Are Steppers Good for Strengthening Legs?

The stair stepper stands tall in the cardiovascular room at the health club. The steppers are ready at a moment's notice to give you a workout that mimics stair climbing. Stair stepping burns calories, improves your heart and lung functions and tones your lower body. You may control the resistance of the machine according to your fitness goals.

  1. Step It Up

    • The stair climbing machines are known as steppers. You stand with each foot on a pedal that moves up and down to simulate the motion of stair climbing. The machine has handles, which should be used for balance support only. Don't lean on them to take the weight off your legs. Stair climbing is a low-impact workout; your feet never leave the pedals and thus there is less stress on your knees.

    Lovely Legs

    • The reduced stress on the knees does not translate into a less effective workout for your legs, however. Your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves are toned as you step against the resistance, which you may adjust. You could burn approximately 150 calories while stepping for 21 minutes at a moderate pace.

    Strong Enough

    • Since stair stepping is primarily a cardio workout, you do not receive the same strengthening benefits that you would from lifting weights or using other types of resistance. You could, however, increase the resistance of the stepper to increase the strength-training benefits of the workout, but then you may not be able to step for more than 10 minutes, which is not as beneficial for your cardiovascular system as stepping for 30 to 60 minutes.

    Mix It Up

    • You may vary your stepping routine for greater strength and aerobic benefits. Incorporate intervals into your workout by increasing and decreasing the resistance. For example, after a five-minute warm-up at a lower resistance, increase the resistance to heavy and climb for two minutes. Then decrease the resistance to medium and climb quickly for two minutes to build your endurance. Repeat this alternating pattern for the duration of your workout.