It’s the first day of March. You have two options: In Place or Forward (and up the stairs, of course –preferably two at a time if your knees are willing). Therein lies #TheFitCycle Move of the Week and we’re climbing metaphoric mountains here, championing causes before lunch. I have to dedicate this post to a lovely Chicagoan named Alex who just celebrated her Birthday and gave us this amazing gift:
The Decision: Make one, or two, per day to start. Decide whether you’re going to stand around and let things happen or move your feet and get things done. Yes, I’m being literal here. Now for those of you with knee issues, I may just grant you a “Pass Go! Collect $200 Card” but you’re not entirely off the hook either. Do an arm workout while your escalator ascends. Backpack bicep curls, coffee cup rotator cuff twists, magazine measured flys –just do something.
Muscles (major groups) worked: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads, Hip Flexors, Core
Considerations: Posture, posture, posture! This is no time for lean with it, rock with it. Remember, we’re going UP the stairs not “forward the stairs.”
Core engaged, body aligned vertically from top of head to tailbone
“Receive” the stair, don’t stomp. Try to take the stairs “quietly” and lessen pressure on your knees. Also, try to avoid leaning on your knees with your hands and arms. This behavior again adds undue pressure on knees and negates the point of the workout
Arms: Use them as you would when you run. Opposite arm, opposite leg. Arms are our propellers and will lead us upward.
Breathing: Inhale, exhale. If you need to pause, pause —> and then keep moving
Rhythm controlled, speed increased for difficulty
Equipment needed: Stairs, naturally.
Variations: Before we begin with “taking the stairs” options, let us first get to the stairs. Make a decision. Choose stairs over the escalator or elevator. Forward March. Now, we begin. One step at a time, quick feet. Two stairs at a time with tempo. Three stairs at a time, deep elevated lunge! Lateral side steppers, both sides –watch where you’re going. Stairs with overhead backpack press. Stairs with donkey kick holds. Place entire foot on stair or just ball of foot to alternatively work calves. Run the stairs. Walk the stairs. Jog the stairs.
Location: At work. At school. Ascending out of the depths of a subway station. At home, especially if you live on the 5th floor of a walk-up building. No, I’m not complaining. At the local high school football stadium. At the mall. When channeling your inner Rocky on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. You have a plethora of options folks, handle your business.
Challenge: Try a different location and variation every day of this week and post a photo/video of your favorite. Shout outs on #TheFitCycle Facebook page and future videos! Send to TheFitCycle@gmail.com for inclusion.
Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia
The Fit Cycle 
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who has been doing
a little homework on this. And he actually ordered me dinner due to the fact that I stumbled upon it
for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks
for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this matter
here on your site.