Steppers of the biggest brands

What is a stepper

Steppers have two pedals that move either independently of each other or synchronously. Pushing on one of the pedals automatically raises the other, which must then be pushed. Devices with independent pedals allow more difficult training.

The advantages of the stepper

Whatever type of stepper you use, these are the most important muscles of the lower body (glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves) that are used, as when going up a real staircase. Naturally, the more you work with a large number of muscle fibers, the more calories you burn and the more intensely you develop your cardiovascular system. Although steppers do not involve the upper body, like crosstrainers, they still activate enough muscle to provide intense cardiovascular training.

As with any equipment, you need to use the right technique if you want to take full advantage of your stepper. You can hold onto the side rails but you really have to resist the temptation to lean on them. Using the full weight of your body will make you work harder. On the other hand, unless you have a good reason to take quick small steps, it is better to use as much range of motion as possible for qualitative training.

If you stand during the exercise, you will use the muscles, connective tissues of the feet, legs, hips and lower back to support the weight of your body. This type of exercise, which uses body weight, has been shown to help slow bone loss. Steppers offer all of these benefits in addition to providing a low impact workout, which makes it even more interesting if you have weaknesses in injured bones or joints.

The stepper is perfect for anyone looking for quality training. If you prefer exercises where you move quickly, you should rather turn to a treadmill. But if your goal is to climb mountains then no machine will be more useful to you. Besides, for the record, steppers are part of the training programs for firefighters who need to climb high ladders very quickly with heavy weights on their backs ...