I have set the challenge for I Love Balance for November, It is stair climbing.
In fact it is 5,000 stairs for the month of November.
Why is this a great idea?
Stair climbing is not only a great idea, it is easier to achieve than you think. Count all your incidental stairs and I am sure you are going to be surprised. 5,000 in the month of November is 166 stairs per day.
Changing the way you think about it is 1,250 stairs per week.
When you look at this practically you may only need to devote one good session per week to stair climbing and then increase your incidental stair climbing and you will easily reach your goal.
Just say that your apartment or your office is on the 3rd floor and just say that normally you catch the lift 3 times a day on average.
If you climbed the stairs each time during the day instead of the lift you would have your daily stair climbing goal completed.
Extra bonus is that your will have archived this with only a few extra minutes added onto your breaks, or your daily activities.
WHAT ARE SOME OTHER REASONS THAT STAIR CLIMBING IS GREAT?
I love figures and here are the statistics:
current research has stair climbing as No. 1 for calorie burning.
Stair climbing is ahead of swimming, cycling and walking.
Stair climbing burns 23% more calories than running.
Stair climbing burns 250% more than swimming
Stair climbing burns 63% more than bicycling.
Stair climbing burns 400% more than walking at 3.22 km per hour. (over a flat course)
How cool are these statistics.
What else is good about stair climbing?
Stair climbing engages all the abdominal muscles
Stair climbing stimulates all the organs
Stair climbing activates the spine and reduces the risk of knee, leg and ankle injuries.
If I haven't convinced you yet then
here are some of the benefits of climbing stairs every day:
1. Stair climbing helps with weight control.
Climbing stairs for an hour is a very intense form of exercise and has immense aerobic benefits. You can lose about 0.17 calories while climbing up and 0.05 calories while climbing down a single step. At this rate, if you climb stairs for at least half an hour every day, you are bound to burn enough calories and gradually lose weight.
2. Stair climbing improves your heart health
According to a study published in Preventive Medicine in 2000, stair climbing can increase the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol in your blood, and improve blood circulation in your body. The study, therefore, recommends climbing stairs as it is a good way to improve heart health and help prevent heart disease.
3. Stair climbing increases muscle strength
Stair climbing is a vertical exercise where you push down to lift your entire body up a stair. This type of exercise can increase the strength of the leg, thigh and hip muscles while also toning the abdominal muscles. Climbing stairs can also help build muscle in the lower body.
4. Stair climbing helps build endurance
A study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports in 2014 reveals that by improving neuromuscular and cardiorespiratory performance in the body, climbing stairs can improve gait, balance and endurance. Apart from contributing to overall fitness, this activity also helps reduce the risk of falling and minimises strain in other daily activities.
5. Stair climbing can improve mental health
All types of exercises are known to help your body release more endorphins, which helps you feel good. Climbing stairs does the same and also helps regulate your sleep pattern better. These, when combined with the building of strength and endurance and the added benefit of healthy weight loss, are bound to improve your self-esteem and confidence levels and make you feel happy too.
You don't need any extra equipment to climb stairs, just stairs. Remember dress comfortable, wear sensible shoes, and then climb those stairs to make your way to better health.
Hopefully I have convinced you to take up the November Challenge.
It is not too late.
We are only 5 days in.
You have plenty of time to make up these few days.
Start climbing now.