Stair running is an excellent high-intensity workout that improves speed, power, and cardiovascular fitness. Stair running is also an ideal complement to any agility training program because it enhances quickness and foot speed while offering a great sprint workout. Here are some essential tips you’ll need to know about running stairs, including how they can help your training routine.
The Advantages of Stair Running
Running the stairs has a variety of physical and physiological benefits. In addition to boosting fitness and lowering blood sugar levels, Running stairs engages some of the largest muscles in the body, including the quadriceps, glutes, and calves—the same muscles utilized in lunges and squats. Stairs are also more steeper than most slopes; thus, running stairs will help you climb hills more easily. Stair running, as a plyometric activity, encourages the muscles to exert maximal force in short bursts of time, leading them to expand and contract in a quick or “explosive” way. In addition, running upstairs causes you to struggle against gravity, which increases your strength and power. As you sprint the stairs, your heart rate quickens, causing you to breathe faster in order to take in more oxygen.
As a result, your VO2max—the highest quantity of oxygen you can consume during strenuous exercise—improves. In fact, a study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that 30 minutes of stair climbing each week was not only beneficial in boosting cardiorespiratory fitness but also directly improved longevity. Another study discovered that the most impressive effect of stair running is that it can increase cardiorespiratory fitness even in short bursts. In the meanwhile, experts have discovered that stair running can help to reduce blood sugar levels. Researchers discovered that going up and downstairs for 3 minutes, 60 to 180 minutes after a meal, decreased blood sugar levels in persons with type 2 diabetes in a 2016 study published in the BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.
Common Places to Run Stairs
Many athletes race the stairs in a stadium, but you can also hunt for a stairwell in a park or other outdoor setting. Of course, a stairwell in a building will also suffice. If you don’t have convenient access to stairs where you reside, look for a hill with a relatively steep elevation. Hill repetitions provide a similar exercise to stair running and may be more accessible to begin with. When including stair running into your workout, don’t misconstrue it with stair climbing or utilizing an elliptical machine. To execute well, running stairs demands more focus, control, and muscle mass. Furthermore, you do not need to join a gym or purchase a new gadget to reap the benefits. You just need to find a good set of stairs.
Getting Going
If you’ve never done stair workouts before, you should take it carefully at first. Then, increase your time and intensity gradually. Stair running engages muscles that you may not have exercised previously, and overdoing your initial workout will result in unneeded muscle aches. As you work your way up to a regular schedule, keep the following criteria in mind:
- Before beginning your stair running routine, make sure you warm up thoroughly. Walking vigorously for 5 to 10 minutes on a flat surface is an excellent method to properly get the blood circulating in your muscles.
- On your first few workouts, avoid sprinting the stairs.
- Begin by taking one step at a time up the stairs. As you work up to a jog, maintain your weight centered, your head up, and your gaze forward rather than down at your feet.
- Start running about week three, or try taking two steps at a time.
- Use the return to the bottom as your rest period before moving on to the next set.
- Depending on the length of your steps, build up to roughly 10 sets per session. So a 20- to 30-minute workout will provide you with a lot of intensity.
- Include stair running in your workout program on days when you are doing high-intensity training or as part of an interval training workout.
- Limit yourself to no more than two stair workouts per week.
Things that Rise Must Always Fall
After running up the stairs, walking down them may seem like a breeze, giving you a chance to collect your breath. Going down, on the other hand, provides some unexpected advantages. For example, steady downhill walking, according to a 2017 study, exhibited a significant drop in both insulin resistance and LDL cholesterol, as well as an increase in glucose tolerance in healthy men and women. However, stepping downward exerts more load on your knees and ankles than walking up. With each step, you strike the ground harder.
In fact, because of the eccentric nature of the muscular tension on the way down the stairs, it’s often the descent that generates the most post-workout discomfort. Take it slow on the way down for the first few exercises if you’re new to stair workouts. In addition, if you have severe knee pain, stair running may not be the best exercise for you. Before incorporating stair running into your fitness routine, consult with your doctor.
Kim’s Final Thoughts…
While there are numerous advantages to stair running, keep in mind that it is a challenging workout that may not be ideal for everyone. In addition, stair workouts can also be taxing on the knees. Therefore, before beginning a stair running program, consult with a healthcare expert to ensure that it is safe for you. Also, if you detect any aches, pains, or other injury warning symptoms, you should cut back on your workout.
