What We Realised From President Biden’s Fall.
Picture this: you’re the President of the United States taking your usual walk up the stairs into Air Force One. The only thing on your mind is getting on board to prepare for your next meeting, among other presidential stuff. Then suddenly, you trip and fall on the stairs not once, but three times in a row! That’s what actually happened a few weeks ago as President Biden tried to board Air Force One. Now, this is definitely how we don’t want you to end up…we mean falling and getting hurt. If you want to become the next president, more power to you!
Some might say this is just a casual slip up and for the most part it is. But it sparked our curiosity about just how important stairs are for preventing injuries and their usefulness when exercising. Every time you use a set of stairs to get from point A to point B, you’re actually doing an amazing workout. Climbing stairs is a great way to strengthen your entire lower body, as well as burn lots of calories. It’s such a simple and effective way to exercise, it should be a staple part of your workout routine.
Climbing Stairs As A Workout
No, you don’t need any fancy equipment or an expensive gym membership to get a great workout. All you need is a set of stairs and some clothes you don’t mind breaking a sweat in. But what even makes climbing stairs an effective workout? The answer is because of the way you move mechanically while doing it. You simultaneously extend your ankles, knees, and hips against gravity when climbing stairs, resulting in a low impact but challenging and effective way to exercise.
Exercising with stairs is a sure-fire way to break a sweat, burn calories, and build strength. So much so that you should be aware of how quickly you walk, run, or jog upstairs in certain situations. Next time you’re running late to a meeting and opt for the stairs instead of the elevator, walk up to them slowly and carefully. Otherwise, you might be breathing heavy with a bit of sweat on your nose in your next meeting!
Climbing stairs is also a flexible exercise, allowing you to incorporate different methods of training techniques you couldn’t do on a machine. For example, you can climb stairs with a resistance band around your quads, jump explosively while skipping stairs, slow down your climbing tempo, and much more. Not to mention, pushing your body up stair after stair against gravity is also a great cardiovascular exercise. This way, you’ll burn lots of calories while also developing strength and power. Told you a fancy gym and equipment isn’t needed for an epic workout!
Even if it feels like the stairs are never-ending, once you reach the top you can carefully walk back down, resulting in what’s called ‘interval training. Interval training combines high-intensity bursts of activity, like climbing stairs, with periods of rest and recovery. This uses both your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, which can increase endurance, promote weight loss, and make your workouts more fun.
Prevent Injuries From Falling
So let’s get back to our fantasy of becoming the next president. Exercising with stairs will make sure you board Air Force One flawlessly and have the strength and balance a president should.
As we get older, you have a higher chance of falling and injuring yourself. This stems from a multitude of causes, including heart, vision, musculoskeletal, mental, and environmental issues. Something as harmless as being in a situation with bad lighting could cause you to trip and severely injure yourself. Or, if you suffer a heart attack you could faint or fall over, resulting in injuries.
Climbing stairs allows you to build up the strength, power, and balance to prevent yourself from falling in a variety of situations. Also, think about how often you encounter a set of stairs. Simply adding them into your workout regimen could reduce your risk of falling on stairs next time you encounter them.
How To Start Exercising With Stairs
So, how to exercise using stairs seems pretty obvious, right? You just go up and go back down. WRONG… well, not entirely wrong. For beginners, you’ll get a great workout by walking up stairs one at a time. This will reduce your risk of injury and provide a challenging yet doable workout that will help you break a sweat. Once you’re more advanced, you can enjoy the challenge of running up stairs, explosively jumping while skipping stairs, using resistance bands, or lunging up the stairs. After you’ve been climbing stairs for a while and are comfortable doing it, the possibilities and creativity with this workout are endless.
The Best Part About Climbing Stairs
Did we mention the best part about climbing stairs? It’s free! You can usually find a set of stairs close to your home in a public park, mall, office block, or even your own home. No special equipment is needed either: just lace up some basic sneakers, wear comfortable clothes, and get to stepping!
Climbing stairs is a super effective way to prevent injuries from falling, build power and strength in your legs, and have a fun workout. Now that you’ve learned about the wonders of climbing stairs, you’re primed to have a great lower body workout! For more information on how to improve your health, explore our site.
