Climbing stairs is one of my most recommended cardio exercises. As a personal trainer, I know how difficult it can be to get to the gym every day, but most people have a set of stairs available that they can use in an effort to lose belly fat.
Using your own body weight to train your core and leg muscles can be one of the easiest ways to speed up your weight loss progress at home.
I decided to research this exercise with our team at Total Shape to see if there was a more effective way to approach it for fat loss.
Here’s what we found.
Quick Summary
- Climbing stairs as an exercise routine is a great way to get your whole body moving and your heart pumping.
- In order to lose belly fat, you’ll need to increase the pace and duration to make it an aerobic exercise.
- It’s also a great way to build up some muscle mass in the legs, which will allow you to push yourself a bit further.
Can You Lose Belly Fat By Climbing Stairs?
Yes, you can lose belly fat by climbing stairs. It’s a great cardiovascular exercise that gives you a lot of control over your heart rate and blood circulation [1].
The great thing is that it can be easier to boost the training intensity and strain on your body than by just walking or running.
With that extra strain, you’ll burn more calories, and that will make a significant difference on your weight loss journey, assuming you have gained control over your diet as well.
Here are some tips to lose belly fat fast.
“Whenever people eat more calories than they immediately need, some of the excess is stored in fat cells found throughout the body.”
- Ferris Jabr, Contributing Writer for Scientificamerican.com
Even if you don’t do stair climbing as a specific form of strenuous exercise, taking the stairs rather than the elevator on a daily basis burns calories more effectively and will help you lose fat.
How Does It Help With Weight Loss?
Climbing stairs helps with weight loss by getting your metabolism to burn more calories.
And when you burn more calories than you have blood glucose reserves, then your body has to resort to other energy sources like body fat [2].
The great thing about using a stair climber is that it’s naturally more strenuous than just walking or running.
It’s like running uphill, and therefore you should be able to get rid of extra fat in less time as your body will burn calories at a faster pace.
How Long Should You Do It for Best Results?
In my experience, you would need to climb stairs for about 10 to 15 minutes for the best results in terms of weight-loss impact.
You could also make it part of your warm-up routine by grabbing small dumbbells and doing some curls with each step.
Also, make sure that you engage your abdominal muscles. This will improve your core muscle strength while being very easy on your lower back.
Like other cardio exercises, you’ll burn away more fat when you increase the intensity level, so don’t go slowly.
Adding Stair Climbers To Your Gym Workouts
Next time you’re at the gym, look for a stair climber machine. These used to be a lot more common, but I find that people sometimes prefer them over an elliptical machine.
Not only does a Stairmaster help you burn more calories, but if you combine it with a high-intensity interval training routine, then it could help you build up more lean muscles in your legs and core.
What I would suggest is that you do 45 to 60 seconds of stair climbers at a fast pace, and then maybe alternate with some incline push-ups at the machine.
This will alternate your lower and upper body to target more muscle groups.
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FAQs
Is It Good to Climb Stairs Every Day?
Yes, it’s good to climb stairs every day. It’s a great way to exercise your lower body and core and will make your metabolism burn off more calories. It’s also a low-impact physical activity that won’t cause damage to your leg joints.
When Should You Climb Stairs to Lose Weight?
You should climb stairs as often as you get a chance in order to lose weight more consistently.
That means that anytime you have the option of getting in an elevator, consider at least partially going up the stairs.
Is Climbing Stairs Enough for an Effective Belly Fat Burning?
When you get into the habit of climbing stairs on a very regular basis, you’ll quickly notice that you’ll be less out of breath. That will allow you to increase the intensity, which will in turn trigger fat loss over time.
And if you want to speed things up a little bit more, then I would suggest that you look over these fat burners for belly fat.
These combine amino acids, herbs, and minerals to boost your calorie deficit. And when you combine that with a lower calorie intake, you will notice much faster progress toward your ideal weight.
References:
- https://livehealthy.chron.com/walking-up-stairs-lose-belly-fat-3071.html
- https://us.humankinetics.com/blogs/excerpt/the-bodys-fuel-sources
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