Making everyday activities easier - Climbing stairs

Vintage Fitness personal training clients here in Toronto often have issues with climbing stairs.  If you live in a condo and don’t often have to climb stairs this blog is even more important for you for times that you visit your kids or travel via public transport and need to climb stairs.
Climbing stairs seems like an easy enough activity but it involves most of the muscles of your legs as well as good balance.

A few stair climbing tips:

• Warm-up your knees: Make sure to warm up your knees with an easy walk or march for 7-10 minutes before trying a stair climb
• Sore knee follows: If you have pain in one of your knees lead with your better knee when you climb stairs
• Practice: If you live in a condo without stairs force yourself to practice them at least once a week
• Stay balanced: For most clients walking upstairs facing forward holding on to both handrails works well.  For some of our frailer clients whose balance is challenged put both hands on the handrail and side steps up the stairs

This video shows exercises to strengthen all of the big muscles in your legs that help you to climb stairs.  You will need an exercise band, a free wall and some motivation.

Try these exercises 3 times through 15 repetitions per exercise.