fitbody
Stretch after a workout—not before.
Gently stretch quadriceps, calves and
by maggie spilner
hamstrings.
Lean slightly forward as you climb. But
keep your back straight and your head
in alignment.
Stair
Keep your knees soft. Don’t lock them
Climbing
out as you push up.
Try intervals. This is a perfect workout
for interval training, which studies like
Fast + Efficient
those conducted at The University of
+ Age-defying
Alabama and Southern Connecticut
State University show gets one fit faster.
Work hard, then back off a bit, then go
for it again. This comes naturally with
stair climbing, as you tend to get out of
stair climbing ups
maintain without gasping for breath. I
start at level one and move up to level
breath anyway and need to kick back.
the ante of a workout.
four, and in five minutes my heart rate
is in my target zone of 70 percent of its
Drink up afterwards. This is a challeng-
maximum, a feat I rarely reach when
ing workout and you need to rehydrate.
W
onderful walks are both walking on a treadmill.
Be careful going down. If you must
relaxing and invigorating, but Plus, you don’t have to trudge
walk back down stairs, take your time;
if you want to kick butt, liter- away at those stairs for 30 minutes. As
step down deliberately and carefully
ally—building strong glutes and thighs; Wescott points out, it’s better to break up
and use the handrails to take pressure
strengthening your core, which helps the day’s 30-minute workout into three
off your knees. People with arthritis or
improve posture and tighten abs; and 10-minute sessions. That’s because the
other painful inflammation of the knee
stepping up to cardiovascular fitness body builds cardiovascular endurance
should avoid going down stairs.
quickly and efficiently—try stair climb- during its recovery mode. Three shorter
ing. Wayne Wescott, Ph.D., renowned workouts deliver three recovery periods,
exercise physiologist, military fitness and the workout is less daunting.
While I love walking for regular
consultant and author of Get Stronger, Neither of my stair workouts
exercise, mentally, it’s easier to tackle
Feel Younger, states that climbing stairs requires me to go down stairs, which
some stairs to boost my heart, rather
is one of the more vigorous cardiovas- can be hard on joints, ligaments and
than focus on walking fast, which takes
cular workouts you can do. tendons. In an office building, you can
more concentration. Consider the com-
Pushing your whole body weight climb up the stairs and recover while
parative calorie burn: In a 150-pound
up vertically burns lots of calories and taking the elevator back down. Then,
person, 10 minutes of moderately brisk,
uses lots of energy quickly. I often why not make another ascent? While
3-miles-per-hour walking burns about
advise flatlanders to find some stairs in waiting for the elevator, or any time vig-
40 calories, while 10 minutes of run-
an office building or stadium and climb orous exercise has elevated heart rate,
ning up stairs burns 179.
them regularly to strengthen their legs be sure to walk around to ease yourself
Be sure to warm up and cool down
and increase their endurance. back into recovery mode. When hiking
for five to 10 minutes before and after
Although I have a one-story house, hills, it also helps to use walking poles,
any workout. And always check with a
I have found two stair workouts I like which serves to take the weight off of
physician before undertaking a vigorous
to play with. On one, I walk about two knees when going downhill.
activity like stair climbing. Then go out
miles on a wooded path by the river to Here are more of Wescott’s tips
and have some good-hearted fun.
a triple flight of stairs that takes me onto that prove helpful:
Maggie Spilner has been writing about
a bridge where I can then double back
health and fitness for 25 years, including
to my car along shaded city streets. It’s Wear good running or cross-training
17 as an editor at Prevention Magazine.
my mini-Mount Everest and it really or walking shoes for good support. You Her books include Prevention’s Com-
perks up the entire workout. can save your knee joints from damage plete Book of Walking for Health and
For a more steady and challenging by wearing the right shoes.
Walk Your Way Through Menopause.
stair workout, I use a Stairmaster at the
See
WalkForAllSeasons.com for informa-
gym, the kind with an actual revolv- Warm up first. Walk around for a few
tion on Spilner’s walking vacations.
ing staircase. The trick is to start out minutes before starting an ascent or
Source:
slowly and find a pace that you can jumping on a machine. Adapted from
StopAgingNow.com.
38
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