I have two flights of stairs in my house - each with 12 steps.
I go up and down the stairs more than 10 times a day. I think it is much more that that, but being that I am home now, let's assume it could be between 10 - 25 times daily from 8 am until bedtime 11 pm.
I would like to know if you can help me figure out how much I am working out my body in terms of cardio. This is the only exercise I do at the moment, I am also a part-time student going once a week, so I get an hour's worth of walking outside.
Going up these stairs so many times a day, would it be considered descent cardio workouts? I do not run up the stairs or rush - just simple one, two etc.
Thats a great workout for both the legs and for cardio purposes I actually use my stairs to do my calf raises, and i used to do my cardio on them , it was called step -ups. I did it holding a heavy weight , i also liked doing intervals where i would run up the stairs as fast as i could, then would add weight, either in a backpack, or holding dumbells.
Calf raise though is my absolute favourite excercise of all. The great thing about calf raise is you dont actually NEED weights for it. Although any weight u can get helps, as it will reduce the length of time you have to spend doing them.
When doing calf raises make sure to go up high and down low.
And do alot of calf raises each day cuz they're awesome
Try not to chicken out too soon when it starts getting hard or it won't work so well obviously.
Give them a try, tell me if it works for you, cuz you dont have weights do u? so it might not be so easy for ya.
As for the cardio, can you try something different? something better?
going slowly up the stairs doesn't sound like much excercise.
Simply increasing speed could be good...
but you should look at other options cuz I can't imagine a SMALL set of stairs to be good cardio.
ask yourself this: how much do you sweat after cardio?
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Last edited by Benevolence; 03-26-2009 at 12:53 AM.
that will do absolutely nothing for you tbh, you need to actually take time out to put some effort into exercise that will actually raise your heartrate.
Maybe take some time out to walk a few miles a day to start out with?
They say you need about 20mins vigerous exercise 3 times per week to stay healthy, or dont quote me on it but about 50mins moderate exercise(eg walking) 5 times a week
Agreed with the other posts. It CAN be good exercise, but if you aren't getting out of breath, it likely isn't enough. I live on the third floor of an apartment and go up and down the stairs quite often, but I need more than that. Try picking up the pace and running up and down back and forth. I used to do a great exercise where I jog around my apartment complex and run up and down the stairs at different buildings. It was challenging, interesting, and felt like great exercise. I'd do this probably 30-45 minutes and then I'd do some strength training. I don't do this too often anymore because I'm allergic to some of the plants at my new apartment and try to work out inside because of this.
I guess these people are right.No wonder i'm starting to hear more and more about how people should start taking the elevator and avoid the stairs
But after re-reading your post just going up and down a flight of stairs throughout the day isn't going to do much in terms of cardio. Unless you made an interval routine out of it, but people might think you are crazy if they see you running up and down the stairs over and over again lol. Like i said though climbing stairs with weight is a GREAT cardio/conditioning exercise.
Cardio -- no. You have to get your heartrate up, and keep it up, for a sustained period to get a cardio workout. A quick walk up the stairs (what's that take, 30 seconds) won't do it. It's certainly not bad for you, but when you hear about the benefits from cardio, this won't do it.
Yes, I would say 15 flights of stairs at one time is a significant amount of exercise. In fact, some research says that 3 10-minute workouts can be as good as 1 half-hour workout.
yeah, but do you have some kind of reason for not going to gym?
maybe too expensive?
or you don't like to run in public?
I personally don't think too highly of walking. except i've noticed fast walking constantly uphill can be extremely hard. ^^
but you wont have any hills to climb obviously.
How much do you sweat or lose breath?
I sweat a ton on the treadmill at the gym and have to drink lots of water straight after.
__________________
Denied! Myself!
You care about everyone else
Stand by! And kill!
To the deepest state, to the pain I've felt.
I actually use my stairs to do my calf raises, and i used to do my cardio on them , it was called step -ups. I did it holding a heavy weight , i also liked doing intervals where i would run up the stairs as fast as i could, then would add weight, either in a backpack, or holding dumbells.
