How to Use a Stairmaster

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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You can use the Stairmaster to trim and tone your legs and buttocks, while raising your heart rate, building your endurance and burning calories. Follow these steps to use the machine effectively.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Stairmaster

Use a Stairmaster

Step1

Step onto the Stairmaster. Be sure to use the handrails while you get into position. Move to the top step to help prevent the Stairmaster from beginning to move prior to the start of your exercise.

Step2

Program the Stairmaster according to your current exercise requirements. For instance, when you're just starting out, you will want the Stairmaster moving at a slower pace so you can warm up.

Step3

Set the functions you want to appear during your exercise. If you are looking to burn a certain number of calories before you stop, then you can set it to show the calorie expenditure. If you want to see how many flights of steps you would have climbed, then you can set that to display instead.

Step4

Set the resistance for the steps as you use the Stairmaster. The resistance of the steps determines how much of your body weight you are going to be raising with each step. In other words, if you use lower resistance, then the stairs will move down to accommodate a faster step up while helping you to keep moving.

Step5

Press "Start" to begin to use the Stairmaster. Be sure you are holding on to the handrails as it begins so that you don't fall off. The Stairmaster will gradually increase in speed until it hits your target speed.

Step6

Adjust the settings on the Stairmaster manually, changing the speed or resistance at will during your exercise. This will switch it into manual mode and may end up resetting some of your current exercise statistics, but this will also give you greater control of the program as you go.

Step7

Press the emergency stop button whenever you need to quit in a hurry. It will slow and then stop the Stairmaster in a second, and allow you to get off the machine without injuring yourself.

Tips & Warnings

Try different stepping patterns while you use your Stairmaster. Straighten your leg slowly, quickly or step in a rhythmic pattern. These kinds of changes can help take the monotony out of exercising, whether with a Stairmaster or any other exercise equipment.
Wear sneakers with plenty of traction when you use a Stairmaster. As you sweat, there may be drops that hit the steps themselves, and if you aren't in sneakers with good traction, you can slip.