The stair stepper is an exercise machine made to mimic walking stairs. "They give the same results as walking or running up and down stairs without the stress that a hard surface can put on your legs and knees," says Travis Van Slooten, Founder and Editor of Men's Total Fitness. With regular exercise, you can lose weight using a stair stepper. Depending on how much time you have in your schedule, and how hard you wish to work, you can use the stair stepper as part of moderate- or vigorous-intensity cardio workout. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends doing strength training twice a week for health and weight loss, but a stair stepper can be used to fulfill the rest of your exercise needs to help you achieve your weight loss goal. The American Obesity Association says that a healthy weight loss program will result in 1 to 2 lbs. a week of weight loss.
Step 1
Grab the handrails of the stair stepper and carefully step both feet onto the platforms. Maintain your hold on the rail with one hand and use the other to turn the machine on. Select "quickstart" or "manual" so you can keep control of the speed and resistance. Start stepping at a slow pace and keep your feet flat on the machine at all times. Stand up straight for good posture.
Step 2
Do 10 minutes on the stair stepper three times a day--or 30 minutes once a day--for five days a week at a moderate intensity. As advised by the CDC. Moderate intensity means that while you are exercising on the stair stepper you feel that heart rate is elevated but you are able to talk to someone. Work up to double this amount of time for a total of 300 minutes of moderate activity per week to promote weight loss.
Step 3
Increase the difficulty of your workouts by going faster to do vigorous exercise after you have been exercising for a few weeks and feel you are ready for harder workouts. Vigorous exercise need only be done for 75 to 150 minutes a week for weight loss instead of 300 minutes, so it will save you time. You should not be able to easily hold a conversation when you are working at a high or vigorous intensity. However, if you prefer using the stair stepper for moderate activity, have the time for longer workouts, and are still losing a healthy 1 to 2 lbs. a week, then stick to your moderate routine.
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