A stair stepping machine offers all the benefits of running or walking stairs without having to worry about dodging pedestrians or tripping on your shoelaces. Your quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves will all get a challenging workout if you follow the basic principles of using a stair stepper correctly. According to the Harvard Heart Letter, you may burn anywhere between 180 and 260 or more calories for every 30 minutes you spend on the stair stepper, depending on how much you weigh.
Step 1
Input your weight, as exactly as possible, into the machine when you first step on--no fudging. Knowing your weight helps the machine create the proper amount of resistance. If you can adjust the resistance manually, start with it relatively low and then gradually increase it until you have to actually push down on each step to make it go down.
Step 2
Start with your feet placed squarely on the pedals; neither your toes nor your heels should hang off. As you take each step you'll shift your weight toward the ball of your foot, just as if you were climbing a normal flight of stairs.
Step 3
Take normal steps as if you were climbing a flight of stairs. Each step should be at a natural height, and at no time should the pedals bang against the upper or lower stops. Think of keeping them in continuous motion.
Step 4
Stand up straight, keeping your abs and your back muscles strong to maintain your body in proper position. Support your entire body weight with your feet and legs, not by leaning on any part of the stair stepper frame. If you must, keep your hands lightly on the frame for support--but don't lean on it.
Step 5
Gauge whether you're working out at the appropriate intensity--and adjust the pace or resistance accordingly--by using the talk test. You should feel just a bit winded as you work out, but still able to carry on a normal conversation. If you're too winded to speak, back off a bit. If you don't feel winded at all or could carry on a long one-sided conversation, speed up or increase the resistance for more of a challenge.
Tips and Warnings
- To get a better calf workout, move your feet back so that the balls of your feet are firmly on each step or pedal but your heels are hanging off. Focus on raising up onto your toes as much as possible--basically, doing a calf raise--with each step.
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