Now – try the stairs!

This one is a little more difficult and can be dangerous. Please – safety first. There are handrails on the staircase for a reason. And, although the reason may not be the following, they will serve as excellent stability boosters for the following exercise.

Last post you tried walking backwards up a hill. Other than being unusual, it is not that difficult for most people. Of course, there are ways to make it more difficult. We’ll save that for another post.

Our home is built into a hill on the shore. It is about a 50 foot rise from the water to our driveway/front entrance. The front entrance is actually the third storey out of four. You can imagine there are a lot of stairs. And, when my husband and I designed the home, we chose to have higher than average ceilings, therefore, the staircases are longer than normal as well. Do not worry, we thought ahead: there is an elevator for future considerations.

To stumble out of bed in the morning (today at 40F but sunny) and reach the hot tub on the deck requires 2 full flights of stairs plus the few steps outdoors. Now, I wouldn’t attempt the following first thing in the morning before my muscles are warmed up, but I do try it once in a while during the day for variety.

Pick any staircase where no one else is around – this is not something to try in a mall.  With your dominant side closest to the handrail, grasp the rail with that hand at the base of a set of stairs. Now, carefully, walk in reverse up the flight of stairs. It will feel quite strange and you will need the handrail for a while. Gradually, loosen your grip on the rail over time until you are barely touching it. Try not to swivel your head around and look behind you while doing this exercise. The goal is to look straight ahead just like you do when you are going down the stairs normally. You are reversing all the motions, not changing anything except your direction. This exercise will work your muscles differently and will definitely give your brain a bit of a workout as well.

Have fun. Be safe.

To variety…

Susan Crutcher, RRPr, CPTN-CPT, PHC

Life Empowerment Mentor, Health & Wellness Coach, Baby Steps to Success Expert

www.SueCrutcher.com; www.Sutopia.com

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Permission to reprint. This article (and all articles on this blog) is copyrighted by Susan Crutcher. You have permission to reprint this article in its entirety as long as you include the following credit with the article:

Susan Crutcher is the author of “Health & Wellness Made Simple” and is currently working on a series of self empowerment books which incorporate her baby steps to success theory. She is a life empowerment mentor, health and wellness coach, baby steps to success expert and motivational speaker, is certified in personal training and over a dozen complementary care modalities with over 30 years of teaching experience. Susan is manager of Greystone Retreat (a luxury rental home on Georgian Bay), co-founder of Academy of Holistic Modalities Inc (holistic education), editor of the Reflexology Registration Council of Ontario (RRCO) newsletter ‘In Touch’ and a founding member of the Grey-Bruce Spiritual Network (GBSN). Download and enjoy a free sample of her book at: www.SueCrutcher.com