look up at the number of flights done, and keep your feet moving. If you stop you will have time to think...and thinking will get your mind racing!
8.One of the sillies wants to know if the bar is open at the top? - Ironically they do have the bar open early! A few years ago when I climbed the tower I was the first one up to the top. I actually went to the bar at the very top and they were having a ceremony with all the people from the United way that had put on the event. Of course there was no alcohol, but there was plenty of muffins, coffee and juice!
On a side note, if you are climbing to beat a record of if your climbing as fast as you can be prepared to cough for a few days afterwards. I have experienced this every single time I have climbed. It is sue to the rate of elevation and the workload on the lungs. Because of the quick elevation and the extreme workload on the lungs the aveoli sacs in the lungs become slightly damaged, causing you to cough. No worries thou, the damage is fixable and you should stop coughing within a few days!
For more stories on stair climbers climbing the CN Tower check out stair climbing stories from out members here
Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Breaking the 12 hour Stair climbing World Record
Any Comments....?????
Dear Mr Trevor Folgering,
Thank you for your enquiry regarding your intention to attempt the record for ‘Cn Tower Endurance Record'. Your proposal is not of interest to us as a new category. However, we have searched our Record Database and think that the following record may be of interest to you instead: ’Stair climbing - vertical height (12 hours)’.
The current record (current as at the date of this letter) is: Russell Gill climbed the 835 steps of the Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus, Ohio, USA 53 times (a total of 44,255 steps and a vertical height of 8141.8m (26,712ft) in 9 hr 16 min 24 sec on 20 February 1994. He went down by lift each time.
You may wish to check with us again closer to submitting your full claim to be sure that a new record has not been set in the interim.
Please note that any current record information is provided to you to the best of Guinness World Records knowledge and belief as at the date of this letter and is based on the record information currently logged on the Guinness World Records database. This current record may change at any time due to a new record being approved. You are responsible for keeping yourself up to date with any new records as Guinness World Records will not inform you of any change to the current record.
We have attached specific Guidelines for this record category which detail the requirements you must follow to make your record attempt. You should ensure that all those participating and those witnessing the attempt are aware of the contents of these Guidelines. We would also draw your attention to the specific authentication we require when you come to make your claim for this particular category. This is in addition to the general authentication requirements as detailed in the Record Breakers Pack also included with this email.
These Guidelines will be appropriate for achieving a Guinness World Record as at the date of this letter. However, please be aware that as and when required, the Guidelines may be updated by us from time to time and without further notice to you.
Using the Guinness World Records ™ or logo is a great way to help promote your attempt. If you are interested in using our logo and trademarks during your record event, please log in the website, select the appropriate claim number and click on ‘Use our logo’.
Once the record has been attempted and you have compiled your claim and completed the Agreement Regarding Supporting Materials which you will find in the attachment, all the information should be sent to us here at:
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS LIMITED 3rd Floor 184-192 Drummond Street London NW1 3HP UNITED KINGDOM. Please ensure that your Claim ID (above) is clearly marked on your package and all documentation.
It is possible to hire an adjudicator to verify your record attempt on site. If you want to request the attendance of an official World Record representative, please log in the website, select the appropriate claim number and click on ‘Request an adjudicator’.
If you should require any further information, do not reply to this email, but please visit and log into our website, select the appropriate claim number and then click on ‘Make an Enquiry’. We will only be able to reply to enquiries regarding any of your pending claims, so if you want to enquire about a new record, please make another application. Please be aware that all tracking information about your claim is updated 24 hours. Now that you have received our specific guidelines and Record Breakers’ Pack you can proceed with the preparations for your event and then with the record attempt itself.
We hope the attempt goes well and look forward to hearing from you in the future
Dear Mr Trevor Folgering,
Thank you for your enquiry regarding your intention to attempt the record for ‘Cn Tower Endurance Record'. Your proposal is not of interest to us as a new category. However, we have searched our Record Database and think that the following record may be of interest to you instead: ’Stair climbing - vertical height (12 hours)’.
The current record (current as at the date of this letter) is: Russell Gill climbed the 835 steps of the Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus, Ohio, USA 53 times (a total of 44,255 steps and a vertical height of 8141.8m (26,712ft) in 9 hr 16 min 24 sec on 20 February 1994. He went down by lift each time.
You may wish to check with us again closer to submitting your full claim to be sure that a new record has not been set in the interim.
Please note that any current record information is provided to you to the best of Guinness World Records knowledge and belief as at the date of this letter and is based on the record information currently logged on the Guinness World Records database. This current record may change at any time due to a new record being approved. You are responsible for keeping yourself up to date with any new records as Guinness World Records will not inform you of any change to the current record.
We have attached specific Guidelines for this record category which detail the requirements you must follow to make your record attempt. You should ensure that all those participating and those witnessing the attempt are aware of the contents of these Guidelines. We would also draw your attention to the specific authentication we require when you come to make your claim for this particular category. This is in addition to the general authentication requirements as detailed in the Record Breakers Pack also included with this email.
These Guidelines will be appropriate for achieving a Guinness World Record as at the date of this letter. However, please be aware that as and when required, the Guidelines may be updated by us from time to time and without further notice to you.
Using the Guinness World Records ™ or logo is a great way to help promote your attempt. If you are interested in using our logo and trademarks during your record event, please log in the website, select the appropriate claim number and click on ‘Use our logo’.
Once the record has been attempted and you have compiled your claim and completed the Agreement Regarding Supporting Materials which you will find in the attachment, all the information should be sent to us here at:
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS LIMITED 3rd Floor 184-192 Drummond Street London NW1 3HP UNITED KINGDOM. Please ensure that your Claim ID (above) is clearly marked on your package and all documentation.
It is possible to hire an adjudicator to verify your record attempt on site. If you want to request the attendance of an official World Record representative, please log in the website, select the appropriate claim number and click on ‘Request an adjudicator’.
If you should require any further information, do not reply to this email, but please visit and log into our website, select the appropriate claim number and then click on ‘Make an Enquiry’. We will only be able to reply to enquiries regarding any of your pending claims, so if you want to enquire about a new record, please make another application. Please be aware that all tracking information about your claim is updated 24 hours. Now that you have received our specific guidelines and Record Breakers’ Pack you can proceed with the preparations for your event and then with the record attempt itself.
We hope the attempt goes well and look forward to hearing from you in the future
Friday, September 3, 2010
How to Become Truly Great
What does it take to become truly great at fitness? How can you reach your goals in record time?
There are really a few different traits that you need to have in order to become great at fitness. To really have optimal health for life, you must focus on three key factors
1)- Knowledge - Knowledge is POTENTIAL Power, for knowledge that is not used is wasted. Have you ever read a great book and thought.."Wow this is great! I am going to use what I learned!" What happened? Did you use the knowledge of the book to get you the results you wanted? My hypothesis is no you did not. Study fitness, make it a habit to actually learn some basic anatomy, and a little physiology. (Basic levels) This way you have the knowledge to train correctly and begin down the right path.
2)- Dedication - I would have to say that dedication to health is a close second to knowledge only because you must be dedicated 24/7 to mastering fitness. Why 24/7? Why not just workout for an hour and go about our day not thinking about food, and the lifestyle choices we make? Because the body requires a constant influx of food delivered at optimal times throughout the day. Fitness and nutrition should be a 24/7 type of commitment!
3) - Intuition - In my humble opinion having an intuitive sense about your body and what it needs is really an amazing thing to develop. I see too many individuals follow routines out of "fitness magazines" and get latest diet from a friend or some over hyped book promising a 10 lb weight loss is a week. Intuition is your own way of reading your own body and what it needs at any particular moment in time. It is also thinking instead of following. If your going to follow the herd your going to get slaughtered! Educate yourself about correct eating and lifestyle habits, then over time develop your intuitive sense to recognize what your unique training and nutritional needs are!
The one thing I have learned from all my years of training is there is no such thing as bad genetics. The war on genetics can be beaten. If you think you are overweight because of a genetic factor....better think again.
Genetics are only a small portion of how we actually look like believe it or not, and I know that your genetic structure can be beated by following the three basic rules above!
Good luck and always stay strong inside and out!
Trevor Folgering
Founder of the Canada StairClimbing Association
There are really a few different traits that you need to have in order to become great at fitness. To really have optimal health for life, you must focus on three key factors
1)- Knowledge - Knowledge is POTENTIAL Power, for knowledge that is not used is wasted. Have you ever read a great book and thought.."Wow this is great! I am going to use what I learned!" What happened? Did you use the knowledge of the book to get you the results you wanted? My hypothesis is no you did not. Study fitness, make it a habit to actually learn some basic anatomy, and a little physiology. (Basic levels) This way you have the knowledge to train correctly and begin down the right path.
2)- Dedication - I would have to say that dedication to health is a close second to knowledge only because you must be dedicated 24/7 to mastering fitness. Why 24/7? Why not just workout for an hour and go about our day not thinking about food, and the lifestyle choices we make? Because the body requires a constant influx of food delivered at optimal times throughout the day. Fitness and nutrition should be a 24/7 type of commitment!
3) - Intuition - In my humble opinion having an intuitive sense about your body and what it needs is really an amazing thing to develop. I see too many individuals follow routines out of "fitness magazines" and get latest diet from a friend or some over hyped book promising a 10 lb weight loss is a week. Intuition is your own way of reading your own body and what it needs at any particular moment in time. It is also thinking instead of following. If your going to follow the herd your going to get slaughtered! Educate yourself about correct eating and lifestyle habits, then over time develop your intuitive sense to recognize what your unique training and nutritional needs are!
The one thing I have learned from all my years of training is there is no such thing as bad genetics. The war on genetics can be beaten. If you think you are overweight because of a genetic factor....better think again.
Genetics are only a small portion of how we actually look like believe it or not, and I know that your genetic structure can be beated by following the three basic rules above!
Good luck and always stay strong inside and out!
Trevor Folgering
Founder of the Canada StairClimbing Association
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The Appeal of Stair Climbing
What makes stair climbing so appealing? Why is this new form of exercise one of the best ways to get in shape? How can you correctly add stair climbing to your training routine??
Stair climbing is quickly spreading to become a great form of exercise because i is so efficient at getting the body into shape rapidly! You want fast results right?? Well 30 minutes of stair climbing 3x per week is equal to 6 hours of training in the gym!!! Yes! Talk about getting results without a lot of time requirements!! Think about how many calories your body burns as it climbs vertically!!
Another great appeal about stair climbing is it is easy on the joints. Much easier then running would be on the body. Running can cause a lot of injuries mainly because of misalignments with the hips which effects the rest of the body. Stair climbing in its gentle nature is not like that. The movement is so natural that your body will actually become more in line and become less prone to injuries!
Stair climbing is an amazing way to strengthen the entire body, not just the legs. Every single muscle is involved in stair climbing. From your legs to your arms to your back. Most people think of stair climbing as just something that involves the legs but over all the entire body gets a great workout!
So how do you start this great new form of exercise. Easy! Just find a set of stair anywhere that is longer then 3 flights. Many people live in an apartment building or even a condo. Use those stairs anytime! For those of you living in a large two story house use the stairs in your own home! Scour your city for outdoor stairs as well!
Begin slow. tart off climbing three flights, rest for 10 seconds then climb for three more flights. Do this until you body is conditioned enough that you can continually climb for the entire flight of stairs!
one to two stair climbing workouts is plenty for the beginner. You do not want to overdo it in the beginning. Make sure to stretch afterwards and drink plenty of water before, during and after your training session!
Good luck and have fun!
Trevor
Founder
The Canada Stairclimbing Association
Stair climbing is quickly spreading to become a great form of exercise because i is so efficient at getting the body into shape rapidly! You want fast results right?? Well 30 minutes of stair climbing 3x per week is equal to 6 hours of training in the gym!!! Yes! Talk about getting results without a lot of time requirements!! Think about how many calories your body burns as it climbs vertically!!
Another great appeal about stair climbing is it is easy on the joints. Much easier then running would be on the body. Running can cause a lot of injuries mainly because of misalignments with the hips which effects the rest of the body. Stair climbing in its gentle nature is not like that. The movement is so natural that your body will actually become more in line and become less prone to injuries!
Stair climbing is an amazing way to strengthen the entire body, not just the legs. Every single muscle is involved in stair climbing. From your legs to your arms to your back. Most people think of stair climbing as just something that involves the legs but over all the entire body gets a great workout!
So how do you start this great new form of exercise. Easy! Just find a set of stair anywhere that is longer then 3 flights. Many people live in an apartment building or even a condo. Use those stairs anytime! For those of you living in a large two story house use the stairs in your own home! Scour your city for outdoor stairs as well!
Begin slow. tart off climbing three flights, rest for 10 seconds then climb for three more flights. Do this until you body is conditioned enough that you can continually climb for the entire flight of stairs!
one to two stair climbing workouts is plenty for the beginner. You do not want to overdo it in the beginning. Make sure to stretch afterwards and drink plenty of water before, during and after your training session!
Good luck and have fun!
Trevor
Founder
The Canada Stairclimbing Association
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
What Comes to Mind When You Think Of Exercise?
Exercise, working out, hitting the gym, training. These phrases do not provoke excitement from many people.
But maybe they should!
You see training is more a mental then physical. Yes it takes a lot of physical work, but the one thing that will over ride your body either positively or negatively is your mind!
The Power of the mind is phenomenal. With everything we do, with every workout we take the mind can kill your chances of success or it can help you reach for victory.
Think of the hardest thing that you did. What was the deciding factor to your success? What made you able to conquer the task at hand?
In most cases the mental attitude that you carried forward made you push through any obstacles in your way. Leading you to success over a hard situation.
Its the same for working out and training. Your mental attitude is everything. If your dragging yourself to the gym or going through the motions, wondering how to get through the hour then maybe its time to re-think your motives.
I always have said this ....
CHANGE YOUR BELIEFS, CHANGES YOUR BEHAVIOR, WHICH IN TURN CHANGES YOUR LIFE!
So you must first turn on your mental juices and see what you first want to accomplish in your mind! Picture it! Visualize it first in the mind and the body will follow. See yourself with a great body, dream about it, get excited about it! Start to devour the thoughts and emotions that a fit and healthy person would experience.
See yourself fit and you will become fit!
Till Next Time ...
Stay True to Yourself...
Trevor Folgering
Founder
But maybe they should!
You see training is more a mental then physical. Yes it takes a lot of physical work, but the one thing that will over ride your body either positively or negatively is your mind!
The Power of the mind is phenomenal. With everything we do, with every workout we take the mind can kill your chances of success or it can help you reach for victory.
Think of the hardest thing that you did. What was the deciding factor to your success? What made you able to conquer the task at hand?
In most cases the mental attitude that you carried forward made you push through any obstacles in your way. Leading you to success over a hard situation.
Its the same for working out and training. Your mental attitude is everything. If your dragging yourself to the gym or going through the motions, wondering how to get through the hour then maybe its time to re-think your motives.
I always have said this ....
CHANGE YOUR BELIEFS, CHANGES YOUR BEHAVIOR, WHICH IN TURN CHANGES YOUR LIFE!
So you must first turn on your mental juices and see what you first want to accomplish in your mind! Picture it! Visualize it first in the mind and the body will follow. See yourself with a great body, dream about it, get excited about it! Start to devour the thoughts and emotions that a fit and healthy person would experience.
See yourself fit and you will become fit!
Till Next Time ...
Stay True to Yourself...
Trevor Folgering
Founder
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