The Best Exercises for Stair Steppers

The stair stepper is a low-impact and effective cardio exercise machine. It stimulates the motion and benefits of climbing stairs, but allows you to exercise in a more controlled environment, such as the gym or your home. A vigorous workout can help you increase your metabolism and lose weight. Stair steppers come in several forms, which gives you a variety of exercise you can perform.

  1. Stair Stepper Variations

    • There is a large variation of stair steppers, with different functionalities available for purchase and at gyms. Your traditional stair stepper comes in two forms: electronic and manual. The electronic machine comes with a small flight of three or four revolving steps, while the manual machine often has two pedals that allow you to perform an up and down motion. The latter is often referred to as a stair climber. There is also mini stair steppers that often come with either resistance bands or a stationary or moveable handle. Stick to either of the two traditional stair steppers, as they are more effective for vigorous exercise than the mini steppers.

    The Best Exercise to Burn Fat

    • The most effective workout for weight loss is high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE). Electronic stair steppers often have several total-workout programs with a HIIE option, or you can create your own. Start with a five-minute warmup to increase blood circulation. Increase the intensity 70 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate for one minute and exercise at a recovery rate of 50 to 60 percent for two minutes. Continue to perform these intervals for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on your level of fitness. Subtract your age from 220 for a rough estimate of your heart rate and use a heart rate monitor to gage your intensity during the workout.

    A Muscle-building Workout

    • The stair stepper can help you develop lower-body strength. You can increase the resistance on the manual pedal stair climber, which makes pushing down significantly harder. This forces your legs to recruit more muscles -- particularly your quadriceps -- to perform the exercise. Perform 15 to 20 reps on each leg in three sets, depending on your level of strength. With the rotating stair stepper, you can climb every other step to perform lunges. This is the best exercise to help you develop your quads and gluteus maximus muscle. Pump your legs until your muscles fatigue to help them develop. Aim for 15 lunges on each leg in two or three sets.

    General Guidelines

    • When using a stair stepper, pressing your heel down on the step engages your quads and hamstrings, while pressing down on your toe targets your calf muscles more. If you don't have strong calves, press down on your heel or alternate between heel and toe. Try to avoid pushing the stair climber all the way up or down. In addition to 150 minutes of moderately paced cardio weekly, perform one or two HIIE sessions weekly to boost fat loss. The muscle-building workouts on the stair stepper can be a beneficial addition to your strength-training regimen, which you should perform twice a week on non-consecutive days. Fuel your body with lean protein, such as turkey breast, healthy fats such as almonds and fruits before and after each workout session.