STAIR
STEPPER
Stair steppers
became very popular in the 1980s as an upright alternative to cycling.
They are lower impact and do not place a great deal of stress on
your joints. Proper technique is fairly easy to master once you
get the feel and get a rhythm going. First a few tips for performance:
1) Do not
lean on the handrails. This is probably the most common mistake
people make on these machines. Leaning on the handrails will take
most of the stress off of your legs thereby decreasing the workout.
2) Keep your
body centered. When you first start out on the stair machine,
keeping your body centered over the stair pedals can be easier said
than done. Lightly hold the handrails to help keep yourself directly
over the pedals until you gain some sense of balance on the machine.
3) Watch
your form. Maintain an erect, natural posture. Your head and
neck should be straight, shoulders relaxed and hands gently holding
on to the handrails.
There are also
some modifications your can make to the form to emphasize different
muscle groups in different ways.
1) Technique
#1: Stand completely straight and erect. This will emphasize
the quadriceps more than the hamstrings since the quadriceps are
in a more stretched position.
2) Technique #2: Bend forward at the hips (not at the spine)
but do not put too much pressure on the handrails of the stair-stepper.
Leaning forward like this will put the hamstrings on stretch and
increase the workload in that area.
3) Technique #3: Keep your pelvis level. Do not let it sway
up and down as you step. Generally, people will rock their pelvis
side-to-side in order to spread the workload over other joints (in
this case the spine) because the legs will tire very quickly otherwise.
Have someone stand behind you and let you know if your pelvis is
rocking up and down. See how quickly you feel fatigue in your legs
keeping your pelvis level.
4) Technique #4: Vary the motion from full-range at slow
speeds to partial range at quicker speeds to add an interval intensity.
Over time, this will increase your caloric expenditure.
5) Technique
#5: Turn around and step backwards. This may seem silly but it
will actually increase the amount of quadriceps involvement. This
is a nice way to emphasize the front of the legs and bring some variety
to stair stepping.
6) Technique #6: Stand sideways on the stairstepper.
Your knee motion will be limited, and you will probably get a lot
of funny looks and questions, but this will emphasize the inner part
of your quadriceps muscles (VMO). This is a common rehab exercise
used for patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.
RECOMMENDED
PROGRAM
Start with a 5
minute warm-up slowly climbing the stairs. Concentrate on your form
and center your body over the pedals. Stand tall and erect. Use this
time to get accustomed to the form of the exercise. Gradually build
your climbing speed and resistance to a level that puts you into your
target
heart rate range.
Stay in your
target heart rate zone for 20 minutes. During this time, vary your
stepping speed, resistance and the depth of your steps. Taking slow
deep steps will change the intensity of the exercise differently
than taking short quick steps and will provide your muscles and
cardiovascular system with a well rounded workout.
When you feel
you've mastered your balance using the handrails, let go with one
hand and alternate with the other. When that gets comfortable, let
go of the handrails with both hands and learn to step without using
the rails. You'll get the maximum effect of your workout this way
and gain a great sense of balance!
Spend the last
5 minutes cooling down. Gradually slow your speed and resistance.
Do not stop abruptly, use this time to let your body cool off and
get your heart rate down. After you have finished and your heart rate
is down to a more normal level, this would be a great time to stretch.
At this point, your muscles are very warmed up and stretching tends
to be more effective.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS/PRECAUTIONS
Some people believe
that stair steppers are higher impact on the knees. Stair steppers
are actually a "no impact" exercise if you really examine
it. There is no shock absorption against the ground as in walking
or running. Although the knee joints do not take a pounding the way
they do while jogging, there is still some stress placed on the knees
during stair stepping.
Letting your pelvis sway up and down can cause shearing of your vertebrae
and lead to lower back problems. Remember that you should move from
the hips and knees, not the spine.
CALORIES
BURNED/EFFECTIVENESS
For calories burned,
a stair stepper tends to be on the higher end of activities, assuming
you are exercising at a moderately intense pace. See a comparison
of calories burned using a stairmaster to other cardiovascular exercises.
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