Because your knee is not a muscle, you can't strengthen it with exercise. However, your quadriceps and hamstring help your knee absorb shock. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, strengthening those muscle...
Step aerobics adds an element of resistance training to cardio by introducing moves on and around a raised platform. Most step aerobics classes are considered high-impact, which can be damaging to participants with previous inj...
Both instructors provide motivation and workout intensity for your at-home exercise. Gin uses a choreographed routine approach to the aerobic workout, while Gilad uses non-choreographed exercise sequences. Both instructors prov...
One of the most basic moves in step aerobics is the knee repeater, and you likely won't find a step routine that doesn't include it at least once. But if you are putting together a routine of your own and are looking to add som...
Step exercisers come in two basic types. Mechanical exercisers have a metal framework with foot pedals that elevate and descend on axles or movable arms. One-piece steps consist of a tread attached atop two support blocks, and ...
Physical activity, such as step aerobics, provides many health benefits to senior citizens. Exercise can enhance and/or improve independence, longevity, mobility and mental outlook while lowering risks of developing chronic hea...
Group fitness instructor and exercise video star Gin Miller is credited with pioneering the use of aerobics steps for organized group fitness. The step is also small and inexpensive enough to purchase and store for individual h...
If you are new to exercise, start with hip-strengthening exercises from ground positions before transitioning to standing positions.
A cerebral vascular accident, or stroke, can greatly increase your risk of falling and potentially breaking bones if your balance has been affected. Exercises and training may help improve stability and balance, but it will tak...
Step exercise allows participants of varying fitness levels to exercise next to each other in the same class because each person can choose the height of her stepper and whether or not she performs high-impact or low-impact mov...
Your blood volume and the ease at which your blood flows affect your cardiac workload. If you have been sedentary, the strength of your heart's contractions and your heart's ability to stretch are compromised, increasing your c...
Stepping exercises are designed to help tone and tighten your leg muscles as well as build muscle in your stomach, lower back and legs. Stepping exercises can also improve your cardiovascular health and help you burn calories i...
The T-step is an aerobic step exercise. It gets its name from the pattern of the step -- forward and out to the sides -- which makes a "T" shape. You can do the T-step exercises alone or as part of a complete aerobic step routi...
Stair-stepping exercises provide an accessible and low-cost option for anaerobic conditioning. While running up and down flights of stairs offers a hearty cardiovascular workout, other stair-step exercises help improve strength...
Step aerobics combines walking with stair-stepping to give you a convenient workout that you can do while staying in one place. Besides working the muscles in your legs, it's also a fun cardio exercise. You can vary the length ...
It's an energizing fitness routine that requires little equipment and does not take up a lot of space. Low-impact and versatile, step aerobics is a cardio exercise that suits beginners and advanced exercisers.
Step aerobics is a low-impact form of cardio exercise that is portable and a suitable option for anyone who wants to work out at home. You can take a step class at a gym if you like exercising with others. Use a step bench with...
Step aerobics are a low-impact form of exercise. High-impact aerobics typically incorporate jumping, running or other vigorous body movements that are effective for developing physical fitness but tax the muscles and joints. Lo...
Ideal step exercises work the upper regions of your legs, hip abductors, adductors and lower abdominals, and can be done using household objects. You can perform different stepping exercises at home to work out several muscles ...
An exercise step consists of a tread that attaches atop two support blocks. Typical steps are 12 inches high and 24 inches long. Materials for the tread could be laminated pine, plywood or countertop material that you cut to si...
With many different types of aerobic exercise to choose from, it might be easier than you think to include it in your lifestyle. Taking steps to make aerobic exercise part of your workout routine can boost your overall health a...
Miller had suffered an overuse injury and her physical therapist advised her to step up and down from a milk crate to rehabilitate the muscles supporting her knee. To avoid boredom, she put the movements to music and created a ...
Aerobic exercises are designed to get you breathing heavier and get your heart pumping faster to help improve your overall health. Aerobic step, also known as step aerobics, is a type of aerobic exercise that gets you moving by...
Step aerobics classes may be less high-impact than standard dance aerobic classes, but they still place demands on your muscles, joints and bones. The repetitive movements of stepping up and down, coupled with traveling moves t...
Gin Miller, an aerobics teacher in Atlanta, injured her knees teaching high-impact aerobics classes. She climbed stairs for rehabilitation and discovered that stepping up and down expended injury without impacting her joints. S...
Latin music has a continuous beat that is upbeat and motivating. The Latin dance steps will increase your heart rate, which helps your body burn calories. You will move your legs and your hips, which helps tone your lower body ...
Aerobic exercises are ideal for developing and maintaining your cardiovascular fitness. Adding step variations into your aerobic workout further enhances the cardio benefits of exercising. Step aerobics simply means that vertic...
Walking sideways may not be included in your work or daily activities and you may find yourself ignoring this motion during your exercise routine. If you walk, jog, run, cycle, climb stairs or use an elliptical, you are only mo...
Most commonly used in the medical field to describe adequate medication dosage, the term has many other applications, such as describing a pyramid-type effect when exercising. Titrate the intensity, repetitions and duration of ...
Step aerobics provide a fun cardiovascular workout, which also tones your leg muscles and improves your sense of rhythm and coordination. Despite its benefits, sticking to the basic steps may lead to boredom and burnout. Choreo...
A stair step, also called a stair bench, is a piece of equipment used to perform exercises that can firm up your legs and buttocks. The stair step comes as a single or double stepper and in different sizes of length and height....
Unlike traditional aerobic workouts that take place on a flat surface, step aerobics uses a step between 4 and 10 inches in height. Step aerobics involves quick lateral movements and constant stepping up and down. These workout...
Perez, an aerobics instructor, forgot to bring his standard areobics music to a class one day and played his own salsa and merengue tapes instead, creating a new style of dance-fitness. Zumba DVDs and classes are available, or ...
No matter where you are, though, you can find stairs and objects to work out on that can provide you with the same type of exercise. Know what to use instead of workout steps for aerobic exercise.
Also known colloquially as "cardio," aerobic exercise focuses on elevating your heart rate and breathing. The range of benefits from this activity are extensive and vital, leading to overall increases in fitness, heart and lung...
Twist & step machines combine characteristics from stair-steppers with a twisting motion, creating a new piece of cardio equipment. These machines range from mini twist steppers to larger models with handle bars, while some...
A relatively simple action, stepping up and down, serves as the core of step aerobics workouts. However, a challenging and varied step aerobics class keeps things interesting by incorporating lateral movements, floor work, turn...
Step aerobics is a high-intensity, low-impact form of exercise choreographed on, over and around an adjustable bench. Former college gymnast Gin Miller conceived the step concept after using a milk box and porch steps for her o...
Step aerobics relies heavily on music to keep you moving, and the best music to keep you moving meets a few criteria. The best step aerobics music is not necessarily of a specific genre or style, but rather it relies on the tem...
There are three basic exercises using stackable exercise steps to target your back muscles: the hyperextension, the stiff-leg deadlift and lying hip extension. The steps provide an elevated surface that allows for the proper ra...
Aerobic exercise involves moving your body so that your breathing and heart rates increase, circulating more oxygen throughout your body. Typically set to music, aerobics and step aerobics classes challenge your coordination. U...
Weights are often referred to as iron and can easily be incorporated into step exercises. The iron step is an economical way to exercise as you can build-in strength and aerobic conditioning with one workout. According to the A...
All it takes is 30 minutes. That's how much exercise you need on most days of the week to stay healthy. Getting started may be easier than you think. With just a few easy steps you can build a healthy lifestyle that encourages ...
Its versatile training methods involve intensifying a workout by adjusting the height of a step, changing the step cadence and performing various movements on and off the step. Like most other exercise classes, you may need to ...
Training includes individual workouts such as walking and group activities like step aerobics. While both workouts provide fitness and health benefits, there are specific differences when comparing the two.
The American Council on Exercise estimates that more than 10 million exercisers have participated in step aerobics, which were first introduced in the 1980s. Step aerobics offer a vigorous, and perhaps most important, entertain...
Step aerobic exercises give you a low-impact cardiovascular workout. Using a step during your workout improves your coordination and agility. The height of the step controls the level of difficulty of step aerobics. Beginners s...
Step aerobic provides a significant workout, allowing you to burn anywhere from 502 to 791 calories per hour if you weigh between 130 and 205 pounds, according to NutriStrategy.com. Step aerobics classes are popular in gyms, th...
Aerobic step routines are exercise movements that mimic walking up and down steps. Most gym complexes have step machines and revolving step machines to give you an aerobic workout. Purchasing a stepping block for use at home al...
Exercising regularly on a step bench can improve your health and burn body fat. Building a step bench is the type of project that develops the skills of a novice craftsman. Cutting and fitting pieces of clean pine in the worksh...
Step aerobics is offered at many gyms and fitness centers or can be performed at home while following instructional exercise videos. To perform step aerobics, you need a shoe that is lightweight enough to lift, yet supportive e...
Lateral step exercises tone the muscles of the glutes, hip abductors, hip adductors and quadriceps. Some lateral exercises are also performed to enhance agility, endurance and speed training. Many lateral step exercises can be ...
Step aerobics was introduced in the 1980s and is an effective exercise for people of almost all fitness levels. The ability to adjust the intensity for each person led to the popularity of step aerobics, according to the Americ...
Stepping machines -- also known as stair-climbers and stair treadmills -- box step-ups and step-aerobic maneuvers simulate the motion of climbing flights of stairs or moving constantly over a changing environment. These can be ...
Invented in the late 1980s, step aerobics is exercise that utilizes an elevated platform to increase the difficulty and benefits of movements. The cardio workouts include movements such as the "v-step" or "turn step" that...
Step aerobics is a cardiovascular exercise technique that involves repeated stepping onto a horizontal platform. Step aerobics serves as an effective weight management exercise and mood enhancer that offers a number of health b...
While gyms and the fitness video market are filled with alternative workouts such as Tae Bo and P90X, dance aerobics is still around, providing a fun and effective cardio workout to those who participate. But some people shy aw...
After an initial step aerobics boom in the 1990s, using steps to tone your legs, calves, thighs and glutes is still an effective and popular way to stay fit and keep in shape. Before you add step aerobics to your exercise routi...
Step aerobics have taken second place on the list of group exercises that cause the most injuries, according to "American Fitness" --- thanks to faster music, increased competition, a decline in safety and instruction stan...
Step aerobics are a popular cardio activity that involves doing different combinations of step exercises on an elevated surface. According to the MayoClinic.com, step exercises not only elevate the heart rate and burn calories,...
Fitness professional Gin Miller, along with Reebok, the sports apparel manufacturer, developed the program, inspired by knee-strengthening exercises prescribed by Miller's physical therapist and the Harvard step test used to de...
Burn off the calories and work up a sweat by doing step aerobics, a choreographed routine of stepping up and down on a platform. First-time step participants should start with a low riser and concentrate on the footwork. Resear...
Step aerobics gives you a flexible aerobic workout that can be customized to your fitness level. Incorporating lunges into your step workout helps build strength in your legs, while combining arm and leg movements can improve y...
Step fitness instructors are required to be prepared when teaching an aerobic class. As an instructor, you must enter class with planned routines to provide a safe and effective workout. Even if you are the most creative instru...
Lateral stepping is a common physical therapy exercise encouraged for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, in order to help adjust posture, stability and balance. Parkinson's disease is a neurological brain condition...
When you think of step mats, you may picture Jane Fonda leading a class of women in neon leotards and warm-up socks. Step-mat exercises have come a long way since the 1980s. New exercises benefit men and women of all athletic a...
To perform aerobic activities, you do not need to have a costly gym membership or high-tech home gym equipment. With a few household supplies you can transform everyday objects into exercise equipment. Using an aerobic step hel...
Gin Miller is credited with pioneering the evolution of step training. Since its introduction in the 1980s, this high-intensity aerobic training method has proven to be a lasting fitness phenomenon. Low- and high-impact step fi...
Step aerobics can provide a high-intensity, low-impact workout. To get the most out of your workout and prevent injury, pay attention to your feet. The American Council on Exercise reports that there are tremendous ground-react...
Aerobics is a form of exercise that incorporates sequences of dance steps to music. Aerobics classes are generally led by one instructor who calls out dance moves throughout the workout session as she demonstrates them. You are...
Step aerobics first hit the group fitness scene in the 1980s, combining the music and moves of traditional dance aerobics with the extra intensity of stepping up and down on an elevated platform. The extra intensity translates ...
Aerobic exercise is an important part of a well-rounded exercise routine. Many different forms of exercise can give you an effective cardiovascular workout, and step aerobics is one of them. Step aerobics was introduced in the ...
Step training is a choreographed and rhythmic form of aerobic exercise, which involves stepping up and down on an adjustable platform. Most step training occurs in a group exercise setting. The step routines are performed to s...
The path to get there takes great mental strength and constant discipline with your food choices. Following a healthy diet plan will help you eliminate the fat on your belly and boost your energy levels. With exercise, use a mu...
Power stepping targets the entire body and can vary in difficulty. Many power steps are height-adjustable by adding blocks underneath the stepping platform. More advanced steppers also use an exercise bench as a stepping platfo...
There are few pieces of exercise equipment that offer as much versatility and convenience as the rocking step exerciser. The unique rocking motion allows you work on all the major muscle groups of your lower body while challeng...
At least three days of the week should include vigorous-to-intense aerobic activity and strength training. Turn on the music and teach your kids a few fun aerobic steps to get their bodies moving and learn healthy exercise habits.
Performing step exercises is an effective way to tone your lower body while also getting in a great cardiovascular workout. Create or purchase your own step, and you may do a variety of challenging exercises in your home. Step ...
Exercise steps are a very useful piece of exercise equipment. They can be used for aerobic exercises as well as plyometrics and strength-training. An exercise step is great for working your calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, and g...
Lunges and squats won't be enough because you need to shed the fat covering your hips and thighs to see the lean tone muscles under it. Since spot reduction is not possible, you will need to lose fat from the entire body to see...
Step aerobics classes are sometimes so choreographed, beginners are too intimidated to join. Ironically, these beginners--the unfit and overweight--are the very people who most need to attend group fitness classes. Help beginne...
Personal trainers may use a portable step when they visit clients in their home. It stores easily in a small home gym and can be carried with you when you travel. Consider doing your step workout to music with a tempo of abou...
Aerobic respiration is a four-step process that converts the oxygen you breathe into ATP, which is energy that powers your cells.
Cardiovascular exercise lowers body fat, improves aerobic capacity, and enhances the ability to perform activities of daily living. The Surgeon General recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. Adding a step aerobic...
Group aerobic classes at your local gym provide you the opportunity to meet other people and to exercise at the same time. Such classes incorporate many lower body and upper body moves to elevate your heart rate. The muscles of...
ATP or adenosine triphosphate is the molecule that provides this energy. The human body breaks down glucose, or sugar to produce ATP. ATP provides the body with the energy necessary to sustain life. For humans, the production o...
Circuit routines typically include four to 10 exercises with minimal rest periods between intervals. The step is versatile in a circuit because there are many foot patterns you may do and you may adjust the step height to chan...
Step aerobic workouts are typically filled with cardio exercise routines that burn calories. Step routines are easy to do at home, as the only equipment needed is a small step platform that can be stored under your couch or bed...
A step is a long, hard plastic training tool that is also known as an aerobic step. This tool can be used by itself, or you can stack multiple steps on top of each other to increase the challenge. Exercises on the step improve ...
The Reebok Aerobic Step features snap-in legs, making it more stable than the standard stack-on aerobic step design. The step is suitable for intermediate and advanced exercisers, with height adjustments of 6 inches, 8 inches a...
Side step exercises are great for toning your inner and outer thighs while giving your butt a nice lift. The adductor muscles of your inner thighs work to bring and keep your legs together. Your gluteus medius and minimus are t...
Aerobic respiration turns your food into a usable form of energy called adenosine tri-phosphate, or ATP. This occurs while you are sleeping, sitting down or walking around. Anaerobic respiration makes ATP in the absence of oxyg...
There's nothing like good music to get your blood pumping and inspire you to burn a few calories. But if you identify more with Napoleon Dynamite than Shakira on the dance floor, take heart: Even the most complex dance routines...
But they're still a viable, effective piece of exercise equipment. You'll usually find at least one or two step climbers still standing proudly in most gyms as a testament to their popularity and efficacy.
Step aerobic workouts offer a high intensity cardio activity without the high impact to your lower body. Stepping up and down on a bench increases heart and lung capacity while emphasizing lower body muscles. A thirty minute st...
Additionally, the aerobic step, whether in an aerobic class or on the room floor, can also be used to increase the intensity of arm exercises, particularly exercises for the back of your arms.
Aerobic movements draw from dance and athletic moves that are continuous and set to energetic music. As a cardio workout, increased intensity levels work your heart and lungs to meet increased demands. When combined with dumbbe...
Aerobic step workouts offer a low-impact cardio workout for improved function of the heart and lungs. An added emphasis on stepping on and off a step or bench strengthens and tones the muscles of your hips, buttocks and legs. W...
If aerobics instructor Gin Miller had not injured her knee in the 1980s, there's a chance that step would never have become an exercise trend. Gin's physical therapist suggested stepping up and on a milk crate as a form of phys...
Aerobic respiration is a biological process that takes energy from glucose and other organic compounds to create a molecule called Adenosine TriPhosphate (ATP). ATP is then used as energy by nearly every cell in the body--the l...
A step platform is an effective tool to add a variety of exercises to your cardio routine. Alternating the patterns of how you step will keep your attention and work new muscles to help you achieve more physical gains. Do each ...
Introduced in the 1980s, step aerobics revolutionized group fitness by adding the vertical step--and the variety of new exercises and possible movements that came with it--to standard floor-based aerobics. Beginning exercisers ...
An ordinary step stool can double as a piece of exercise equipment. You can perform several muscle-toning exercises--with or without dumbbells--to tone and shape the major muscles of your upper and lower body. No fancy or expen...
Aerobic steps, or movements, use major muscles and are continuous placing increased demands on the heart and lungs. Fitness benefits of participation in an aerobics class include improved cardiovascular endurance. The phase of ...
Your favorite disc undoubtedly has a style of dance or movement that goes with it. Is big band your thing? Try swing. How about jazz or hip hop? These are also styles of dance. Classical? Take up ballroom or ballet. Does co...
ATP provides the energy that allows the cells of the body to do the work necessary for life. There are two types of cellular respiration: aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration requires oxygen and takes place in...
Step aerobics is a high-intensity exercise that is low-impact. The level of intensity results in high calorie burn, while the low impact reduces joint impact and the possibility of injury. The step provides variation in a step ...
The step bench adds vertical height for intensity compared to traditional floor aerobics exercises. Although step bench aerobic exercises are challenging, several basic steps can be performed by individuals at all fitness level...
Although an aerobic step is usually associated with step aerobics, it can also be incorporated into abdominal exercises to make them more difficult. A floor crunch, for example, will become harder when done lying on an aerobic ...
Invented in the 1980s, Step is a type of aerobic exercise that uses a platform that you step up and down from to increase your heart rate. Because you are changing your elevation, you will have a more intense exercise than you ...
Aerobic exercise is any type of exercise done for an extended period of time that improves the condition of the heart and lungs. Running, walking and biking are all types of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise classes are done ...
It has also been shown to improve mental health. A study at the University of London had people with anxiety disorders participate in a variety of classes, but only the dance class showed significant improvements in mood. The q...
A typical step aerobics program consists of linear and lateral movements. Advanced step training involves propulsion and plyometric moves, such as jumping. Step exercise is performed to music and usually is practiced in a group...
An aerobic step allows you to burn calories, improve your cholesterol, and tone the muscles of your buttocks and legs simply by stepping on and off it for a minimal period of time. No fancy choreography like you might find in a...
The air step exercise machine, also known as the AirClimber, is one of many cheap pieces of aerobic equipment you can buy. It was developed for the home-exercise market, and it is often seen in television infomercials. The mac...
Many types of aerobic exercise can provide an excellent workout for the thighs. Step aerobics, with its varied movement patterns, is an example. Step movements are less repetitive than running or elliptical training. As such, i...
Some of the best types of high-intensity workouts are those that get the heart pumping and engage large muscle groups such as the legs and abdominals. For that reason, step aerobics are considered by many exercises to be one of...
As manufacturers of cardiovascular and strength-training equipment add high-tech bells and whistles to machines, another faction of the industry favors a back to basics approach, which uses balls, elastic bands and other low-t...
Step aerobics are a good way of adding variety and intensity to your cardio workouts. Whether you're working out in a step aerobics class with an instructor, following a step aerobics exercise tape at home or just getting in so...
Stair stepping exercises are just what they sound like--stepping up, and sometimes also down, on stair-like obstacles. They can be done on a standard staircase, indoors or out, or on one or stationary steps.
Qigong is an ancient Chinese art of healing that's designed to realign individuals with the fundamental source of their being. Practitioners believe that within each person flows a stream of qi, which they consider the underlyi...
Step is a type of aerobic exercise that involves stepping up and down on a 4-, 8- or 10-inch platform. The movements are performed to music and are choreographed in rhythmic patterns of varying intensities and complexities. St...
The exercise step is a fitness tool that you can incorporate into both your cardiovascular and strength-training routine. It provides variety for workouts and can increase the intensity of some exercises. Whether you choose to ...
Step aerobics is a cardio workout that uses constant movement to get your heart pumping and help you get in shape. By stepping on and off step with your legs and swinging your arms, you use the muscles in your legs, butt, back...
