How to Tone Legs by Using a Stepper

A stepper, or stair stepping machine, is a piece of gym equipment used to strengthen the muscles in the legs while providing an excellent cardiovascular workout. Similar to a treadmill, a stepper allows you to adjust the intensity and resistance of the workout based on your fitness level, weight and age. There are a few important factors to consider to decide if a stepper is a good choice for you to tone your legs.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Adjust the resistance on the stepper before beginning your workout. The resistance determines the level of difficulty in pushing down on each step during your workout so it is best to start out with a very low resistance and gradually build up to more. With low resistance, the machine will usually help you during the workout by using hydraulics or other technology to push the pedal back up after you step down on it.

2. Use the handles or side rails on the stepper for balance. Try to avoid leaning on them too much as this may cause your posture to become poor and increase your risk of injury. It is important to keep your upper body upright and focus on keeping your abdominal muscles tight during the workout.

3. Complete about 15 to 30 minutes of continuous stepping on the machine. Maintain a steady pace by using the settings on the machine to time and monitor your workout. Many steppers offer programs that monitor your heart rate and the distance you would have theoretically covered as you work out, while some will automatically increase and decrease the resistance to help you give a fast-paced cardiovascular workout.

4. Try using the reverse setting on the stepper, if one is available, to help tone your hamstrings and calves. Many steppers allow you to move the pedals in the opposite direction for portions of the workout in order to engage the other muscles in your legs. This is likely to feel like a much more difficult workout so usually you will only do about reverse stepping for no more than 25 percent of the time you are on the machine.

5. Listen to your favorite music on your portable music player while you are on the stepper to motivate yourself. Many people find high-energy music, such as dance or pop, to be encouraging during their step workouts by providing a steady beat with which they aim to keep up.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask a personal trainer or a member of your gym's staff to help you adjust the settings on the stepper if have difficulty understanding it. There are a large number of types of steppers on the market and they tend to have different controls, options and settings depending on the model and year it was manufactured.