Well winter and the holidays are full force upon us. The weather is uninviting and we ate and drank way too much. Most certainly, the last thing on our mind is to get all bundled up and head out for our daily exercise walk. “I’ll do it tomorrow” the common refrain. The ultimate result of this calorie induced lethargy…REGRET. To avoid these post-holiday blues it’s important that we try and maintain some semblance of our normal exercise routines. But what can we do to generate the all the benefits of walking without having to face the prospect of frost bite and snow blindness? One option…get yourself to the nearest set of stairs.

Walking up and down a set of stairs is a very plausible and efficient alternative to your daily outdoor exercise routine. Like walking, you burn calories and tone your muscles, however, you’ll find it a bit more intense than your typical 3 mile, hour long exercise walk. In fact it’s twice as intense. 30 minutes on the stairs burns 300 calories, about as much as you would burn on your hour long walking excursion. It’s hard work, no question about it, but does have some advantages to recommend it.

What are the benefits of stair walking?

• As just mentioned , it’s something one can do during inclement weather, when it’s just too cold or too wet to handle you regular routine.

• Or it can be a fill-in regiment to help alleviate boredom that eventually affects most every exercise walker.

• You can do it anywhere and at any time; at home, office or store.

• Like walking, you don’t need any special training or equipment beyond what you use during your regular walking activities.

• The activity places stress on muscle groups different from those involved in a standard walking gait. The quadriceps (front of you thigh) and buttock are the primary beneficiary of stair walking. Note: It’s always a good idea to give a workout to muscle groups that aren’t heavily involved in your normal exercise routine. Doing this helps prevent injury, promotes better balance and improves overall performance.

• It can be done at work and throughout the day by simply taking the stairs rather than the elevator or exchanging your 15 minute coffee break for a quick exercise break.

• You only have to spend half as much time to get the same caloric reduction and other walking benefits as your typical walking routine.

There are however a couple of added issues that come into play.

• If walking in a public building make sure that the stairs are clean, safe, well lit and ventilated.

• Start slow. Because stair walking is more a more intense activity and works different muscle groups, even the most fit exercise walker will find the going rough at the start.

• Use the railing to help you maintain your balance

• Make sure that the doors to the stairs don’t automatically lock. In some building only doors on certain floors lock and others remain open. Know the pattern and save yourself some time and perhaps a touch of panic.

• Your knees take a real pounding when your going down stairs. So if you have knee problems walk up but take an elevator down.

Stair Walking Technique

Proper, safe stair climbing posture means leaning forward slightly from the hips with the back straight. At no time, should you be rounded in the lower back area. Look forward, glancing at the stairs from time to time but without looking down with your neck bent. Avoid over-straightening your knees as you climb up. Place your whole foot on the step. Avoid climbing with your heels hanging off the edge because you can injure your Achilles tendon.

Motivation

As you can imagine, boredom is much more of a issue with stair walking that outdoor walking. One way to alleviate it is by changing the pattern of you climb. Take two stairs a time for a short burst. Hop up the stairs. Use the hand rail to pull yourself up. Climb sideways or do leg crossovers. For many, keeping a log and setting goals helps keep them motivated. You can also fall back on my favorite piece of walking equipment, my MP3 player, to help wile away the time.

The winter months will soon be behind us and the outdoors will become more accessible for our walking routines but we need to get there without sacrificing our stamina and without carrying extra holiday pounds. Stair walking, when the weather is daunting, is an alternative that we can help us get through this difficult time and accrue all the typical walking benefits. Keep in mind, to burn the same amount of calories takes half the time with stair walking and, as we all know, time is another thing that is in short supply during the holidays. Resist the impulse to “sit the winter out”. Stay active and engaged with you exercise program. Give stair walking a try and you may find your stairway to heaven.

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Before you know it old man winter will be literally breathing down our necks. Cold weather can be a real impediment to a walking routines. Who after all wants to get out of a nice warm bed and take a walk on a cold frigid morning. So staying reasonably warm and comfortable is important to staying active during the cold winter months. What sort of walking equipment should we be looking for to help keep us reasonably warm and comfortable? Each body part has different heat retention and moisture wicking requirements and needs to be addressed separately. So one by one we’ll give you the low down on the things you should consider when you gearing up for a winter walk.

Upper Torso

An key to keeping your upper body warm is to layer your clothing. It’s important not only to keep your upper body insulated from the cold but you’ll need to deal with moisture (sweat) issues as well. The best approach for the upper body is to use three layers of clothing: a moisture wicking layer, an insulation layer and a waterproof/windproof layer. The fist layer, the one next to your skin, should me made of materials that draws moisture away. With the exception of silk, synthetic materials perform the wicking function better than natural. Look for garments that contain a high percentage of acrylics or polypropylene. These materials have excellent wicking properties. There are trade names that you can look for: Themax, Thinsulate and Themion for examaple. Surprisingly to some I ‘m sure, cotton is not a good wicking material and should typically be avoided for this application. The next layer’s function is to keep the body heat where it belongs, next to you. Here natural fibers are king. Wool, fleece or down work best. Finally comes the waterproof/windproof layer. Here again look for synthetic materials, nylon being the most prevalent. Heavy duty “rubberized” rain gear is not recommended. The materiel is typically not “breathable” and will trap too much heat and moisture, making it difficult for the insulation and wicking layers to keep things in balance.

Legs

Two layers should be sufficient to keep the legs warm and dry. A wicking inner layer of the above mentioned synthetics materials plus a nylon outer shell will do the trick.

Head

A hat and or ear protecting headband is a “must have” to stay warm and dry. If you go the hat route it’s a good idea to get a ski cap style or one with a neck drawstring to keep it in place during a sudden gust of wind. If you chose a headband or ski cap, it should be of a high wicking materials composition . A neck scarf should also considered, depending on the configuration of your other clothing.

Gloves.

Mittens work well, keeping the fingers a bit warmer by keeping them in close proximity to one another. But my favorite glove design is layered. An inner glove of wool with an leather or nylon outer layer.

Socks:

Here again insulation and moisture control is important when selecting the proper winter walking sock. For the right combination of wicking and warming, select a sock of wool blended with an acrylic or polypropylene.

Shoes or Boots.

Waterproof walking sneakers or boots are an absolute necessity during the winter. Even if you boots or sneakers claim to be waterproof, it’s best to apply additional waterproofing protection to insure that they provide the best possible protection and are able to stand up to rough conditions present during winter. Care should be taken that the shoes or boots have adequate tread to insure proper traction.. Should your shoes get soaked, stuff them with paper or a cedar shoe trees and let them air dry. Never put them in the dryer or near any heat source,

Extras: 

A cheap thin plastic hooded rain poncho and a change of socks would be good extras to keep in your fanny pack during the winter months.

As with all things common sense should reign supreme. Match the layering to the temperature and weather conditions and don’t get overheated. If you get uncomfortable, remove a layer. The insulating one would be best. Just tie it around your waist. The walking equipment and clothing selected should not interfere with your walking motion and provide for a full range of arm and leg movement. They should be relatively light and loose fitting. No need to layer like Ralpy’s brother in the movie “Christmas Story”.

Proper layering is the key to keeping you reasonably dry and warm during your walk and that’s the key to keeping you active during the cold winter months. Take the time to match your walking equipment to the conditions on the road and it will be spring before you know it.

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