Get to Steppin

The Express Paper Fit Section featured articles on how to use stairs to take your workout to increase your heart rate and tone your body this past week. Incorporating stairs will really help to take your workout to the next level.

Any staircase will do. You use the stairs in your house, walk the escalator at the metro or office building or run the stairs at your local high school stadium. The Express Paper names three famous staircases in DC that you can use. I love the stairs at Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park.



The weather is starting to get nice. This is a great time to find your favorite local staircase and get to steppin.

Tell us where your favorite staircase is!

Fitness Tip for this Week

My challenge to all of you this week is to walk as much as possible.

Walk everywhere. Instead of driving to run your errands, walk to the store. If you have to drive, park far away and walk to the store. Park at the back of the parking lot or if you are parking on the street, park around the corner.

At the very least, take the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Walk up the escalator instead of riding. (I do this all the time and by the way, it is soooo much easier than walking up steps. So this is a good place to start.) If you are on a steep and really long escalator (like at the Bethesda Metro) walk part way and ride the rest of the way. I live on the fourth floor of my building and I almost always take the stairs. Ok, I do it not because I am so fit but because I am extremely impatient and don't want to wait for the elevator.

Find a friend or neighbor and take a walk in the morning before work, at lunch or before dinner.

Just walk as much as possible. Purchase a pedometer (they are so cheap these days) and record how many steps you take each day this week. You will be surprised how a little change to your lifestyle such as this can make a big difference.