Fit for Free: Neighborhood Stair Climb

You don’t need a fancy gym membership, or tons of time to get a great workout. In the next few months, we’ll be sharing some fun and effective ways to get and stay fit. Kate tried our first one yesterday, and boy is she sore today!

The Stair Climb

This set of stairs is in our neighborhood, near an elementary school. As you can see, it’s a long climb to the top. Kate made it up and down these stairs five times before she came home and continued with some other circuit exercises and stretches. But this stair climb was and is tough!

Climbing stairs works the major leg muscles, plus those hard-to-target glutes. It’s also a great way to build up your endurance if you participate in other sports at school, or for running. Fit-perfect!

Hunt around your neighborhood for a long set of stairs. Try parks, schools, or areas near shopping centers. If you’re having trouble locating a good set of stairs, see if you can use the football stadium bleachers at your local high school.

If you’re a beginner, start by walking slowly up and down a few times. Hold the rail of you need to, or pump your arms in rhythm as you climb. You can add this routine to the end of a run or power walk. More advanced? Jog up stairs between 5-10 times, depending on the height.

Make sure to put in your earbuds and blast your favorite tunes as you’re climbing…and climbing…and climbing.

Another idea, climb with a one or two friends and encourage each other.

Challenge yourself! If you’re only able to tackle the stairs a few times when starting out, see if you can build up your endurance and add in more time and reps as you get stronger. Do this, and you will!