Skip the gym and work up a sweat at home
using your staircase
Is the weather too cold for you to bear
leaving the house to head to the gym or go for your daily run? No worries, with
our 10-minute tone-up, you can stay indoors and work your body using nothing
but your stairs – and no, you won’t just be running up and down them! Here are
four moves to help tone and strengthen different areas of your body.
How to do it
Warm up by jogging on the spot and gently
punching your arms overhead. Once your muscles feel loose and your heart rate
has increased, do the following exercises in order, without resting. After each
circuit, rest for one minute to let your muscles recover. Then, if you can,
repeat the circuit twice more. Your body will be toned, strengthened and
sculpted without you even leaving the house.
1.
Alternating step-ups
Works: Glutes, hamstrings and quads
Reps: 10 each leg
Stand six inches in front of your bottom
step. Step onto the stair with your left leg, making sure your foot’s flat (a).
Lean forward slightly and push yourself up through the heel of your left foot
so your right leg comes up and place it on the stair (b). Step down with your
right leg under control. Repeat the same sequence, leading with your right leg.
(a)
(b)
2.
Calf raises
Works: Calves, bottom and core
Reps: 10
Stand on the balls of your feet on the
first step, heels down (a). Tighten your abdominal muscles, stand up straight
and bend your knees slightly, then push up through the balls of your feet and lift
your heels as high as possible (b). Hold for three seconds. Lower to the start
position.
(a)
(b)
3.
Hindu squats
Works: Calves, thighs, lower back, chest
Reps: 5
Stand in front of the stairs with your feet
shoulder-width apart and your arms extended out from your chest, parallel to
the floor. Breathe deeply and lift onto your tiptoes (a). Then, keeping your
back straight, lower your body by bending your knees (b). Lower until your
thighs are parallel to the floor, pause, then hold for 10 seconds. Lower more
until you’re in a deep squat and your bottom is an inch above your heels. Pause
for two seconds, then slowly straighten your legs in two, 10-second increments
until you’re back to the start position.
(a)
(b)
4.
Abs toe tap
Works: Abdominal muscles
Reps: 10 each leg
Lie on your back in front of the bottom
step with your arms next to your sides and your palms facing the floor. Lift
your legs and bend your knees so they’re at a 90° angle (a). Keeping your back
straight and abs engaged, slowly lower your left foot to the stair (b). Tap
lightly, then pull your leg back up to the starting position and repeat with
your right leg.
(a)
(b)
