Getting Started on Stairs
Not surprisingly, 30 minutes of stair climbing can be hard to sustain when you’re just starting, whether you’re running up and down steps in the park or using your fitness center’s stair-climbing machine.
The American Lung Association recommends starting with a 10-minute stair climb using real stairs. You can build up cardiovascular fitness by mixing it up with different speeds and intensities.
For example, you could do two minutes of relatively easy climbing followed by one intense minute in which you work as hard as possible. As your fitness improves, you can extend the time you spend at maximum effort.
Warming up before you start and stretching for about five minutes afterward is also helpful in preventing soreness and injury.
ACE recommends mixing it up by running up the stairs and then walking back down, or going up and down the stairs sideways for some of your laps. To burn even more calories and get your upper body into the action, keep your arms off the railings. Pump them at your sides as you go.
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