Accumulating
short bouts of "stepping"
activity throughout the day can favourably
alter important cardiovascular risk
factors
Fifteen
women aged 18-20 years were randomly
assigned to control (n = 7) or stair
climbing (n = 8) groups. Stair climbing
was progressively increased from 180
steps (2 min) a day in week 1 to 900
steps (10 min) a day in weeks 7 and
8. Training took place five days a week
on a public access staircase at a stepping
rate of 90 steps a minute. Subjects
agreed not to change their diet or lifestyle
over the experimental period. Relative
to controls, the stair climbing group
displayed a 17.1% increase in fitness
(VO2MAX) and a 7.7% reduction in low
density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.05)
over the training period. No change
occurred in total cholesterol, high
density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides,
or homocysteine. The study confirms
that accumulating short bouts of stair
climbing activity throughout the day
can favourably alter important cardiovascular
risk factors in previously sedentary
young women. They also concluded that
10min of stepping was equivalent to
a 30min walk with respect to cardiofitness
and that stepping/stair climbing may
be easily incorporated into the working
day and therefore should be promoted
by public health guidelines.
Boreham CAG, Kennedy
RA, Murphy MH, Tully M, Wallace WFM,
Young I. Training effects of short bouts
of stair climbing on cardiorespiratory
fitness, blood lipids, and homocysteine
in sedentary young women. British Journal
of Sports Medicine 2005;39:590-593
http://bjsm.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/39/9/590
"Step-fit"
wooden step
- step
into cardiofitness, metabolic fitness
and weight management with Step-fit
for only $65 (inc postage anywhere in
Australia). As little as 2-10minutes
of stair climbing daily has been shown
to improve cardiofitness (Boreham et
al., BJ Sports Med, 2005; 39: 590-593).
Step-fit is a convenient surrogate for
people who do not have access to a staircase
or who have difficulty climbing stairs.
Step-fit is designed by engineers, in
consultation with a clinical nutritionist
and physiotherapist, for
safe stepping exercises and to withstand
body weights of over 300kg. Position
near your desk or TV for convenient
indoor access to exercise.Step-fit is
delivered to you flat packed and can
be self assembled in minutes without
nails or screws and has a soft rubber
top to soften the stepping impact. Plastic
gym steps (stepreebok) cost $100 or
more.....
Last
Updated: April 2006.
