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A stepper is a piece of exercise equipment that simulates walking up stairs and provides an aerobic workout while also working the leg muscles. Some designs also have arm attachments for an upper body workout. The athlete steps on two platforms connected to hydraulic pistons that raise and lower the platforms as the athlete shifts their weight. The exercise provides sustained aerobic activity and works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles. Arm attachments provide stability or an upper body workout.
A stepper is a piece of home exercise equipment that provides athletes with an aerobic workout. The stepper exercise simulates the action of walking up a set of stairs, thus providing a leg workout. Some variations also have arm attachments so the athlete can do an upper body workout at the same time.
Although there are many designs, the basic principle of all exercise steppers is the same. They consist of two platforms, each of which is large enough that the athlete can comfortably place one foot on it. These platforms connect to a set of hydraulic pistons that keep the platforms raised off the ground. However, when the athlete steps on the platform, the weight of the athlete’s body causes the platforms to slowly lower toward the floor. When the athlete lifts their foot off the platform, the hydraulic system quickly pushes it back to its original starting position.
To use a stepping exercise, the athlete begins by placing each foot on one of the platforms. As the platforms begin to drop, the athlete shifts their weight to one foot, thus taking their weight off the other. By removing weight from this leg, the platform under it rises. When the highest point is reached, the athlete shifts their weight to the other leg, causing that platform to go down and the other to go up. By repeating this process, the athlete simulates going up some stairs.
This type of exercise provides several benefits for the athlete. To keep the platforms going up and down continuously, the athlete must keep stepping, so the stepping exercise provides a good sustained aerobic workout. The repeated steps also provide a solid workout for the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles.
In addition to these aerobic benefits and the benefits of the stepping exercise for the leg muscles, many machine designs also include attachments for the arms. Sometimes these props are static, and their sole purpose is to provide stability for the athlete while using the stepper. This design is ideal for those athletes who have difficulty maintaining their balance while exercising.
However, some designs use these arm attachments to provide a better overall workout. A common design involves a set of handles that the athlete pushes and pulls in time with the movement of the legs. Another design uses a set of handles that are attached to a bungee cord or cord, so that the athlete curls and uncoils the arms in time with the leg-stomping action. In both cases, the arm attachments allow the athlete to perform an upper body workout while the stepping exercise provides the legs with a complete workout.
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