How can I avoid injuries while doing stair climbing exercises?

Add a warm-up and a cool-down to your workout to prevent injury while exercising on the stairs. Most stair climbers will have lesser intensity settings that you can use to elevate and decrease your heart rate slowly. If you use stairs instead of a machine, walk leisurely for several minutes before and after your workout. According to the CDC , you should also consider your overall fitness level, age, and health status before exercising. In short, don’t overdo it. Instead, increase the intensity gradually over several weeks or months.

What type of exercise is stair climbing?

Aerobic exercise relies on oxygen to produce energy. This type of workout is generally longer in duration and moderate in intensity. Stair exercises are usually aerobic (with a few exceptions). For example, climbing up and down the stairs for several minutes at a moderate pace would be an aerobic activity. On the other hand, anaerobic exercise is when a movement is so intense that it requires more energy than oxygen can provide. These exercises involve short, intense bursts of activity fueled by the energy within your muscles. Several more vigorous stair exercises are anaerobic. For example, if you did a quick minute of high-intensity lunges on the stairs and then took a break, that would be considered anaerobic.

What muscles do stair exercises target?

Stair exercises can potentially target your entire body. For example, just walking up and down the stairs targets your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and core more than walking alone. The workout featured here also includes strength training exercises that target areas like your biceps, triceps, pectorals, and deltoids.

You Can Do This 15-Minutes of Stair Work Out at Home

Step-by-Step

Stairs workout, stair exercises at home - trainer intro/warm-up (woman working out on stairs inside) — JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images

Want to take your fitness level to new heights? Scale a flight of stairs. You'll crank up your heart rate, burn fat, and engage your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and core more intensely than you would treading on flat ground. Michelle Lovitt, a Los Angeles–based exercise physiologist and personal trainer, routinely sends her clients huffing and puffing up and down all 189 steps of the infamously steep Santa Monica stairs.

But here, she has created a plan that's ideal for those just learning how to start working out. All you need is a staircase with about 15 steps, indoors or out. (Rocky sound track optional.) For best results, pair with stretching exercises after to keep your muscles loose and ready for the next workout.

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Varied Pacing

To get blood flowing in your legs, climb the stairs slowly, keeping your shoulders back and looking straight ahead, then walk down. Repeat three more times. Next, run up the stairs, then walk down. On the descent, put most of your weight on your heels so that your glutes (rather than your knees) absorb the impact. Repeat three more times.

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Step-Up to Reverse Lunge

Face the stairs with your left foot on the second step and your right leg behind you on the floor.

(A) Lift your right knee to your chest, then quickly step back to the starting position.

(B) Step down to the floor with your left leg, positioning it behind your right, then do a lunge (with your right knee directly over your ankle). Quickly step back up, left knee to chest, and return to the starting position. Do 12 reps, then do 12 more on the other side.

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Triceps Stair Dip

(A) Sit on the edge of the second or third step with your arms at your sides. Pressing down on your palms, lift your buttocks a bit off the step. Extend your legs, resting your heels on the floor. (If you have back issues, keep your feet flat on the floor and bend your legs at 90 degrees.)

(B) Slowly lower your rear by bending your arms at 90 degrees. Press back up to the starting position. This is one rep; do 10. Now run up the stairs, then walk down. Do 10 more dips.

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Skater Steps

Stand on the floor facing the stairs.

(A) Place your left foot on the far-left end of the second step.

(B) Follow with your right leg, bringing it to the far-right end of the fourth step. Continue climbing, taking the stairs two at a time with wide steps while keeping your head up. To boost the calorie burn, swing your arms and engage your abdominals as you go. After reaching the top, walk back down. That's one rep. Do one more.

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Mountain Climber

(A) Facing the stairs, place your hands on the second step with your arms pressed into your sides, legs extended behind you, and core engaged (essentially in a push-up position).

(B) Bring your left knee to your left shoulder, then return your foot to the floor. Alternate legs, bringing your right knee to your right shoulder, then returning your foot to the floor. That's one rep. Do 12 without pausing. (You'll feel as if you're running in place.)

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I avoid injuries while doing stair climbing exercises?

Add a warm-up and a cool-down to your workout to prevent injury while exercising on the stairs. Most stair climbers will have lesser intensity settings that you can use to elevate and decrease your heart rate slowly. If you use stairs instead of a machine, walk leisurely for several minutes before and after your workout. According to the CDC, you should also consider your overall fitness level, age, and health status before exercising. In short, don’t overdo it. Instead, increase the intensity gradually over several weeks or months.
What type of exercise is stair climbing?

Aerobic exercise relies on oxygen to produce energy. This type of workout is generally longer in duration and moderate in intensity. Stair exercises are usually aerobic (with a few exceptions). For example, climbing up and down the stairs for several minutes at a moderate pace would be an aerobic activity.

On the other hand, anaerobic exercise is when a movement is so intense that it requires more energy than oxygen can provide. These exercises involve short, intense bursts of activity fueled by the energy within your muscles. Several more vigorous stair exercises are anaerobic. For example, if you did a quick minute of high-intensity lunges on the stairs and then took a break, that would be considered anaerobic.
What muscles do stair exercises target?

Stair exercises can potentially target your entire body. For example, just walking up and down the stairs targets your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and core more than walking alone. The workout featured here also includes strength training exercises that target areas like your biceps, triceps, pectorals, and deltoids.

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