How to turn any stairs into fitness equipment
Personal trainer Andreas Tasci often uses stairs in his sessions for efficient training whatever the location.
If you regularly take the stairs instead of the lift, doing something for your health, because climbing stairs increases your heart rate, strengthens your muscles and uses three times as much energy as walking on a flat surface. In a study* conducted by British sports scientists, participants increased their cardiorespiratory fitness by 17% in eight weeks – just by climbing stairs regularly.
*Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine
Five stair-based exercises
These exercises offer a short fitness programme which can be done on any set of stairs. Let’s go – every step counts!
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Climb on the balls of your feet
Ideal for calves and glutes, arch of the foot, thighs and cardiovascular system.
How it works: Treading only on the balls of your feet, raise one knee and tense your buttocks to actively push your body forwards. Do the same on the other foot: Tip: do the exercise barefoot at home. This makes it easier to tread only on the balls of your feet and maximises the training effect.
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Frog jumps
Ideal for calves and glutes, arch of the foot, thighs and cardiovascular system.
How it works: Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, crouch down and then jump onto the next step. Land gently and crouch down again. Important: Bend forwards slightly with a straight back and make sure that your knees and toes point forwards.
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Sideways and backwards
Ideal for coordination.
How it works: To improve your coordination, climb the stairs facing sideways – stepping first in front, then behind. It’s also good for coordination to climb the stairs backwards. Start slowly until you feel steady. Hold onto the banister if necessary.
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Lunges
Ideal for thighs, glutes and balance.
How it works: Face from the stairs and place one foot on the bottom or second-to-bottom step. Take a big step forwards. Move slowly up and down keeping your back straight. Important: The foot, leg and knee of the front leg should be in a straight line and the knee should not extend over the toes during the lunges.
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Push-ups
Ideal for shoulders, arms, chest and core.
How it works: Adopt the push-up position by placing your hands shoulder-width apart on the second or third step. Make sure to tense your stomach and back muscles throughout the push-up movement. The angle of the stairs means you have to support less weight.
Example of a simple “Stair fit plan”
This training plan shows how you can integrate the five exercises into your daily routine. You’ll feel much fitter in just a few weeks. If the exercises become too easy for you, simply increase the number of repetitions or your speed. Other options: Increase the difficulty of the exercises by using a weighted rucksack, briefcase, full water bottle or other form of extra weight.
