Get Those Steps In: Climbing Stairs Is A Practical Fitness Boost

Ensuring that you are getting the necessary amounts of exercise can sometimes seem difficult. Especially if you are leading a very busy life. Remaining active is imperative and some simply felt that they don't have the time to hit the gym as they would like. There is a solution to this issue as researchers have found that stair climbing is a great way to maintain heart health and boost overall fitness. This is a great option as stairs are everywhere and can be used at any time.

Having no time or zero access to a gym is no longer a viable excuse as climbing stairs in intense bursts can get the job done. This helps to elevate the heart rate and gives the body a way to work through activating important and vital muscle groups. This is a great option for those who have to sit at a desk all day or who have sedentary jobs. Stair climbing is a form of exercise anyone can do in their own home, after work or during their lunch hour. This research takes interval training out of the lab and makes it accessible to everyone, says Martin Gibala, who is a professor of kinesiology at McMaster and who also lead the study.

Research And Benefits

Researchers took 31 sedentary individuals with otherwise healthy profiles and split them into two groups. Each group had a different exercise protocol and a 10-minute time commitment that included a warm-up, cool down and recovery time period. The sessions were done over the course of a six-week period at three times a week. The first group did 20 second intervals of climbing as fast as they could while the second group climbed up and down a flight of stairs for at least 60 seconds.

After the six-week period had elapsed, results showed that by doing this type of activity, cardiorespiratory fitness was increased. This has imperative benefits for the overall framework of health and wellness. Keeping your body in motion will do tremendous things for your heart, brain and other organs as well. Using a portion of your lunch break to climb stairs to get your steps in is a great use of your time. If you can take 15 to 20 minutes after your work day to go up and down some stairs nearby it will do well for your joints and muscles. It will also help you maintain a healthy weight.

Exercise is an integral part of life and a healthy existence. It is a false notion that you need to slave away tirelessly at the gym or in an aerobics class to have a specific level of fitness. You only need to walk. With the added dimension of climbing, you are elevating your body and heart rate to another level. One that it desperately needs to keep functioning at its optimal level. It's also important to note that simply taking the stairs instead of an escalator or elevator is also a great option for increased health and fitness. Even if you don't have the full 20 to 30 minutes of allotted time that is recommended, any time when you get your heart rate elevated via psychical activity is a good thing. Try it out the next time you see a set of stairs nearby.

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Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.