Wednesday's Workout

This Wednesday's Workout is so simple and is *FREE*! If you want to get a good cardio workout, find a set of stairs. Walking or running stairs burns a ton of calories and is a great tush toner.

If you live in a large apartment building, you should have access to many flights of stairs. Try to work up to doing the whole building. If you live in a home with just one flight of stairs, continue to walk/run up and down multiple times. See how many flights you can do in 30 minutes. No stairs at home? Hit a local park or school stadium or some other public outdoor venue with stairs. Too cold to go outside? Try taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator. While its not suggested that you work up a sweat on your way to the office, simply walking at an easy to moderate pace up the stairs will burn extra calories and give your metabolism a boost, not to mention wake you up much more than your usual cup of joe will!

Fit Tip: If you want to make your workout more challenging, grab a pair of handweights or if you don’t have any handweights, grab some water bottles and hold them as you go up and down the stairs.

Try this workout to get your heart pumping:

Min. RPE*
1-5 3-4 Warm up by walking up and down a flight at an easy pace.
5-7 5 Pick up the pace a bit and continue walking up and down.
7-9 7 Pick up the pace again to a fast walk or a jog
9-10 8 Pick up the pace one more time. If you are walking, take it to a
jog. If you are jogging, try sprinting up and jogging down.
10-15 5-8 Repeat minutes 5-7 again.
15-18 5 Return to a moderate pace.
18-22 6 Stay at a moderate pace but try going up the steps two at a time.
22-25 7 Go back to one step at a time and pick up the pace
25-26 8 Go all out one last time
26-30 4 Recover and cooldown at an easy pace

Using the stairs, you can incorporate these toning moves:

Lunges- Stand at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Step one foot onto the first step in front of you. Sink down into a lunge position making a ninety-degree angle with your front knee and bringing the back knee down close (but not touching) the floor. Repeat 12-15 times then switch to the other side to complete reps. To make it harder, hold your weights or water bottles down at your sides.

Ab crunches- Sit on the bottom step, hands down by sides. Lift you feet into the air with knees bent. Touch the right toe down to the floor then lift back up bringing knees together. Alternate and touch the left toe down. Repeat for 20 reps.

Side squats- Stand at the bottom of a flight of stairs with your body turned to the right side, so that the left side of your body is facing the steps. Place the left foot on the first step and walk the right foot out wide, toes facing outwards. Sink down into a wide plie squat. Squeeze your bottom to rise up. Repeat 16 times. Hold weights or water bottles on your shoulders to make it more difficult.

Tricep Dips- Sit on the first step with hands by your sides, fingers facing your feet. Your feet should be together and flat on the floor. Keeping your hands on the step, lift your bottom off and away from the step. Slowly bend your elbows, lowering your bottom to the floor and contracting your tricep muscles on the back of your arm. Straighten your arms to come up. Repeat 15 times. To make it harder, try lifting leg straight out in front of you.

Glute Squeeze- Stand facing the first step at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Place your left leg on the step and step up while keeping your right leg straight behind you. Lift the right leg into the air and squeeze your buttocks. Step down with your right leg and then your left leg. Repeat 15 times continuing to step up with the left leg. Switch sides and complete the same exercise stepping up with your right leg this time for 15 reps.

Pushups- At the bottom of a flight of stairs, get on your hands and knees in front of the first step. Place your hands on the step in front of you. Either remain on your knees or coming up onto your toes into a pushup position. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the floor. Straighten the arms and come back to the starting position. Complete 15 reps.

* RPE = Rate of Perceived Exertion which measures how hard you would rate yourself working. Use the chart below to measure your exertion.

1- This activity requires virtually no effort, like watching tv.
2- Light activity you can sustain for a long time.
3- Slightly brisker activity that you can still maintain but its getting a
little harder and your breathing is a little bit heavier.
4- Now you are beginning to feel like you are working out but at a steady pace
and you feel good.
5- Moderate pace, you are sweating now.
6- Harder pace but not so hard that you find it difficult to maintain for an
extended period of time.
7- Hard pace but you are still able to maintain it, although you may need
intermittent periods of rest.
8- Very hard pace. This is fairly difficult to maintain.
9- Hardest burst you can maintain but only for short bursts.
10- The hardest you can go. This is how you feel after you sprint to the finish
line. Impossible to maintain.