7 Stair Climber Benefits
Imagine tackling a 40 floor walk-up in New York City in 30 minutes every day for your cardio workout. Well, you can. This sweat-inducing, make-your-legs-scream exercise is called the Stairmaster, stair climber, stair stepper, stair whatever-er. It has several names, but the climbing stairs all do the same thing-let you walk up stairs for as long as you want to. Within minutes, you will be drenched in sweat and build up those leg muscles. We love this piece of cardio equipment and think that you will too. Here are 7 of the stair climber benefits that you can enjoy as you workout your lower body.
1 | Diverse Workouts
The stair climber looks like an endless climb to nowhere, but it lends itself well to diverse workouts. Once you are comfortable with the normal step-by-step workout and are crushing the climbing stairs with proper form, your stair stepper workout can be as unique as you are. You can do squats, lunges, skip-a-steps, crossovers, and much more to keep your training interesting. Switch things up in your physical activity routine by checking out YouTube tutorials or asking someone for help! As always, perfect your form before you move on to more advanced physical activity exercises. We want to make sure that you stay injury-free so that you can enjoy your cardio routine well into the future.
2 | Low-Impact
One of the most remarkable stair climber benefits is its low impact. If you need to swap out your high-impact running workout for a low-impact alternative, the stair machine is an excellent choice. Though there is more impact on the joints with the stair master than with an exercise like swimming, it is still a safe choice to add to your cardiovascular exercise routine. If you are prone to injury, ask your doctor if stepping your way to fitness is right for you!
3 | Calorie Burn
If you have been favoring the elliptical vs stair climber or even the treadmill, you may be passing up on some calorie-torching minutes. The stair master uses some of your body’s largest core muscles which will help you to burn more calories as you rest. As long as your form is correct, and your effort is at its best, you could be burning 200 calories in 30 minutes with a stair climbing workout (depending on your body composition). Incorporate the stair stepper exercise into your routine and see how it can help you achieve your weight loss goals.
4 | Natural Movement Exercise
Another one of the stair stepper benefits is that it involves natural movements. A natural movement is any movement that you do-well-naturally. A natural movement mimics movements you make every day like squatting (sitting), running, walking, deadlifts, and the like. The stair climber offers fantastic functional movement and will help you to build stronger muscles in the area where we tend to lose them reasonably quickly. If you want to be able to walk up and down the stairs well into your golden years, adding stair exercises into your fitness routine will be incredibly helpful. Building up natural movement makes this one of our favorite stair climbing workout benefits.
5 | Muscle Building
You won’t just be torching calories during this low-impact cardio workout, but you will also be torching them after. The stair climber helps to develop lower body muscles in your glutes, calves, hamstrings, quads, and core. So, you will be reaping the health benefits long after your stair climber workout is through. Since muscle is an “ active tissue ,” it is consistently renewing itself which requires energy from your body. Since the stair climber targets the largest core muscles in your body, your body will be using more energy to build those muscles, giving you a higher calorie burn overall, which is why people tend to prefer the stair stepper for weight loss.
6 | Cardio Health
Your cardiovascular health is essential to keep your heart healthy. With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the United States , it is increasingly important to implement cardiovascular fitness into your routine. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes a week of cardiovascular workouts. Adding the stair climber machine to your cardiovascular fitness routine is a fun way to mix up those minutes and set yourself on track to be heart healthy.
Stair climbing reigns supreme in the world of heart health as this aerobic exercise engages your heart and lungs. As you ascend, your heart rate increases, and the continuous movement of stair climbing elevates your heart rate and keeps it in the cardio zone.
7 | A Stronger Core
The stair workout not only builds lower body strength but also activates your core muscles. Since the steps are coming at you automatically on the stair climber, you will need to be moving and grooving in order to not fall off the machine. By using your muscles to stay balanced and upright, you will be building muscle strength in your abs and back. Building a strong core allows for better posture, balance, and stability helping you to decrease your chance of injury.
Step into Your Workouts with Chuze
The stair stepper benefits don’t stop here, but from diversifying your workouts to exercising your core and lower body muscles it’s worth adding to your routine. If these stair climber machine benefits sound great to you-step on up to the stair climber the next time you are at the gym! We have stair climbers at all of our Chuze locations and you can find one in your city by simply searching for “gyms near me” online. Stop in, say hi, and try something new to elevate your workout routine!
Reviewed By:
Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She’s had a 25+ year career in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding and all things wellness.
Sources:
- “10 stair climber benefits & workouts.” EOS Fitness. 30 June, 2021. https://eosfitness.com/blog/10-stair-climber-benefits-workouts/
- Roland, James. “12 Benefits of Using a StairMaster.” Healthline. 13 June, 2019. https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/stairmaster-benefits
- McCall, Minor. “4 Stair Climber Benefits Beyond a Sculpted Backside.” Aaptiv. https://aaptiv.com/magazine/stair-climber-benefits
- Bunch, Erin. “5 Stair Climber Benefits That’ll Make You Rethink Your Regular Cardio Routine.” Women’s Health. 14 August, 2020. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/g33539657/stair-climber-benefits/