6 Best Aerobic Stepper Exercises for Beginners (Step by Step Guide)

Aerobic Stepper Exercises are a great addition to your fitness routine. Developing a habit of performing stepper exercises is a great way to stay fit and keep your heart pumping healthily.

Do you want to know the benefits of performing aerobic stepper exercises? Are you interested in exploring some of the best stepper exercises that you can perform from the comfort of your home? If yes, keep on reading this fitness guide.

 

What is a Stepper?

An exercise stepper is an exercise tool used as a part of an aerobic workout. It is the most effective exercise equipment that helps burn a ton of calories within a few minutes. A stepper provides a balanced workout and requires a minimal amount of time each day.

Although the exercises performed using an aerobic stepper are low-impact exercises; however, they accelerate your heart and metabolic rates within a few minutes. Hence, you neither have to worry about sore muscles nor have to work out for hours to lose weight.

What are the Benefits of Aerobic Stepper Exercises?

If you are wondering that is the stepper a good workout for you, you will get the answer in the next few lines. Here we have listed a few benefits of aerobic stepper exercises that will help you understand why stepper exercises must be a part of your daily routine.

 

Boosted Calorie Burn

A systematic review indicates that step aerobics involves vertical displacement which significantly increases caloric expenditure compared to level walking, making it highly effective for weight management^[1].

Improves Cardiovascular Health

The most significant advantage of stepper exercises is that it improves the health of your heart. This exercise machine allows a low-impact workout which is beneficial for the health of your heart. Furthermore, regular aerobic stepper exercises help lose weight, which helps control your blood pressure. Resultantly, the risk of developing heart disease reduces significantly.  

Strengthens Your Body Muscles

Another benefit of stepper exercises is they tone and strengthen all your lower body muscles from the butt to the thighs and calves.Clinical studies show that regular step training enhances lower limb strength and proprioception, leading to significant improvements in dynamic balance and reduced fall risk^[2].

Improves Your Overall Fitness

Step aerobics offers all the benefits that you avail from a high-intensity cardio workout. And the best thing is, you avail all these benefits without putting any additional stress on your joints. So, by performing aerobic stepper exercises, you improve your overall fitness by reducing fat and boosting your cardiovascular health. Furthermore, step aerobics also helps in managing blood pressure and diabetes.

Builds Strength and Flexibility

Aerobic stepper exercises target your legs, upper body, and core and help in building strength and flexibility. In addition to that, these exercises also improve your balance, coordination, and agility.

Individuals who have osteoporosis can perform this low-impact exercise to improve bone strength. Similarly, individuals who have arthritis can use a chair or any other stable object for attaining extra balance.  

Aerobic Stepper Exercises for Beginners – 6 Best Options

Having read the benefits of aerobic stepper exercises, you might be interested in incorporating these exercises into your daily routine. How to use an aerobic stepper? Continue reading to explore some of the best aerobic stepper exercises for beginners.

Stepper Exercise 1. Aerobic Stepper Up Downs

Adopt the following procedure to perform an aerobic stepper exercise, up down or plank step-up.  

How to do:

1. Get in a plank position. Place your hands on the ground near the stepper.
2. Start in a high plank position on the floor. Lift your right hand and place it firmly on the stepper, followed by your left hand, so you are now planking on the stepper.
3. Bring your right hand back to the ground. Follow the same procedure for the left hand and bring it back to the ground.
4. Continue walking your right and left hands up and down the step.
5. Complete ten sets of repetition

Muscle Worked:

Abs, cores, triceps and quads.  

 

Stepper Exercise 2. Mountain Climbers

Here is a complete procedure for performing mountain climbers' stepper exercise.

How to do:

1. Get into a plank position. Distribute your weight evenly between your hands and toes
2. Place your hands on the stepper. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart, back flat, abs engaged, and your head is in proper alignment.
3. Pull your right knee near your chest and bring it as close as you can
4. Start switching the legs. Continue pulling one knee out while bringing the other knee in.
5. While keeping your hips down, continue running your knees in and out as far and as fast as you can
6. Oscillate inhaling and exhaling with continuous leg changing

Muscle Worked:

Deltoids, biceps, triceps, chest, obliques, abdominals, quads, hamstrings and hip abductors.

 

Stepper Exercise 3. Step-Ups

Here is the procedure to perform step-ups.

How to do:

1. Stand on the floor close to the step.
2. Place your foot on the stepper with the knee slightly out and over the ankle.
3. While squeezing your butt and tucking your ribs, drive up through your heel
4. Stand tall and reach back to the floor while leaning your chest forward. This will help in counterbalancing the body weight.
5. While returning, drag your foot against the stepper to achieve stability
6. Perform multiple repetitions

 Muscle Worked:

Quadriceps, hips and glutes.

 

Stepper Exercise 4. Lateral Step-up

Here is the procedure to perform a lateral step-up exercise.

How to do:

1. Stand on the floor at the short end of the stepper. Keep the stepper on your left side.
2. Place your left foot on the stepper while keeping your right foot on the floor.
3. Place your right foot on the ground while simultaneously placing your left foot on the floor.
4. Now place the right foot on the floor, placing the left foot on the stepper simultaneously.
5. Continue performing this exercise while increasing speed gradually
6. Perform multiple sets of repetitions

Muscle Worked: 

Glutes and hamstrings.

Beginner Tip:

Start with a lower step height and hold onto a wall or rail until you feel stable.

Stepper Exercise 5. Burpee

Here is the procedure to perform the burpee stepper exercise.

How to do:

1. Position your feet  shoulder-width apart and stand in front of the stepper.
2. Lower and put your hands on the floor in front of the stepper.
3. Leap or step feet back, pressing to plank position and tightening your core.
4. Jump or step your feet back to your hands and stand.
5. Instead of jumping, place your right foot on the stepper firmly, followed by your left.
6. Rise all the way up on the stepper so your hips are fully extended, then step back down to the floor one foot at a time.
7. Try this several times, switching which foot you lead with if able.

Muscle Worked: 

Entire body (calves, quads, glutes, hamstrings, pecs, triceps and deltoids).

Beginner Tip:

If jumping feels too intense, step back into the plank instead of jumping your feet.

Stepper Exercise 6. Raised Glute Bridges

Adopt the following procedure to perform raised glute bridges stepper exercise.

How to do:

1. Lie flat on the floor with both your feet on the long end of the stepper
2. Place your hands at your sides on the floor.
3. Make sure your glutes are as close to the step as possible
4. Push your feet down so that your hips raise towards the ceiling.
5. Bring your hips back to the starting position
6. Perform multiple repetitions

Muscle Worked:

Hamstrings, gluteus, core and abdominals.

This exercise is fantastic for building strength and stability using minimal equipment. However, when you are ready to target maximum muscle gain, you may need to dedicate the Smith machine.

Cool-Down & Stretch (5 Minutes)

Do not skip this phase! ‘Cooling down’ helps bring your heart rate down to a normal level and minimizes muscle soreness. Maintain each position for 20-30 seconds.

• Quad Stretch: Stand and slowly bring your right foot close to your glute. Repeat on the left side.
• Hamstring Stretch: Seated on the floor with one leg straight and the other bent. Gently reach for your toes. Repeat on the opposite side.
• Stretching Calf: Stand with your toes against a wall. Stand with one foot just behind the other and press the heel of the back leg down until you feel a stretch in your calf. Repeat on the opposite side.

Safety Tips to Consider While Exercising Using A Stepper

Make sure you take the following safety precautionary measures while performing aerobic stepper exercises.

• Place the stepper on a completely flat surface
• Avoid placing the stepper on a carpet
• Do not use the stepper barefoot. Wear high-impact sneakers while performing all the exercises mentioned above
• Perform the exercises slowly. You can increase the speed gradually once you attain balance and coordination.

If you have any existing heart, joint, or medical conditions, check with your healthcare provider before starting stepper workouts.

Final Words

Aerobic stepper exercises offer countless benefits. If you want to leverage numerous health benefits and add fun to your daily fitness routine, stepper exercises must be a part of your exercise routine. You will be surprised to see these exercises' benefits within a few weeks.

Ready to complete your home gym? Whether you need a simple stepper to boost cardio or a multi-functional Smith Machine for serious strength, we have the quality equipment to help you reach your goals.

References