The muscle on the top of your leg or thigh is actually four different muscles. Collectively called the quadriceps muscles, or quads, these muscles include the vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and vastus lateralis, as well as the rectus femoris. The quadriceps muscles extend or straighten the knee, and exercises to build these muscles usually bend and straighten the knee. Exercises that strengthen the quads include lunges, leg extensions, squats and stair climbing. However, yoiu should consult a doctor before you start an exercise program.
The knee is prone to strains because it is a complex joint; in fact, according to The Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, it is the joint most prone to injury. Stair stepper machines can cause knee strains or make them...
If you are looking for an aerobic workout, but are not sure which machine to pick, a comparison of the features and benefits of elliptical trainers and stair-steppers may help you find the machine that is best for your exercise...
Choosing an appropriate exercise can be difficult, considering the abundance of exercise machines and gym programs plus the options of sports, walking and jogging. Walking and stair-stepping are popular choices for aerobic exer...
Stair steppers work the muscles in your lower body while burning calories. This form of aerobic exercise is beneficial for weight loss, and puts less stress on your joints than high-impact aerobics like running. A basic workout...
For most healthy adults, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise five days a week. A stair stepper machine not only helps you meet this goal, it also provides a few other add...
Losing fat and building muscle requires a lifelong commitment to regular exercise, whether you work out with equipment or on pavement. However, if you're interested in hitting the gym or investing in home exercise equipment, us...
Using this as a gauge, more than one-third of Americans were obese based on 2008 data. A good way to control your weight is through exercise. The stair stepper offers a way to control your weight with exercise, which will burn ...
Many elite athletes would say they live to exercise, but if you fall in with the rest of the human population, you probably exercise to live. That is why stair steppers and other functional fitness machines are so important. Ac...
Stair steppers are low-impact exercise machines that can help you burn calories and tone your muscles. Exactly how much weight you can lose exercising on a stair stepper 20-minutes per day varies from person to person. Factors ...
Gone are the days of having to run up and down the bleachers at the local stadium in order to get a powerful cardiovascular workout. Stair steppers simulate the muscle-building exercise without the threat of gum on the bottom o...
Squats and stair steppers both work your legs but in a vastly different manner. The barbell squat is possibly the best exercise for building strength and power in your lower body, and a stair stepper burns calories and builds y...
Stair steppers, also called stair climbers, lost much of their cachet when elliptical trainers came along and allowed people to work their upper and lower bodies at the same time. But climbing stairs, whether at a football stad...
The stair stepper is a popular choice for an indoor cardiovascular workout. This machine offers a low-impact exercise option that burns calories quickly and targets the lower body -- hips, thighs and gluteus muscles. However, i...
The X-iser Stepper is a portable workout device that its manufacturer claims can provide a full body cardio workout without any extra equipment. The X-iser Stepper offers a number of different exercise methods that may help you...
Stair steppers mimic walking or climbing a set of stairs. They serve as an indoor, alternative aerobic workout to treadmills, ellipticals and exercise bikes. Stair steppers with hydraulic shocks use oil to absorb the impact of ...
When stepping into a fitness center, or considering exercise equipment at a store, there are literally hundreds of options to choose from. One of the most popular options is the stair stepper. Stair steppers mimic the action of...
Climbing on a stair stepper burns a large number of calories: about 238 calories for a 150-lb. person exercising for 30 minutes. Stair steppers also offer a vigorous cardiovascular workout and strengthen some major muscle groups.
One way to achieve this goal is by using a piece of stair stepper exercise equipment. However, it is important to keep safety and form in mind when using a stair stepper, as injuries can occur if used incorrectly, including inj...
Built to simulate climbing a never-ending flight of stairs, stair steppers have two lever-mounted pedals. The pedals sink slowly beneath your weight, forcing you to step from one pedal to the other so that the alternate pedal c...
People have been climbing their way to fitness since the 1980s, when stair steppers first made their way into gyms. Now there are many variations to the stair stepper exercise machine, but the one common element is that they pr...
Once upon a time, stair steppers were the hottest thing in the gym. But their popularity faded along with that of skin-tight exercise gear. You're more likely to see a few steppers scattered in the cardio room instead of full b...
Stairs provide an opportunity for a vigorous workout, and stair stepper-type machines have became a staple of fitness centers.
An elliptical trainer, on the other hand, combines the movements of a treadmill and a stair stepper. The elliptical trainer features two separate footrests that can rotate forward or backward. Depending on your fitness goals, y...
The stair-stepper is an exercise machine that repetitively mimics the movement of climbing stairs. Stair-stepper machines are found in fitness gyms and are also available for home use. You can vary the intensity and speed of t...
Cardiovascular exercise is performed in a repetitive motion with little added resistance. Brisk walking is done outdoors or on a treadmill. A stair stepper is a cardio machine that has foot pedals near the bottom and handrails ...
Both elliptical and stair-stepper machines provide effective cardiovascular workouts with plenty of variety. For home use, other factors need to be considered. If you have access to a gym, vary your workout not only by switchin...
Using a stair stepper is a way to burn fat, lose weight and build muscle. The stair stepper primarily works the lower body, including the largest muscles in the body. Working larger muscles burns more calories than exercising s...
Stair steppers offer a low-impact cardiovascular exercise similar to actual stair-climbing while adding the convenience of an at-home workout. According to ConsumerSearch, if you are looking for a stepper that can be used just...
Stair-climbing machines, or stair steppers, have largely supplanted traipsing up and down actual staircases as means of getting in a solid aerobic workout. These machines offer numerous advantages, including not having to make ...
Stair steppers first came out in the 1980s, but have been eclipsed by the more popular elliptical machine. In fact, from the years 2000 to 2009, the use of the elliptical grew by 260 percent, reports Club Industry in May 2010. ...
Using the stair stepper in your physical routine increases aerobic capacity and overall fitness, and it is a sensible choice for someone beginning a program. According to a study posted on USA Fitness Direct and performed by th...
There are two main types of stair steppers: Stepmills, which resembles a very short escalator; and the generic stepper, which sports two pedals that you work up and down to simulate a stair-climbing motion. Both types of steppe...
This effect is harnessed by the creation of a stair climber or stair stepper machine, which attempts to emulate climbing stairs. An additional benefit of a stair stepper is that the resistance often can be adjusted in order to ...
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...
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 26...
The stair stepper is a cardiovascular machine that simulates the motion of walking up steps. It has two platforms that move up and down where you place your feet, and handles to hold for support. The main benefits of a stair st...
It has two platforms that move up and down that you place your feet on, and handrails to hold for support. Because your feet never leave the platforms, exercising on the stepper is gentle on your joints. Stair steppers can be u...
Forget running up the bleachers at the track. Stair steppers simulate the motion in an indoor setting and firm your calves, thighs and butt. Manual machines require more leg power to move the pedals, while motorized steppers a...
If you've ever found yourself climbing six floors because a building's elevator is broken, you know stair stepping is a challenging, cardiovascular workout. Most stair steppers focus on minimal-impact lower body movement. Ther...
