Stop Taking the Easy Way – Take the Stairs Instead

Many people, especially those who live in congested cities, work in office
tower blocks. They use the elevator every day of their lives to get from the
ground to whatever floor their office is on.
Still others use elevators in department stores, apartment towers and so on.

Forget the elevator and take the stairs, because climbing stairs is one of the
most effective forms of aerobic exercise that you can ever do.

This was clearly proven by a British study some ten years ago, when
researchers discovered that for averagely sedentary people, just a few
minutes climbing the stairs every day demonstrably improved their
cardiovascular health.

This study was of particular interest because it supported the idea that
taking several short spurts of exercise every day will make a significant
difference to your health (hence the idea that you can walk for ten minutes a day three times, rather than just one thirty minute session).

The study required 20 college aged women who lived relatively sedentary
lives to climb up 200 steps in less than two and a half minutes. This represented a ‘brisk but comfortable’ pace according to the researchers
conducting the study, but the first time that they did it, it nevertheless
served to shoot the test subjects’ heart rates up to around 90% of the
anticipated maximum heart rate.
Despite this, the test subjects moved from making one climb per day during
the first week to six per day in the sixth and seventh weeks.  This therefore meant that the test subjects were climbing stairs for around thirteen and a half minutes per day by the conclusion of the test, which (in case the point is not clear) represents less than a quarter of an hour of reasonably rigorous exercise every day.
By the end of this relatively modest (and completely free) exercise program,
the women being tested were measurably fitter than they had been before.
Every indicator had improved significantly. Their heart rate immediately
after the climb had decreased markedly and their breathing had slowed as
well, indicating that they needed to take in less oxygen to ‘fuel’ their efforts.

On the other hand, their HDL levels had increased, which is a good thing,
because high-density lipoprotein is also sometimes known as ‘good’
cholesterol. High levels of HDL in the blood seem to play a role in reducing
the risk of heart attack, while low levels seem to do the opposite by
increasing the risk of heart disease.

It is clear just how effective climbing the stairs can be as exercise, and it is
even more so if you take the stairs that you are climbing two at a time.
This significantly increases the work that your leg muscles have to do, and
that in itself increases the aerobic effects of your exercise by a noticeable
degree.

You do not have to exercise for hours at a time to enjoy the benefits that a
‘work-out’ will bring. Less than 15 minutes of stair climbing a day will
improve your overall aerobic health significantly, and will cost you nothing at all.
So, the next time you go to the office or the department store and feel
tempted to get into a packed, hot and sweaty elevator, think about it for a
moment.  Does that really seem like a better option than giving your whole body a good workout?

HIIT: Cardio or Resistance

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a theory of exercise that pushes the body to reach a maximum performance for short spurts of time. This method has been proven to burn more body fat, while at the same time also help maintain muscle integrity.

There are two main directions for HIIT workouts. Some choose the cardio HIIT which focuses on increasing the level of output for short periods of time – for instance a walk, jog, run interval.

Resistance HIIT maintains an even pace for the workout, but increases the resistance for short intervals – for instance biking at the same pace but choosing to increase the resistance to push the body harder, or jogging at the same pace but choosing to increase the incline on the treadmill for a short interval, and then returning it to the original state.

Both types of HIIT workouts are great methods for fat burning. They are also good for time management, since HIIT workouts generally last only around 15 to 20 minutes (although it’s important to remember that this is a time limit which beginners may have to work up to). HIIT cardio and resistance training also carry over the benefits of the workout for up to 36 hours after the workout is complete.

The major difference between the two types of HIIT workouts is stress. Because the resistance training remains at an even pace, there is less stress exerted on the joints. The increase in intensity comes from the increase in the resistance.

The path to a HIIT workout is not as important as reaching that intensity level. Resistance training and cardio can both be beneficial choices. Mixing up the HIIT workouts between the two might even help to stimulate interest, as it can easily take the ‘mundane’ out of practicing the same old workout time and time again.

No matter how you choose to get in your HIIT workout, be sure that you consult a physician before you begin. HIIT can be tough on the body, and it is always a good idea to be checked out by your doctor before beginning a major exercise regime. You want to give yourself every possible benefit of this type of program, and it all starts out with a YES from your doctor.

Cardio Interval Training

Today the fastest way to lose weight seems to be to use interval cardio training. This is a method where you find yourself doing short, but intense bursts of cardio training followed by a slower paced exercise. This results in more fat being burned from the increase in your metabolism. And more women are finding that this is a fantastic means for them to lose the belly fat they want to, without the worry of looking like a bodybuilder as a result of it.

This method is working for many women, and that has to do largely with the fact that this type of workout deals with the entire body, and not just one specific area you find needs help. As an example, if you want to burn belly fat quickly, this is the best method because it works all of the body instead of just concentrating on the abs, which is what you would likely have been doing by performing crunches in what seemed to be an endless battle. Many women enjoy the full body workout, and prefer it so they don’t end up with those ever-popular “washboard abs”, but then have thighs or a bottom that needs toning.

Interval cardio training gives you a method of receiving the same amount of workout as you would in a regular workout, only in much less time. It works by taking away those slow-paced exercises you may be used to, and increasing the intensity of your workout to get more benefit while raising your metabolism. You need less time to work out, and the types of training you do are totally interchangeable. They are also exercises you don’t need a gym membership or fancy equipment in order to benefit.

Although some women may look at this new exercise routine with a bit of anxiety at first, when the principles are applied properly the results are evident quite quickly. You also don’t have to worry about changing what you already do, since this works with any cardio activity. For example, let’s say part of your regular fitness routine is using a few steps on your staircase to simulate the action of using a Stairmaster or other similar piece of equipment.

• Please be careful when doing this type of exercise on your stairs. Make sure you wear running shoes if you have flooring with no carpet to avoid slips and falls. Hold a railing if one is available. You may prefer to just use the bottom step, and simply move at a quicker pace.

To start out with, you could do a relatively quick and steady “up-and-down” of your usual number of stairs for approximately 2-3 minutes. Then step it up into a faster pace, similar to that of a jog. If you happen to have a treadmill you would add sprints to your run. Using any cardio exercise alternating at two levels of intensity – what you normally do (brisk walk, jog etc.) to all-out marathon or Olympic status with all that you’ve got, will do the trick to get your metabolism going.

The point is, using this interval cardio training program permits you to not only make it work with the cardio exercises you’re already doing. You can even find some plans on the internet which help you map out what you need to do, how often and how much you can potentially lose in, let’s say, 8 weeks perhaps.

You will find this type of exercise has many health benefits. You can burn belly fat quickly because you take less time to burn more calories, it improves your cardio endurance; it improves the elasticity of your arteries and even more.

The next time you start your cardio, whether at home or at the gym, remember to increase the intensity of your working by changing to interval cardio training. You’ll be amazed at just how quickly you’ll see the results for quick fat loss.