What is it about climbing stairs....

When I first started running I H-A-T-E-D it. Pure torture. I wouldn't say I love it now, but I love that I am able to run 3 miles easily without stopping. I'm not terribly fast, mind you, but...

I do my cardio on the stair climber at the gym. I started working out in Dec with the elliptical but had to stop after a few weeks because higher resistances hurt my left knee a lot. Someone at the gym suggested I give the stair climber a shot, and wow -- in the first two weeks I couldn't manage sessions longer than 20 minutes on Level 3. It took another week before I could go up to Level 4 and climb for 30 minutes.

Since then, I've been steadily increasing the level and duration every other week to keep improving my endurance. Last month I climbed 300 floors in under 90 minutes on Level 6 (it was one of my personal goals). It was VERY HARD. I almost fell off the machine at the end but the endorphin rush after was AMAZING.

I now climb 60 to 80 minutes on Level 8 (averaging 240 floors). My heart is also getting stronger. Climbing stairs can get pretty boring after a while so I set personal goals every month. I have not decided on my next goal yet because I've been focusing more attention on strength training. Maybe 300 floors at Level 10 in under 60 minutes?

This is actually my favourite routine! Granted I can only last for about 16 minutes and do 40 flights but I aim to get up to 72 flights (the number comes from the excess baggage tv show as I figure if they can do that then I have to). I love that I can just change and do this at lunch without having to get to a gym or pay for a membership.

My building has 8 flights and I've started trying to change it up a bit since I'm a little stuck at 40 flights right now. I've brought in a matt to work and am now also doing a routine where after 8 flights I do something like push ups, mountain climbers, wall squats, bicycles.... You get the idea then 100 skips (brought in the rope too) and then back into the stairs. I actually need to think of more things to do in between so any suggestions would be great.

People look at me like I'm crazing saying I can only do 15-20 mins but it is hard and I have to start somewhere (I always tell them to join me to give it a go). Oh and it is always weird when someone opens the door nearly on you and gets such a scare. I have found roping in my team at work to make it more fun and more encouraging. And I time myself each set and try to beat it. I find it hard but at the same time I feel so good afterward.

Geez, I thought I was nuts but this is one of my main sources of cardio. I'm 60 and had both knees replaced 2 years ago and gained about 30 lbs with each knee so I was looking for a cardio exercise that would get my heart rate up without jumping or running. The steps are what works best for me. I was shocked when I found out I could take two at a time, also vary it by going sideways up and down doing sideways squats with each step or I take two steps up and one step down and two steps up and one step down to mix it up. When I added wall pushups when I was trying to catch my breath one day I really felt like if anyone catches me they will think I'm nuts. We have a number of emergency exit stairwells in our building and I have 7 floors to work with if I start in the lower garage. Typically I will head to one of the less used emergency exits so I don't have traffic from other people walking up and down. Still run into the occasional walker but typically if they are in one of the industrial stair wells they too will be doing 2 steps at a time or running for the exercise. Thx for posting this because now I don’t feel like a crazy old lady. BTW my goal is to walk the full 7 floors and walk out of the stairwell breathing evenly. So many young people that look reasonably fit will take the stairs for exercise and be gasping so hard you feel like you need to get them a chair when they get to the top. I’m almost there.

Also, I don't usually time myself. I just try to get away from my desk 3 - 4 times a day and take a walk down and back up, my goal right now is 7 times aday.

I have the same problem! I can walk & jog with no problem but the stairs wind me so bad! The stairs also really bother my knees, I really wish I could do them!

I give myself "building" goals on the stair machine at my gym. I pick a building and try to get to the top in less and less time, obviously, you have to do it the first time just to see how long it takes. Then you build your workout time around beating yourself to the top. You may have to combine two or three buildings to get your full workout time in.

Example:

Chrysler Building - 77 stories
Eiffel Tower - 81 stories
Petronas Towers - 88 stories
Empire State building - 102 stories
Taipei 101 - 101 stories
Burj Khalifa - 163 stories

JM

I give myself "building" goals on the stair machine at my gym. I pick a building and try to get to the top in less and less time, obviously, you have to do it the first time just to see how long it takes. Then you build your workout time around beating yourself to the top. You may have to combine two or three buildings to get your full workout time in.

Example:

Chrysler Building - 77 stories
Eiffel Tower - 81 stories
Petronas Towers - 88 stories
Empire State building - 102 stories
Taipei 101 - 101 stories
Burj Khalifa - 163 stories

JM

Thanks for these - something to aim for and to check each building off the list. The 72 flights I am aiming for is actually the height of the q1 on the Gold Coast.

Oh and I do this in the emergency stair well but a funny thing is happening now - people are using it all the time to get between floors.

Now why can't all stairs be like this:

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw&v=2lXh2n0aPyw&gl=AU

Actually climbing stairs is a lot of work. It feels difficult because it IS difficult. People seem so surprised at how much effort it takes, but you are hauling your body weight.

The standard riser (vertical height) is 7.75"; standard tread depth is 11". That makes the incline for a stairway about a 70% grade. Pretty tough.

The energy cost of climbing a standard set of stairs at 30 steps per minute (pretty slow--that's 2 sec per step) is almost 7 METs, which is somewhat less than jogging at 5 mph. Considering most people walk up at a pace probably twice that fast, it gives you an idea of the exertion involved.

Not to mention the fact that walking up steps puts the load primarily on your quads. If your quads are not specifically trained in this movement, they do not have the endurance to maintain the activity and localized muscle fatigue becomes a factor (similar to cycling if you haven't done that before).

So don't think that you are weak or that there is something wrong with you if you struggle at first going up stairs. A low-fit or unfit person will struggle with the intensity and even a moderately fit person will lack the specific muscle endurance at first.

If you want to do stairs as an exercise, start with a slow pace--2 seconds per step: Step..two; Step....two, etc.

Or just do a stepmill and try not to hold on much.

I do stairs at my work every time I go to the restroom. Luckily not too many other people use the stairwells I do because I am usually breathing pretty heavy at the top!

If nothing else the view at the top is a heck of a lot better than at my desk where I can't even see out a window!

I like using the stairmill for my cardio days. I'm drenched in sweat by the time I'm done! Such a good feeling! I would do about 40-50 minutes anywhere from level 6-8 (warmup) to 10-14 (workout). I'd switch it up too and do something like skipping steps, kicking my leg backward (realllly targets the glutes!) tip toe run, calf raise walk(anywhere from 5-10 minutes), and lately I've been ending with 10 minutes of walking backwards up the stairmill. (Kinda freaky! Definitely clutching the sides, but it's a good workout haha)

Not only I lose my breath when climbing stairs but also my (non existing) leg muscles passes out.

Climbing stairs was a major part of my rehab from major knee injuries that left me with one leg like a twig after 3 months unable to bear weight on it.
Such as easy, but very productive, thing to fit in your everyday life.

Anybody else have something they do for their health even though it's not particularly fun?

Running any distance over 100 meters would qualify for me, always hated any running that wasn't sprinting or done as part of a sport.
Only do it once in a while as I don't want to lose the ability to run and there's a certain perverse satisfaction from doing something to a mediocre standard you are naturally bad at!
3k in 15 minutes made me ridiculously happy....