This Month’s Fitness Contest Theme Is Ladder
This month we challenge you to climb the stairs. Throughout May, we will have ladder-oriented exercises and workouts that you can add to your daily routine. And the first is simple: walk or run up the stairs.
Random option
Wait for the stairs to appear in your daily life, and go up the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. If you climb a dozen floors and are not ready to cover your work clothes with sweat, take the elevator most of the way and then go up the last or two floors.
Outdoor option
If you live in a hilly area, look for open stairs, which is a bit of a problem. Some of the hiking trails are full of stone steps; some cities have massive staircases next to certain steep streets. Find a steep route and go hiking.
Intensive option
Create a high-intensity interval workout around your favorite stairs. I know I am not the only person to climb the stairs when my day of repeating the hill rained down. You can do this even if you only need to work with one flight of stairs: quickly walk or run up, and then relax, going down.
Remember that going down stairs can be harder on your feet than going up them, even if you don’t feel so at the moment. (These “eccentric” muscle contractions are notorious for causing soreness the next day.) Relax the first time and let us know how it goes.
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