Succeeding in a weight loss journey takes a lot of discipline and dedication. It is not easy to lose weight and burn calories because it includes cardio exercises that can be exhausting and draining. There are plenty of exercises that can help an individual lose weight, calories burned climbing stairs for example can reduce body fat effectively. If you do not have actual stairs to use, exercise machines like stair climbers are available in the market.
Amount of Burned Calories By Climbing Stairs
Stair climbing is one of the most effective ways to reduce body fat and burn calories. However, the number of calories that you can burn depends on the intensity of your movement, your initial pounds, your pace, and the number of steps that you take per hour. For moderate exercises, you can expect to burn at least 0.17 calories for each step of the stair going up. That’s approximately 4.25 calories burned for a 25-step stair climbing exercise. According to experts, you can burn 0.05 calories for each step going down. Your body can burn 50 calories for every 10 pounds of fat.
But don’t worry because you can maximize your stair climbing exercise by associating different techniques with it. Your desired burned calories are achievable as long as you stay focused. To make this more effective, you also need to record the calories that you burn per hour after stair climbing, by doing this, you will be able to monitor your progress. Compute the calories that you burn by using a calculator. Running, walking, and other physical activities can also help you burn calories quickly.
Benefits Of Stair Climbing
You are correct if you are thinking that stair climbing is a good way to lose weight. But in addition to that, it also provides numerous benefits such as follows:
Improves cardiovascular system. Since stair climbing is considered an aerobic exercise, incorporating this into your weight loss program can boost the health of your heart and prevent heart diseases from happening.
Increases strength. This exercise is a good option if you are also aiming to strengthen your legs, hip, and thigh muscles. It also tones the abdominals along with building muscle mass in the lower part of the body.
Enhance endurance. It’s no surprise that you can burn calories by climbing stairs, but did you know that this exercise can also build up your endurance and improve your balance? With regular stair climbing, the risk of getting strained from other activities also decreases.
Contributes to better mental health. Cardio or aerobic exercises are proven to be effective in boosting one’s mental health. Every time you perform exercises like stair climbing, your body releases happy hormones which leave us feeling joyful afterward.
Availability. You can basically perform this exercise as long as you have stairs near you. Fancy gym equipment is no longer necessary since you can just do this anywhere anytime.
Fast calorie burner. Compared to jogging or running, the number of calories burned by climbing stairs is higher. You can also see visible results right away given that you climb stairs regularly.
Remember that the results that you will achieve will depend on your pace, how often, and how intense you climb the stairs. Your overall weight loss program also plays a huge role in the outcome of your routine.
Stair Climbing Exercises
To burn more calories, you may opt to add resistance to your routine that will raise the intensity of your stair climbing workout. By doing this, you will be able to achieve better results, a higher number of burned calories, and attain greater improvements in your body.
Here are some of the resistance training that you can add to your stair climbing routine:
Push-ups. Push-ups can burn at least 57 calories for a moderate workout. Stair push-ups will incorporate many muscle groups of your body and will strengthen your core, triceps, lower back, and shoulders. To perform stair push-ups, place your palms on a step of the stairs and keep your arms extended as well as your legs. Inhale and bend your elbows until your chest reaches the stair edge. Keep your neck and back straight all the time.
Bear Crawl. Bear crawling is a basic kind of exercise that involves your core, shoulder joints, and leg muscles. Add this to your stair climbing exercise by starting at the bottom part of the stairs. Put yourself in a bear crawl like position by placing your arms under your shoulders, your knees just below your hips, and your feet on the ground. Start crawling like a bear upwards and be sure to maintain a proper posture.
Lunges on stairs. This exercise can be performed with or without the use of dumbbells. Lunges can improve the muscles of the whole body including buttocks, quadriceps, leg muscles, and hamstrings. To incorporate stair lunges into your routine, retract your shoulders, place a lead foot on a step and keep the other one extended at the back. Inhale, and bend your knees as you lower your body. Exhale as you put yourself back in a standing position again.
Stair Step-up. This exercise focus on the legs, glutes, and core. Stair step-up relies on one foot at a time to put force on the movement. To begin, stand straight at the bottom of the stairs, lift one leg up and place it on the next step, use your other foot for the following stair step. Make sure to incorporate your leg muscles and keep your posture in check.
Stair crab walk. Intense stair crab-walking can burn 100 calories in 10 minutes. Imagine how many calories you burn per hour if you do this regularly. To start crab walking, sit at the top of the stairs, put your arms behind your back, and lift your hips as your feet are rested on the ground. Begin crawling down by using your arms and legs.
Stair hopping. This is a simple jumping exercise. All you have to do is stand at the bottom of the stairs, bend your knees before jumping onto the next stair step. Practice landing softly to prevent injuries. Make sure to engage your abdominals and watch your balance.
The number of burned calories will depend on your overall performance. Climbing stairs together with other calorie-burning such as walking, using a treadmill, and fast pace workouts can help you achieve your goal in no time.
Disadvantages of Stair Climbing
Climbing a flight of stairs has plenty of benefits. It can greatly contribute to your weight loss and fitness goals as it can also burn a number of calories per hour. It is also a good way to do aerobics and pump up your heart rate. But despite that, this exercise also constitutes several disadvantages.
The following are some of the downsides of stair climbing:
Most of its focus is on the lower body part and does not usually engage other muscle groups in the body.
People with weak joints and bones might find difficulty in finishing a stair-climbing routine.
It is not always advisable for overweight and injured people. Monitor your heartbeat while doing any physical activity.
With improper posture and wrong landing, this could result in a very serious injury.
There is always a risk of accidents like falling off the stairs due to losing balance.
To prevent injuries and unpleasant events from happening, review these friendly tips before you begin your stair climbing routine:
Don’t skip stretching. It is important to stretch your muscle before and after exercises to prevent cramps and muscle sores.
Educate yourself. Do some research and see if the benefits of stair climbing are what you are aiming for.
Practice proper posture and work on your landing. This will keep you safe throughout your exercise.
Stay focused. You are in an accident-prone area so it’s much better to keep your head in the game.
Use a training guide. By following a schedule you will be able to receive the optimum benefits of climbing stairs.
Keep yourself hydrated. Climbing a flight of stairs, whether for fitness purposes or just simply for the sake of doing it can be draining. Make sure to hydrate yourself once in a while to keep yourself energized.
Overall, stair climbing is one of the good exercises to burn calories along with running, walking, and other physical activities. It burns calories every minute as you climb up the stairs