Stay Fit On the Go

Time: 20 minutes

Equipment: A set of stairs

Secret Weapon: Doing your strength moves on an incline/decline offers muscles a new challenge and an increased calorie burn because of your constant upward movement against gravity.

Exercise Time/Reps

Warm-Up Jog (up and down) 3 minutes

Set #1

Decline Shoulder Tap 20 (10 each side)

Pistol Squat 30 (15 per leg)

Stair Run (up and down, medium pace) 3 minutes

Set #2

Rear-Foot Elevated Lunge 30 (15 per leg)

Lava Toe Dip 40 (20 per leg)

Stair Squat Jump* 3 minutes

*Jump up one step at a time for five steps. Walk down, repeat.

Set #3

Seated Leg Lift 30

Calf Raise 50

Lateral Stair Climb* 3 minutes

*Walk laterally up the stairs: Lead with your right foot for a flight, walk down and lead with your left for a flight, and so on.)

Decline Shoulder Tap

Get into a plank position with your feet one or two steps above you and your hands on the ground underneath your shoulders. Alternately tap your shoulders with your opposite hands, keeping your core tight and minimizing trunk movement as much as possible.

Tip: As you pick up your hand, press back through your opposite heel to stabilize your hips and core.

Pistol Squat

Hold on to the stair railing next to you with one hand and face down the stairs. Extend one leg in front of you, then bend your other knee deeply, lowering into a full squat. Press through your heel and stand back to the start, using the rail for assistance, as needed. Do all reps on one leg before switching. 

Rear-Foot Elevated Lunge

Stand with your back to the stairs and extend one leg behind you, placing your toes on the first or second stair up. Bend your forward knee deeply, descending until your hip crease comes below your knee while keeping your knee over your toes. Drive through your heel to return to standing. Complete all reps on one side before switching.

Lava Toe Dip

Stand on one foot facing up the stairs and extend your other leg straight behind you. Bend your standing knee slowly, reaching your rear toes down behind you as if you are trying to dip them into hot lava. As soon as you touch down, quickly extend your leg and stand. Do all reps on one side before switching.

Tip: Hold the rail for balance, as needed.

Seated Leg Lift

Sit with both knees bent and your feet on the first or second step down (depending on your height). Straighten one leg and lean back slightly, bracing your core. Raise your extended leg to come parallel with your bent knee, then lower it back down, touching your heel to the stairs. Do all reps on one side before switching.

Tip: To hit more inner thigh, turn your extended leg outward.