As you observe others you will quickly
notice a variety of styles. Choose a speed that you can move
smoothly with the pedals. Don’t try
to force the pedals down or have it set so fast that you are at the bottom
of the machine. Step height should be comfortable. Don’t feel like
you have to take large steps or take such small steps that your knees barely
bend.
Stair stepper training is the only mode of cross training I have been able
to find in the medical research that actually improves running times without
increasing the amount of training. Researchers compared “physically active” college
age women who trained only on a stair stepper to a group that ran. After nine
weeks of training four days per week, beginning at thirty minutes and increasing
to forty five minutes, the running group improved 11% and the stair stepper
group improved 8% on a 1.5 mile run. It must be noted that the participants
in this study were “physically active college women,” as opposed
to competitive distance runners in the swimming, cycling, and deep water running
studies.
As you observe others you will quickly
notice a variety of styles. Choose a speed that you can move
smoothly with the pedals. Don’t try
to force the pedals down or have it set so fast that you are at the bottom
of the machine. Step height should be comfortable. Don’t feel like
you have to take large steps or take such small steps that your knees barely
bend.
