Benefits of stairs

I don't think there is anyone out there that wouldn't groan at a sign that said "lift out of order". Depending on the how many flights there are most of us would take the lift over climbing up the stairs.

However, stairs have so many benefits to your fitness whether you walk or run. In particular, runners can use stairs to become stronger, faster, fitter and more agile.

How? It comes down to one simple thing, gravity. Running upstairs, you are moving your body against gravity in an upward motion. Some stairs unlike hill running actually will have a greater gradient which is why you get more bang for your buck. Physically the position you put your body in to run upstairs mirrors more of a sprinting gait (the pattern your body moves in), strengthening those muscles utilised for speed. The other bonus is by running up the stairs, the short time that your foot makes contact with the step and pushing off mimic’s plyometric exercises. There is lots of research to prove that plyometric exercises (explosive movements) can help to improve speed. I can definitely tell you that I would prefer running upstairs then doing box jumps any day of the week. Running upstairs is far kinder to your joints.

So how does running upstairs make me fitter? Do you notice that even when you walk upstairs, you are often short of breath (sometimes a little and sometimes a lot)! This is because there is more physiological demand on your muscles to go up the stairs. You breathe more rapidly to increase the oxygen demands. So, when you run up, you need more oxygen to convert it to energy. Overtime by consistently doing this, your body becomes more efficient and improves your VO2 max; your ability to run harder for longer.

Would you now consider stairs in your training? There are many approaches to how you can utilise stairs depending on what your goals are. Why not send us a message if you want to know more or how you can integrate this into your training?