Your quarantine staircase workout

Now that the lockdown has been extended, admit it: you’re worried about exercise. Sure, you must have checked out the various online workout sessions offered by experts, but it’s hard to motivate yourself when the WiFi jumps about more than the instructor.

So here’s a simple workout you can do at home – using a staircase. Incorporating stairs in your workout will not just keep you fit and active, but also improve your cardiovascular endurance, improve your balance, boost your metabolism and help you lose weight.

This workout takes care of almost your entire body, including the chest, your core and your lower body. Compared with walking, jogging and running on a flat surface, more muscles are involved in staircase workouts, helping you tone them and burn more calories. That’s because on flat ground, only your leg muscles are involved. But on a staircase, you also use your glutes, quads, hamstrings and core, stabilising the muscles in your foot, ankle and the peroneal tendons that are all essential for balance. Moreover, when you use the stairs often, you will build your stamina, benefit your heart and manage your blood pressure levels as well.

Starting points

1. Make sure your posture and alignment are correct. Keep your back straight; do not hunch.

2. Start slowly and then increase the intensity by increasing repetitions and sets, or add a resistance band.

3. It is very important to wear the right kind of shoes. Wrong shoes can lead to strain and injury.

WATCH | Your quarantine staircase workout, with fitness expert Deanne Panday

Benefits

1.No gym fees required – you just need access to a staircase.

2.Staircase workouts, like weight-bearing and resistance exercises, improve bone mass and strength because they force you to work against gravity. Therefore, the heavier you are, the harder you’ll be forced to work – and burn calories.

3.It is a relatively intense exercise that quickly increases your heart rate and therefore your cardiovascular fitness.

4.It helps strengthen and shape problem areas like calves, thighs, buttocks and tummy.

5.It is an efficient way to burn calories and great for those of us with limited time to exercise.

6.It is low impact and safe for the knees, provided the correct techniques are used and there are no pre-existing conditions.

Do not do this workout if…

1.You already have trouble balancing and are prone to falling.

2.You have low BP or suffer from stiffness.

3.You suffer from any kind of inflammatory condition such as arthritis or joint problems.

Keep in mind

1.If you have wrist pain, avoid the plyo pushups. Do regular pushups instead.

2.Stay hydrated.

3.Be mindful and stay focused while doing a staircase workout.

4.Beginners do one round of each exercise. As you get fitter, increase the rounds.

Watch the videos to get it right. Do three sets and do each exercise two to four times up and down the staircase depending on your fitness level.

Author Bio: Deanne Panday is a celebrity fitness trainer

From HT Brunch, April 19, 2020

Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch

Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch