The Benefits of StairMaster
Sure you have seen the StairMaster in gyms and on television workout programs for years and for good reason. Stair climbing has been a solid workout option for decades, from running the stadium stairs at football practices to films portraying your favorite athletic hero endlessly climbing set after set in a workout montage. Simply said, this workout works!!
Mimicking the motion of climbing stairs, the StairMaster can easily be implemented to all fitness levels. This regiment delivers a solid cardio workout alternative as well as improving both core and lower-body strength.
A regulated StairMaster workout can help isolate toning lower-body muscles, especially the: quadriceps hamstrings calves glutes
The biggest benefits to adding a StairMaster workout into your routine are:
1. Skip the learning curve
Climbing stairs is a very natural movement that takes no oversight to master. We’ve all walked those endless stairs at some point. With the StairMaster you just adjust the speed to match your fitness level and goals, and ramp it up when you need a more challenging workout.
2. Engages the lower body
The StairMaster is an effective way to isolate, strengthen and tone your legs, thighs, and butt. With each step, you’re lifting your body weight and activating the major muscle groups in your lower body, including your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Engaging these muscles will lead to increased strength and endurance in the lower body, which can translate to a higher caloric burn during future endurance workouts that target the lower body.
3. Increase your core strength
Engaging your core and maintaining balance on the StairMaster is key. By lifting your body weight up in a stepping motion you engage your core muscles in a functional manner, strengthening the front and back of your midsection in the process. You can use the machine’s rails for balance, but without them you will activate your core even more.
4. Improved cardiovascular health
Not only are the health benefits of the StairMaster visible on the body, but they extend to the heart and cardiovascular system as well. As your heart rate increases during the exercise, your heart becomes stronger and cardiovascular health improves. Stair climbing is cardiovascularly challenging, more intense than walking on a flat surface, and burns several times more calories than a traditional treadmill.
5. Minimal impact on joints
As a low-impact workout, the StairMaster is gentler on your joints, which can help extend the frequency and duration of your exercise. This can be helpful for beginners just starting to build up endurance as well as more established fitness aficionados looking to up their cardio regiments.
How Many Calories Can You Burn on the StairMaster?
Lifting your body weight is a challenging action that can torch a large number of calories in a relatively short amount of time. It’s estimated that a 150-pound person working at light intensity will burn around 208 calories in 30 minutes on the StairMaster. At a more vigorous intensity will be burning an estimated 372 calories in 30 minutes.
Can You Burn Belly Fat on the StairMaster?
The StairMaster burns a significant number of calories in a short amount of time, which can contribute to fat loss. While you can’t spot-reduce belly fat, the StairMaster does strengthen your core, which helps reduce visceral fat around your midsection. The StairMaster is also a lower-impact exercise than the treadmill and has the added benefit of building lower-body strength as well, while being much less stressful on knee and leg joints, making it a great option for improving your cardiovascular health and endurance, and building a strong fitness foundation.
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