The right way to climb Stairs!

 You probably didn’t know there was a right way and a wrong way to climb stairs

  

Most of us go out of our way to avoid stairs, so first, I will give you reasons why you should go out of your way to look for stairs, then I will tell you how to climb.

·        It is totally free and just about all of us can get access to a set of stairs.

·        It leverages gravity and the heavier we are, the harder we're forced to work and the more calories we burn.

·        It is a relatively intense exercise that quickly increases our heart rate and in doing so can greatly improve our cardiovascular fitness.

·        It helps strengthen and shape our most common problem areas like calves, thighs, buttocks and tummy.

·        It actually flattens your Belly

·        It is a very efficient way of burning maximum calories and is great for those of us with limited time to exercise.

·        It can easily be mixed with other exercises, like walking, skipping and weight training, to maximize results and stair climbing workouts are easy to build progression into.

·        It can be done by almost anyone, regardless of fitness level.

·        Because it is weight bearing, it helps build bone strength.

·        It is low impact and safe for the knees (providing correct technique is used and a preexisting condition doesn't exist)..

How to Climb

You probably didn’t know there was a right way and a wrong way to climb stairs, did you?  Typically you just put one foot on the step in front of you, lean forward on your toes, and lift the other foot off the ground to advance to the next step.  WRONG!  You will probably have knee problems if you continue climbing stairs this way.  Instead, stand up straight and push off of your instep – NOT your toes – using the larger hip and thigh muscles to lift you to the next level.  As these muscles become more accustomed to being used, they will become stronger and more supportive, and it will be much easier for you to climb stairs.  Then, skip the elevator, and climb the stairs whenever you can..  You don’t need a stairclimbing machine to get a workout if you learn to climb properly! So get to climbing peeps!

How to Sneak Exercise Into Our Busy 9ja Routine

wake up- traffic- work- traffic- home- bed...spells STRESS!

where is the time?! 24 hours a day doesn't seem like nearly enough time to fit in work, school, and family, errands and of course, traffic!. did you know that an average Nigerian spends almost half of his life in Traffic? how do we then make out “me-time” talk less of workout-time?. Its almost impossible! I found out the hard way that riding against the current of stress will only fuel exhaustion.

Knowing the importance of exercise, I started out with the determination of a bull, deciding to do 30 minutes work out before taking my bath and dressing up for work and another 30 minutes at nights before bed and also jogging on Saturdays before sun comes out. Yes, it worked out the first week, and early second before I started backsliding. The stress was getting to me. I would work all day, only to end up sitting in 3hrs in lagos traffic, Will I do my sit ups when I get home 10p.m? definitely not!, all I think about is how good my bed looks under the yellow bulb. So I made a decision to shift my work outs to weekends, who would complain about not having enough time on weekends right? Promising myself vigorous work outs on Saturdays especially, to make up for the week, I mapped out a plan.

“wake 6:00 am, do a one hour jogging around my area before the sun comes.

          7:00am- get home and skip (30mins)

          7:30pm- a mix of different routine (30mins)

A 2hours intense work out plan. Still burning with determination, first week went as planned, but by the second week, it was getting uncomfortable, my bed was my biggest foe, 6:00am! Haba! After the stress of the week? Saturdays are my no-joke-with-sleep day. So I shifted the time an hour forward, but the still didn't help, especially with the blinding sun and the evenings were worse!. Subsequently, I began to look for mental excuses to stall or just not do it. So I decided, may be if I paid for it, I will try harder, but between traffic, work, stress and tiredness, I just couldn't find the motivation to go to the gym.

Motivated by the need to exercise but hindered by the lack of time to do so, I have finally figured out how to beat our 9ja induced “hurry”. My failure has open my eyes to see that everything you eat contains calories, and everything you do uses calories, including sleeping, breathing, and digesting food. Any physical activity in addition to what you normally do will burn those extra calories. No matter how small or insignificant it may seem. A simple standing, sweeping or even tapping your feet will burn calories.

 SO DON'T CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE, EXPLOIT IT! as the time for exercise in hidden within our daily routine!

Do not drive or take a bike or bus when we can walk! We are so guilty of this.

Forget the elevator! Take the stairs.

Dont send Adamu to buy your lunch or the new intern to make the photocopies, instead walk down and do it yourself because believe it or not those little things will add up at the end of the day.

Park farther from the office building or stop before your bustop and walk the rest!.

Lay the bed, the stretching will be burn more calories.

WHILE IN TRAFFIC,

Sit up straight, and breathe,

Try Pulling in your belly. Hold for 8-10 seconds, and repeat several times.

Stretch your upperbody as far as you can.

Ignore the gala and plaintain chips hawkers, 1 gala has more calories than a cup of white rice

We can sneak exercise into our routine without having to make out time for it, by simply staying actively conscious and taking advantage of the opportunities.

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