High-impact step fitness is the second best weight loss exercise among gym activities, adding glute bands for example. A 70kg person burns 744 calories per hour doing step fitness. That's more than a fifth of a kilogram (you lose a kilogram when you burn 3,500 calories).
Is step fitness good for weight loss?
Trying to do step fitness regularly can have a big impact on your weight. This workout is the second best exercise for weight loss among gym activities.
The benefits of step fitness:
-
improves your cardiovascular fitness
-
strengthens your leg muscles
-
best weight loss exercise among gym activities
-
pleasant, especially when accompanied by music
-
flexible exercise because you can get on and off a platform that is a few inches off the ground or more than a foot off the ground if you are a very good athlete.
The most important thing to know about step aerobics is to differentiate between high impact and low impact step aerobics:
-
High-impact aerobic step fitness involves jumping onto a raised platform and stepping off it with both feet.
-
Low-impact aerobic step fitness involves stepping up and down from a raised platform with one foot.
Both types of aerobic step fitness exercises require you to exercise continuously for at least several minutes.
Healthy people are recommended to engage in continuous aerobic exercise such as running, cycling, walking, swimming, and step aerobics for 20 to 60 minutes per day, three to five days per week.
What Type of Aerobic Step Fitness Exercise Should You Do?
The height of the platform depends on the level of aerobic fitness of the person, his skills in step training. Beginners should start with 10 cm steps and more experienced ones can use steps of more than 10 cm.
One report states that step aerobics has a particularly beneficial impact on the muscles of the upper leg, especially the quadriceps and hamstrings. However, the report advises stopping the exercise if your muscles become sore. In this case, you should rest for about 48 hours and try again.
Trying to do step aerobics regularly can have a big impact on your weight. According to a recent study, step aerobics is the second best exercise for weight loss among gym activities.
Low-impact step aerobics burns 520 calories per hour for people weighing 150 pounds. That means you'll lose just over a pound in seven hours of exercise. So what are you waiting for?
Also read: OUR 10 BEST EXERCISES FOR LONG, THIN THIGHS
What is happening to step fitness aerobics today?
Is Step Fitness Dead? Adapting Step into Today's Progressive Group Programs
If you’ve been teaching fitness classes for a decade or more, chances are you’ve taught step aerobics along the way. But what about today? Are you teaching as many step classes as you used to? Or are you teaching none at all?
Maybe you still love step, but you've moved on to other formats, either because you no longer have the time or inclination to create and rehearse all those fancy choreographies, or because the club where you teach doesn't offer many opportunities to teach step.
Traditional, choreographed step has largely given way to other formats. But will it stay that way? Do we want to revive traditional step or is it better to adapt it to today's progressive programs?
How has step fitness evolved in recent years?
Think about the group exercise culture of 10 or 20 years ago: Step dominated most group exercise programs. Step classes were among the most popular and almost always in prime time. The more choreographed the step workout, the better.
And today? Most establishments still have step rooms. Choreographed step classes are less common.
Why this lack of interest in step fitness?
Has step simply had its moment of glory and is it now time for the fitness industry to move on? Perhaps, but there are still plenty of step enthusiasts out there.
In general, step is experiencing a slowdown across the industry. Is this due to a lack of interest from instructors or a lack of interest from group participants? It's likely a bit of both.
For one thing, many fitness participants who didn't learn the choreography and terminology of step in the heyday are now lost. The depletion of traditional step means that there are no more step classes for beginners.
Also discover: ABDOMINAL CRUNCH | HOW TO GET ABS?
Several Ways to Use a Fitness Step in Your Workout
Step fitness has been around since the late 1980s.
Using the step is a great way to shape, tone and strengthen your upper and lower body.
The height of the step can be adjusted depending on the number of risers placed underneath, usually between 10 and 30 cm. The height of the step can increase or decrease the intensity depending on the type of movement. While a higher step decreases the intensity of upper body movements, it conversely increases the intensity of lower body movements.
The step is a great addition to your equipment repertoire and is fairly easy to store in a closet or small space. It is usually widely available in gyms.
Try the following moves to switch up your strength or cardio movements:
Core
-
Lie on your back on the floor with both feet on the long end of the step.
-
Place your hands out to the side, palms facing the ceiling.
-
Place your glutes as close to the step as possible. Make sure the knee angle is comfortable for your knees.
-
Push through both feet to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
-
Lower your hips back to the starting position.
-
Repeat the exercise 10 to 16 times.
Walking glute bridges
-
Lie on your back on the floor with both feet on the floor near the long end of the step. Hands are at your sides, palms facing the ceiling.
-
Push your hips toward the ceiling, forming a bridge with your glutes.
-
Keep your hips high at all times.
-
Step your right foot onto the step.
-
Return to the ground with your right foot.
-
Continue stepping with your right foot for 8 to 10 repetitions.
-
Lower your hips after 8 to 10 repetitions.
-
Push your hips toward the ceiling to form a glute bridge.
-
Keep your hips up at all times.
-
Repeat the walking sequence with your left foot leading the step for 8 to 10 repetitions.
Plank Step-Ups
-
Start in a plank position (on your knees to step back) with your hands on the floor near the step.
-
Bring your right hand up onto the step. Your left hand goes up onto the step.
-
Bring your right hand back to the floor. Left hand goes down to the floor.
-
Continue moving your right and left hand up and down the step for 8 to 10 repetitions.
-
Repeat the same sequence with the left hand leading the step for 8 to 10 repetitions.
Plank Step Jacks
-
Place your hands under your shoulders on the floor.
-
Place your feet on the floor so that the step is placed between your feet.
-
Jump or step with your feet on the step.
-
Jump or step your feet back to the ground to return to the starting position.
-
Repeat the exercise 8 to 10 times.
Side Plank with Back Taps
-
Get into a side plank position with your left elbow under your shoulder and your left knee on the floor.
-
Place your right foot on the step, on the edge of the short end of the step. Your body is perpendicular to the step and forms an "L" shape.
-
Tap your right toe behind you (the toe does not have to touch the floor). Tap your right toe back on the top of the step.
-
Repeat the back toe taps for 8 to 10 repetitions.
-
Switch sides and repeat with the left leg for 8-10 reps.
Strength
-
Cross lunge alternating with reverse lunge
-
Stand on the short end of the step in an athletic stance.
-
Keep your left foot on the step. Bring your right foot into a lunge.
-
Return to the starting position. Keep your left foot on the step.
-
Step your right foot out to the side to perform a cross lunge.
-
Alternate between the reverse lunge and the cross lunge for 8 to 10 total repetitions (4 to 5 of each lunge).
-
Alternate with the other side.
Bulgarian Split Squat
-
On the floor, feet under hips so that the step is behind you.
-
Place your left foot behind you on top of the step, with your right foot remaining on the floor. You are now in a split squat position.
-
Squat down on one leg with the weight on your right foot. Hold this position for 2 seconds.
-
Perform a small jump. Return to the starting position of the split squat to reset.
-
Repeat the exercise for 8 repetitions on the right foot.
-
Switch to the left foot.
Lateral toe flexion
-
Stand at the top of the step with your right foot closest to the edge of the step.
-
Bend your left knee to squat down to 1/3, so that 90% of your weight is on your left foot.
-
Tap your right foot sideways as close to the ground as possible.
-
Bring your right foot back to the top of the step, maintaining the squat position with 1/3 of your left leg and 90% of your weight on your left foot.
-
Perform 8 to 10 repetitions while tapping your right foot.
-
Repeat the exercise on the other side.
Cross lunge on one leg
-
Stand on the floor, near the step.
-
Place your left foot on the step. Keep your left leg straight.
-
Shift your weight to your right leg and perform a cross lunge (left leg straight, right knee bent).
-
Return to the starting position.
-
Perform 8 to 10 repetitions.
-
Repeat the exercise on the other side.
Triceps push-ups
-
Get into a triceps push-up position, hands on the step under your shoulders, knees on the floor.
-
Bend your elbows to perform a triceps push-up. Lower until comfortable.
-
Return to the starting point.
-
Perform 6 to 8 repetitions.
Staggered Push-Ups
-
Stand on the small end of the step.
-
Place your left hand on the floor and your right hand on the step.
-
Perform a push-up.
-
Change position so that your left hand is on the step and your right hand is on the floor.
-
Perform 8 to 10 repetitions.
Cardio - Jump to get down
-
Stand on the floor at the long end of the step. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
-
Adopt an athletic position.
-
Perform about a third of a squat and jump on top of the bench. Make sure both feet land on the bench and your heels are not hanging off the bench.
-
Go down. Do this exercise for 30 seconds.
You may also like this article: BODY BALANCE | 3 EASY WAYS TO USE IT TO LOSE WEIGHT
Weight Loss Advice, Burn Fat Fast With Step Aerobics
Step aerobic fitness is an intense calorie burning program that is very effective in burning fat around your belly.
If you are looking for a fun exercise program that will help you burn more calories, step aerobics is ideal for you. A step aerobics session typically involves a series of choreographed movements accompanied by music.
The movements are performed on an elevated platform and are designed to work the upper and lower body as well as the cardiovascular system.
This is an intense calorie burning exercise that mainly targets the legs, hips and glutes. It is a very effective form of exercise to burn fat stored around your belly.
You can increase the intensity of the workout by making some modifications. Increasing the height of the step will make the movements more difficult.
The number of calories you burn can also be attributed to the intensity of the exercise. The amount of weight you lose with step aerobics also depends a lot on the amount of time you spend exercising.
Make sure to do a 10-15 minute warm-up before each workout to avoid any type of injury. You can join a step aerobics class or do aerobics at home by following an exercise program.
or do aerobics at home by following an exercise video.
For significant weight loss, your aerobics session should be combined with a low-calorie diet.
More fun and exciting exercises to lose weight!
The hula hoop
Would you believe that hula hooping can burn up to 600 calories per hour? That said, it’s hard to do hula hooping for an hour, but you get the idea: it’s fun, physically intensive, and you can do it in the privacy of your bedroom. Yes, it also helps you lose weight.
If you are a beginner, try a weighted hoop because it is easier to spin, but as you improve, move on to a lighter hoop that will require more effort to spin and therefore help you burn more calories. Seniors can also give it a try. Just put on some music and you are good to go.
Swimming
You’ve probably heard it before: swimming is one of the best cardiovascular exercises out there. And who doesn’t love splashing around in cold water? How can you make exercise even more fun? If you’re bored, you can always play water volleyball or play catch.
Hip-hop abs
This workout promises to give you abs without doing a single crunch or sit-up. This is another program that claims to give you abs through the "tilt, tuck and tight" technique. The regimen involves various dance moves to fast-paced songs to burn calories and work up a sweat. There are four routines and a nutrition guide to help you sculpt your abs faster.
Learn more: HULA HOOP | HOW TO USE IT AND BURN CALORIES?
We have spent a lot of time to bring you the most comprehensive article on “Step Fitness: Simple Exercises to Do at Home” , we hope you enjoyed reading it.
Don't hesitate to subscribe to our private club!
In addition to this, you will receive our complete book as a gift on the best way to structure your fitness training, you will receive an email in advance when an article appears on our site leboxdufitness.com
Also feel free to check out our store which offers the best fitness, bodybuilding and fitness equipment.
Did you like this article and learn “Step Fitness: Simple Exercises to Do at Home”? Tell me in the comments if you already knew this and what your own experience is on this subject.
If you want to discover other articles on well-being and sports. Take a look at the weight loss tips section of the blog. You will find plenty of good fitness ideas.
If you want to find other Fitness and Wellness articles, take a look at the fitness shop review and best seller sections of the store, you will find plenty of products to use at home.
And if you want to know more about our sportswear for your fitness sessions, building muscle or losing fat, don't hesitate to consult the fitness clothing collection .
You can download my complete fitness guide “ The essentials for a body in top shape ” for free and subscribe to our Facebook page and our Instagram account .
Thank you for reading, I am personally responding to the comment.
Looking forward to corresponding with you!
