The Benefits Of Steppers
Steppers are a unique but useful piece of home cardio equipment that allow you to get all the fitness benefits of running up and down your stairs, without annoying everyone in your house. In this article I’m going to be focusing on the benefits of steppers, discussing them in more detail and explaining exactly why they are such a good home workout machine.
1) Leg Toning & Strengthening
One of the biggest benefits of steppers is that they can add some serious strength and tone to your legs. While cycling, rowing, running on a treadmill and gliding on an elliptical trainer all help to build up some strength in your legs, they simply don’t compare to the effectiveness of a stepper. The constant stair climbing motion is the fastest way to build strength and tone in your leg muscles using a cardio machine and if this is your main fitness goal, a stepper is an excellent purchase.
2) High Calorie Burn
Another great thing about steppers is that behind treadmills, they’re the most effective cardio machine in terms of calories burned with one hour of moderate stepping burning through an impressive 735 calories. In comparison, one hour of moderate cycling on an exercise bike or moderate rowing on a rowing machine burns through just 572 calories – a difference of 163 calories.
If you exercised for an hour every day this adds up to a difference of 1,141 calories a week, 4,944 calories a month and 59,332 calories a year. In terms of weight loss, that equates to losing an extra 5 ounces every week, an extra 1.4 pounds every month and an extra 17 pounds every year.This is a huge difference and if weight loss is one of your main goals, a stepper can really help you rapidly drop the pounds and achieve your goal.
3) Zero Impact Cardio
As well as doing a great job of burning calories and strengthening your legs, steppers are also very kind to your joints. If you’ve got arthritis or any other kind of painful joint problem that prevents you from running on a treadmill, buying a stepper is a great way to carry on exercising. You’ll burn almost as many calories but you’ll do it without hurting your ankles, hips or knees and you’ll also prevent any further damage from developing.
4) Low Cost
Steppers are one of the cheapest home cardio machines around and a great option if you’re operating on a tight budget. With the exception of the stair climber design, almost all the steppers on the market cost less than $500 to buy and many cost less than $100. When you compare this to the vast majority of treadmills which cost $500+, it’s a big difference and if cost is one of your key concerns, steppers represent excellent value for money.
5) Compact
Steppers are also one of the most compact home cardio machines available, so if you only have limited workout and storage space at home, they’re a brilliant alternative to larger home cardio machines such as treadmills.
Most mini-steppers measure less than 20 inches in length and width and are less than 15 inches in height which means that all you need to do is find a small amount of floor space and you’re ready to start stepping. The super small design also makes storing them a breeze and they can easily fit into a small pocket of space in a closet or slot comfortably under your bed. Even full sized regular steppers with handles generally take up very little floor space when you’re exercising and a lot of them can be folded for easy storage when they’re not in use.
6) Full Range Of Motion
One final benefit of steppers is that they guide your legs through a full range of motion when you workout. A lot of other cardio machines on the market fail to do this and as a result, certain areas of your body get neglected and lose flexibility.
For example, exercise bikes focus on your legs but never allow them to fully extend. As a result, using an exercise bike regularly can cause your legs to stiffen up and also prevent certain parts of your leg from getting a proper workout.
Exercising on a stepper allows you to fully extend your legs which gives them a more effective workout and also keeps them supple.
Summary
As you can see, there’s a lot to like about steppers. They’re kind to your joints, they’re kind to your wallet and they don’t take up much space in your home. So if these benefits have you convinced, get online, get one bought and start stepping away those calories right away.
Best Steppers For Your Home Gym
