Stuck in a rut?

Every once in a while we all find ourselves stuck in a rut.  One of the best ways to snap out of it is to try something new and different.  If you are already active but need to spice up your routine, why not add something that is readily available in your everyday life?!  – For me, it’s stair-climbing, something that I have been thinking to incorporate into my workout routine for a very long time.  If you are already engaged in this activity, then perhaps you can comment below on how wonderfully challenging the stairs are!  I love it!

If you haven’t tried the stairs yet and have no knee issues that can be made worse by this activity, why not give the stairs a chance to change your life?  Just like anything new, do it slowly and carefully until you get the hang of it.  Climbing the stairs challenges both your cardiovascular and muscular fitness – so don’t think you’re not doing much by doing it slow.  Absolutely you are strengthening and toning your bones and muscles – especially the heart, legs and butt.

Stairs offer challenge to individuals of a variety of fitness levels – even the already fit person will find that the stairs maximize their body and mental fitness!  So invite a friend or two and try the stairs one day – depending on how many flights of stairs you find, maybe you won’t be able to go all the way up the first day or the first few times for that matter.  STOP when you need to catch your breath and continue once your breathing return to normal.  Slow and steady for 30 minutes if you can.

Depending on your neigbourhood, you may have a variety of choices to climb stairs.  For example, as a resident of Hamilton, Ontario, I have access to the escarpment stairs built by the city.  There’s Chedoke, Dundurn, James, Wentworth and Kenilworth.  Check out the video below displaying a climb up the Chedoke stairs!

There are a variety of other places with stairs with steps that can contribute to a great workout for you – apartment buildings, sport sparks, office buildings, malls, overpasses, bridges and homes with more than one storey of course, among others.

Stairclimbing – it’s different, it’s challenging and it’s FREE!  Try it, at least once – then tell me about it!

Marlin