A stepper is an aerobic machine that has pedals that move up and down in a stair climbing fashion. Among the benefits of this machine is the fact that it burns calories efficiently without a lot of impact. A mini stepper is a scaled down version of the regular stepper and is portable. This gives you the ability to work out in different places. A mini stepper workout activates multiple muscles. Although the legs do a majority of work, the abdominals are in the mix as well.
Motion of the Mini Stepper
A standard stair stepper has a handrail to grasp as you work out. A mini stepper on the other hand, does not. This is actually good news when it comes to your abs. While you move your legs up and down, you have to contract your whole abdominal area to maintain your balance. The abs consist of four parts--the rectus abdominis, inner and outer obliques and transverse abdominis. The rectus abdominis is the large segment in your stomach, the inner and outer obliques run down the sides of the stomach diagonally, and the transverse abdominis is a deep muscle that you use to suck your stomach in while breathing.
Form
Although the mini stepper is an aerobic machine, you still need to execute proper form while using it. This will ensure you tax your abs properly. Place your feet flat on the pedals and keep them there as you move your legs up and down in a steady motion. As you are stepping, pump your arms the same way you would if you were running up actual steps. As you move your legs, use as much range of motion as the machine will allow. Most importantly, consciously tighten your abs and keep them tight throughout your workout.
Effect of Pace
Exercising at any pace on the mini stepper will work your abs, but you can increase the effect with a slight alteration. Instead of stepping at a consistent speed, alternate back and forth between fast and slow. When you go into a fast pace, you have to contract your abs more forcefully to generate power and stabilize your body. This workout method is called interval training. As an added bonus, interval training also boosts your aerobic capacity, which allows you to exercise for a longer duration without getting winded.
Steppers with Resistance Bands
A basic stepper works your abs, but there are different types of steppers that will increase the emphasis. A stepper with built-in resistance bands, for example, allows you to do upper body exercises while you are stepping. This forces you to work your abs with more force to generate upper body power. A twist stepper is another type that leads to more abdominal recruitment. Instead of stepping up and down in a normal fashion, the pedals move sideways, causing you twist your torso. This especially recruits the obliques. Certain machines allow a twisting motion and have resistance bands attached.
Additional Benefit
Aside from the abs, you also work your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors and calves on the stepper. This in turn will help increase your resting metabolic rate, causing you to burn more calories while sitting still.
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