EXERCISES FOR ALL SEASONS: Climb Stairs

Climb Stairs - 05/08/07 (Spring)


Climbing up and down staircases, especially in a fresh-air, outdoor environment, is a great aerobic exercise that can be done year-round.

When the large muscles of the legs, pelvic area and lower back (kua) are exercised, many calories are burned. The heart beats more rapidly, pumping blood faster throughout the whole body. The lungs expand and contract more to take in larger amounts of air to supply the body with extra oxygen.

My "Raise Each Leg" V-feet Tai Chi Form is an excellent substitute for climbing stairs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1-oAZU9_ys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl-wqj0xtvc

When a staircase doesn't happen to be nearby, or a "stair-master" isn't readily available, this exercise "revs up the heart" quickly. The faster one picks up each leg during the sequence, the faster the heart beats.

I use this form to energize myself after sitting still for several hours in front of a computer. After doing this form, I feel very similar to how I feel after climbing up and down a long staircase: my heart beats faster, I breathe faster, my whole body feels energized.

I developed this compact form because I needed an exercise I could do in a very limited amount of space (near my computer), in order to "wake myself up" after sitting in front of the computer for several hours at a time.

The form is an adaptation of the 37 Posture Tai Chi Chuan short form taught by Prof. Cheng Manching, only done standing in place, feet forming a "V" stance: heels near each other, toes pointing outward 30 to 45 degrees. The weightless leg is raised, while the weighted leg supports the body. The arm movements are essentially the arm movements of the short form, modified to accommodate each raised leg.

There are several places in the Yang Tai Chi form where one or another leg is raised (during kicks, during Brush Knee, during Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg, etc). I simply incorporated a basic "raised leg" movement into every posture of the V-feet form.

I've noticed that this action of lifting the leg until the thigh is parallel to the floor approximates the strenuous activity of stair climbing. So if I want to "rev up my heartbeat" the way stair climbing in the park revs up my heart, I do a fast "raise each leg" version of the tai chi form.

Whenever I have the opportunity, I like to climb up and down staircases in a local park, sometimes jumping three or four stairs at a time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvllrQ-dZUc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZzNiC2SNOc

However, when the option to climb up and down staircases is not available to me, I do some version of this "Raise Each Leg" V-feet Tai Chi form indoors, or outdoors.

When I used to live near a park that had many staircases, I regularly climbed stairs during my park walks. Nowadays, after moving to a different area, I live near a park that has no staircases, not even gently rising walkways within it. Quite flat. To reproduce many of the beneficial physiological effects I used to experience while climbing staircases, I do some version of this "Raise Each Leg" V-feet form during my current park walks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8oQW2fITRY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANcUFaW3rBc

I also like to do this form indoors, after I've sat near my computer for several hours and have begun to feel drowsy from lack of body movement. This fast form wakes me up, and increases my pulse. It's a great "wake me up" exercise.

I follow this form with "Bend-Down #4"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSJsxpTw7_U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-R7K_YTmMI

As my head bends down towards my feet, blood rushes into the brain, helping to enliven me and make me feel more wide awake and alert.

Then I stand still for 90 seconds or so, maintaining the "Embrace The Tree" posture in a forward 70/30 Stance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NxCtzjko60
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8oQW2fITRY

After doing these three exercises, one after the other, I feel as if my "internal batteries" are fully recharged.

Since one should never exercise immediately after eating, I do these three forms when I have no food in my stomach, 15 minutes before lunch. I also do this set of 3 exercises during my park walks, usually late in the afternoon, several hours after lunchtime has passed.

These are some of my core, daily exercises that help me stay in shape as I get older.


ChiGuy396

ChiGuy396@yahoo.com


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Sports

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