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I have a few questions. I am a pretty sedentary person but I'm trying to change that. I am not overweight but my muscle tone is non-existent. Pretty flabby to say the least. I don't want to lose weight but I want to tone and I want fast results. I am at present 130 pounds. For my lower body I've started climbing the stairs at work. Yesterday I did 32 flights - part of it I jogged and parts I walked. Let's just say today I can barely move but I still managed to do 20 flights today but I walked the whole thing - did not jog. Here are the questions...I hope none are silly but I'm a beginner so...
1. Is it safe for me to jog stairs everyday especially as many as I am doing? I keep hearing that when you workout you should give muscle groups a day of rest in between. I don't want to, but at the same time I don't want to hurt myself. When I think of giving muscle groups a day off I'm thinking of weights. I am only climbing stairs. It's HARD but not weights. Thoughts? I know there are probably some hardcore people that run stairs everyday.
2. Is it safe for me to work through the pain or should I wait until my muscles are no longer sore to workout? For instance yesterday I did 32 flights. Today I continued even though I was very sore. Isn't soreness an indication of a good workout. Everytime that occurs I need to take a day off or should I keep going?
3. I assume that once my body gets accustomed to the workout I will no longer be sore all of the time (at least I hope not). Therefore how will I know if my workout is intense enough. Do I just judge by the level of burn I feel during my workout. I'm not a heavy sweater so I can't really judge by that.
4. If the answer to question #1 is a No it is not safe to jog the stairs everyday then can I jog it one day and walk the next day
5. Don't think I'm crazy but today is only my second day and my thighs and calves look very tight already. Is that real toning or swollen muscles? I did not expect results this fast. My butt is still jiggly though
6. Do you eat after or before your workout? Does it really matter? At lunch I typically eat after my workout. In the evenings I come home and work my upper body but I sometimes eat before my workout and then wait an hour for my food to digest prior to the workout. Is that okay.
7. I am about a size 2/4 when do you think I should expect to see results from my intense stair climbing routine? That is if I can keep it up. I'm 5'5" so for my height I don't think there is too much fat to shed for the toning to show through.
I hope I got all my questions on here. Oh and to clarify when I state that I am hurting it is only my muscles. Nothing dangerous like my knees or back. It was hell getting off the toilet just a minute ago.
I think switching from cardio to strength training is a great goal. One day you can do cardio and the next you can do strength training.
Have you thought about Pilates? I have heard stories about people having great muscle definition after that.
I think you can keep going through the soreness but you shouldn't push yourself to the limit. Say 32 flights makes you really sore, the next day you should do about 26 or 20 flights. Walking isn't a bad idea either.
I eat before my workout sometimes. Normally it's a light yogurt or a granola bar. You need some sort of fuel to work out but you don't want to gorge yourself. As for eating afterwards, I've heard it's good not to eat and I've also heard it's okay to eat afterwards. Do whatever you think is best.
Since you're a size 2/4, I wouldn't be stressing about this too much. Exercise is essential no matter your size but since you're so small (in my book) to begin with, don't stress out if you miss a day of working out.
I think switching from cardio to strength training is a great goal. One day you can do cardio and the next you can do strength training.
Have you thought about Pilates? I have heard stories about people having great muscle definition after that.
I think you can keep going through the soreness but you shouldn't push yourself to the limit. Say 32 flights makes you really sore, the next day you should do about 26 or 20 flights. Walking isn't a bad idea either.
I eat before my workout sometimes. Normally it's a light yogurt or a granola bar. You need some sort of fuel to work out but you don't want to gorge yourself. As for eating afterwards, I've heard it's good not to eat and I've also heard it's okay to eat afterwards. Do whatever you think is best.
Since you're a size 2/4, I wouldn't be stressing about this too much. Exercise is essential no matter your size but since you're so small (in my book) to begin with, don't stress out if you miss a day of working out.
I hope I helped in some way.
You did help! Thank so much. So when you say switch between cardio and strength training is a good idea do you mean one day run the stairs and another don't? meaning the running stairs is just strength training and the walking is just cardio. I assume anyway that stair climbing is a combo of both. Thanks for the idea of alternating with my flights as well.
I did pilates awhile back and it was actually okay. I got bored though - I probably need to get in a class to keep it up. The stairs I am actually enjoying even though it is hard.
You did help! Thank so much. So when you say switch between cardio and strength training is a good idea do you mean one day run the stairs and another don't? meaning the running stairs is just strength training and the walking is just cardio. I assume anyway that stair climbing is a combo of both. Thanks for the idea of alternating with my flights as well.
I did pilates awhile back and it was actually okay. I got bored though - I probably need to get in a class to keep it up. The stairs I am actually enjoying even though it is hard.
Yeah, running the stairs can be a combo of both (cardio and strength training) now that I think about it. You're building up the muscles in your legs and you're giving your heart a good workout as well.
I could never envision myself doing pilates either but I know you can build muscle tone that way.
If you have access to a gym, I would look into using that machine where you lift weights with your legs. I don't know the name of it but I have used it a few times at my gym.
Sounds to me like you're overdoing it a bit on the stairs. For a newbie--or anyone, for that matter--climbing stairs everyday can easily lead to knee problems. Yeah, it's a great cardio workout, but oyu need to mix it up a little. DO some light jogging or power walking. Maybe ride the bike, if you have access. What you want to do for a good cardio workout is keep your heartrate up to its target level for about 45 minutes per day, for 3-4 days a week to start. To get your THR (target heartrate) take the number 220 and subtract your age, then take 75% of that number. That's how many beats per minute (bpm) you want your heartrate at. Don't worry about speed or mile/paces at first, concentrate on how long you can keep your hr up. The speed will come.
The old saying "no pain no gain" is b.s. YOu should never exercise to the pain level when first beginning a fitness regimen. Also, adhere to the "talk test." NEVER do a cardio exercise that leaves you so out of breath you cannot carry on a conversation.
The #1 mistake most people make when undertaking a new fitness routine is overdoing it, and then saying "to hell with it" and quitting before they see results. Don't fall into this trap.
Diet: drink lots of water; cut back on sugar and saturated fats; eat fruit and veggies andf whole grains. Follow the above routine and you'll see good results in three weeks! Good luck.
I think of strength training as calisthenics or weights. You don't want to do that everyday. I would suggest starting out with 15-30 min of strength training 2-3 days a week and keep it light at first. Then cut back on the cardio by the same amount of time that day, i.e. go for a shorter walk after the training.
Stairs are a great cardio exercise, but keep it careful. Years ago, during an exercise show, somebody asked Jack La Lane what his routine was. His response paraphrased and shortened was, "Listen to your body." That's what you need to do climbing stairs. A little Muscle soreness, that fades is OK. Joint pain is not. Soreness that keeps getting worse is your body's way of saying something is wrong.
So push on the good days, take it easier on the bad days, and enjoy. Congratulations on starting.
Climbing stairs is not the best thing. Each step puts 6 times your body weight across that one joint. Most orthopedists I know don't advocate stairs as healthy for your joints (though you can seemingly get a great workout out of it). Lunges with your knee always behind your foot (and you can do them weighted) are safer. Or using the elliptical machine - softer on all your joints.
I think the best way to get in and stay in shape is mix up cardio with weight training. One only serves to complement the other.
Climbing stairs is not the best thing. Each step puts 6 times your body weight across that one joint. Most orthopedists I know don't advocate stairs as healthy for your joints (though you can seemingly get a great workout out of it). Lunges with your knee always behind your foot (and you can do them weighted) are safer. Or using the elliptical machine - softer on all your joints.
I think the best way to get in and stay in shape is mix up cardio with weight training. One only serves to complement the other.
I agree with the elliptical machine recommendation.
OP, you can always increase the resistance to work your muscles.
Stairs is great cardio. I wouldn't call it strength training, you are only fighting gravity and you need some serious resistanse to build muscle. But keep doing what you are doing, for somebody who've never done training before it is great start. The way your routine works I'd say eating after workout is good.
That is very admirable that you have desided to work out! Good luck! Keep up with your routine and you will get result in no time!
I'm hardly an expert but I'll give you my 2 cents. First off, one can be unhealthy and not overweight so the fact that you are doing something about your sedentary lifestyle is awesome. Kudos. You may quite possibly lose weight initially (depends on your calorie intake/expenditure) but the more you work your muscles, you may end up gaining some, but it would be muscle mass and not fat.
Going down the stairs can be hard on the knees so depending on your age, that may be of concern. It kinda sounds like you might be overdoing it and that's a big mistake people do b'c they end up giving up. You will get sore and my personal experience is I work through the pain b'c once your muscles warm up, it doesn't hurt anymore and eventually, the soreness should go away. The soreness is basically your muscles getting stronger (at least that's what I've been told). I think pushing yourself is good but know your limits!
Finally, do you go to the doctor regularly? The reason I ask is b'c you may want to get a physical and some bloodwork done just to make sure you're healthy enough to exercise. I know it sounds weird but from the sound of it, if you have lead a very sedentary lifestyle, to suddenly start an exercise routine may not be the best thing for your body. Just a suggestion and good luck!
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