Will I Really Lose Weight If I Take The Stairs?
In a world where everyone is super busy Colin Boreham, professor of at the University College Dublin Institute for Sports and Health states, “ stair climbing is one of the few everyday activities at a moderate to high intensity that one can do surreptitiously without having to change, you don’t need special equipment or look foolish.” In short, yes, taking the stairs can help you lose weight.
The benefits are numerous.
- It’s time efficient. You can do it in 10 minutes sometimes less.
- It’s convenient. You can spread it out throughout your day and you can do it in small chunks.
- It’s simple. You don’t need equipment, you don’t need to learn how to use a dumbbell or buy a kettlebell, or hire a personal trainer…although that hurts me little : ). All you need is your body and a set of stairs.
- No special clothes needed. You don’t even need to dress up, you just show up the way you are and do what you came to do.
On the website stepjockey.com it lists the following benefits.
- Climbing just 8 flights of stairs a day lowers average early mortality risk by 33%.
- Seven minutes of stair climbing a day decreases your risk of heart attack by 50% over the course of 10 years.
- Just two minutes of extra stair climbing a day is enough to stop average middle-aged weight gain.
In summary, stair climbing improves your cardiovascular fitness as you as well as burns more calories per minute than jogging. Pretty awesome if you’re trying to slim down your waistline.
The takeaway is simple, if you’re short on time, you don’t have access to fancy equipment, and you don’t like the idea of changing, and you don’t want to add one more thing to your schedule…take the stairs.
One of the simplest, easiest things you can do is walk up and down some stairs for 2 minute periods. Start with one, two minute bout a day and increase that gradually over the course of 8 weeks. You’ll be burning more calories and getting a slimmer waistline. The result of Colin’s study is moderate and you shouldn’t view it as the only thing you need to stay fit. But when times a crunch you can always do something, because action is always better than no action.
Go be awesome.
KELLEN LAKE – I will steal their motto, “Take the stairs and not the elevator.”
PS – Only got 30 minutes and you don’t like crowds? Click here to apply for a complimentary trail for a Unique Provem offered System at Just You Fitness Winston-Salem.
PSS – Recipe for Sriracha Roasted Garbanzos
Ingredients:
- 14 oz. can chickpeas, (BPA-free) (drained, rinsed, and dried)
- 1 Tbsp. sriracha
- ½ Tbsp. coconut oil
- ½ Tbsp. organic honey
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- ½ Tbsp. sesame seeds
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the sriracha, coconut oil, honey, and sea salt together. Pour in the chickpeas and toss to coat the entire mixture.
4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and toss again.
5. Spread the chickpeas out evenly on the baking sheet (no overlapping chickpeas!).
6. Roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Roast until lightly golden and crispy.
7. Allow to cool.
Enjoy!
