The idea of climbing a mountain is a powerful metaphor; it represents willpower, and the ability to overcome whatever obstacles are thrown in your path. When I hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania at age 55, it wasn’t just a major physical challenge – it was a profound emotional and spiritual experience. And, on a much smaller scale, hiking is terrific for the same reasons. In just an hour or two, you can escape into the fresh air, set your imagination free and breathe through whatever issues are on your mind. And climbing isn’t just good for clearing the mind. It also does wonders on your glutes, legs and fat-burning abilities. Here’s how to get the most of your vertical workouts:
Approach cardio from a different angle.
If weather or geography is preventing you from getting outside for a hike, don’t worry. You can reap some amazing benefits from the comfort of your treadmill. We all know that you can burn more calories by increasing speed.
But you can also transform your treadmill workout into a more effective one by simply increasing the incline. Try my Treadmill Triple Header:
- Walk at a moderate pace on a 0% incline for 2 minutes.
- Maintaining the same pace, increase your incline to 3% for 2 minutes, 6% for 2 minutes, 9% for 2 minutes, 12% for 2 minutes, and 15% for 2 minutes.
- Return to the 0% incline, and repeat that cycle 2 more times.
- The proof’s in the numbers: If a 130-pound woman walks at a 12-minute-mile pace for 30 minutes with no incline, she burns 216 calories. But she can burn 178 more calories – at the same pace – by adding a 15% incline!
Climb, don’t walk.
The key to burning fat around the clock is finding opportunities to add movement throughout your day. If you’ve already worked out for 30 minutes today, that’s terrific – but don’t use it as an excuse to head straight for the elevator.
Here’s where the old “take the stairs instead of the elevator” idea comes into play. It’s a classic tip for obvious reasons: The key to burning fat around the clock is finding opportunities to add movement throughout your day. If you’ve already worked out for 30 minutes today, that’s terrific – but don’t use it as an excuse to head straight for the elevator. The trick is to make it interesting: Every time you take the stairs, take a different approach. One trip it’s all about speed, taking quick, light steps and getting to the top as fast as possible. The next trip, focus on slow, steady and skipping a step (if possible). Take a slow, deliberate step with your right foot, pressing your weight down into your heel and not your toe, keeping your core tight, and slowly bringing your left foot up in front of you, making sure you feel your glutes engaged throughout the movement. And the next time you take the stairs, step up and to the side, rather that just in one line, so that you engage your abductors (outer thighs) as you initiate the stepping motion, and then you hit the adductors (inner thighs) as you step up.