I have tried three different types of Steps in the last ten years. I have been doing step aerobics for over ten years… since that day I stepped on a scale, looked down and said (out loud) “THAT can’t be right…” That night I looked in the mirror, and realized that somehow those long days spent sitting in an office, eating corporate lunches, and working long hours instead of working out had filled out my slender frame. My behind had spread to fill my chair, and I had slowly shoved all of the size 4 and size 6 clothes to the back of my closet, and filled it with 10’s and 12’s… and a few 14’s. “Well, these pants run really small…” I would justify to myself… as I snacked on a bag of chips or a candy bar I’d picked up on the run.
After my awakening, I rededicated myself to taking control of my body again. In addition to giving our eating habits a complete overhaul, which involved (literally) throwing several bags of chips and unhealthy snacks in the garbage (lest I be tempted to graze on them), I set out to add some exercise into my life again.
This was not as easy as it might sound, since I did not (at that time) belong to a gym, nor did I have a lot of “free time” to exercise. I traveled for my job, so I needed to find a workout routine that I could do at home, or on the road. I went to the store, and bought a Reebok Step. And so began my on-again/off-again love affair with stepping, which continues to this day. (The "off again" part was when I got bored with the videos, but joining a gym immediately rekindled my love for Stepping).
The Step Reebok is a flat platform, about 3 feet long and 15” wide. It stands about 6” off the ground, on little side supports. It also comes with an adjustable set of risers, allowing the user to change the height of the step from 6” to 8” to 10”, depending on their skill level and desired intensity of the workout. There are two designs you may see, depending on where you work out. One has a set of stair-like risers; you attach the step to these at different points to adjust the height. The other design has separate platforms that you stack with either no risers, one or two high on each side to control the height. I personally find the stackable risers easier to use, as the stair-like risers tend to stick to the bottom of the step when you try to adjust it. This is all personal taste, though, and if you work out at a gym, you just get whatever they have there anyway.
To work out on the step, you typically follow an instructor (on a video or in person). That individual leads you through a series of repetitive exercises which involve putting one foot at a time up on the step, then back down. The sequence may vary, as may the direction you face and the patterns you follow. But the core exercise is simply stepping up on the platform, one foot at a time, and then stepping back down. It’s like walking up onto a stair, stopping, and stepping back down again, to music.
Additional moves which will be introduced, as you get more familiar with the step, include turn steps (stepping up with one foot, then the other, and turning your body from side to side); over-the-top (stepping up sideways onto the step, and then stepping down off on the other side), v-steps (stepping up with your feet wide, facing slightly outward, like a v) and L-step (stepping up on the end of the step, lifting one knee up, and then coming back to the front of the step). There is typically a lot of repetition in step aerobics, and a lot of knee lifts and some lunging so the legs are worked well.
You don’t have to be incredibly coordinated to do step aerobics, which is part of the attraction for me. I’m not really well coordinated, so fancy footwork like in high-impact aerobics and some of the other classes and tapes were beyond me. With Step Reebok, I found that I could do most (if not all) of the routines without too much embarrassment. And if I didn’t look as graceful as those willowy models on the video, or the sculpted instructors in the class… hey, at least I was working – and trying. And as I got more knowledgeable about the terms they were using to call out the next step, I was able to add in more arm motions and increase the intensity. But to be honest, when all else fails, I can still revert to just stepping up and down, watching the instructor’s fancy footwork, and know that my less-than-graceful exertion is still working wonders for my body.
Most gyms offer Step classes, which is what I do now. But if you want to step at home, there are several videotapes available. This is how I first worked out with the step. Although the step came with one (free) video, I found it to be boring (repetitive, the same tape day after day) and after a period of time, to be too simple for my evolving skill level. If you take a class at the gym, be sure to tell the instructor it’s your first step class so s/he can help you with some of the terms.
Step aerobics provides a strong cardiovascular workout, although you can control the difficulty by adjusting the step height up or down. You can also minimize the arm motions to reduce the intensity, or add “power” by jumping up, instead of stepping up, to increase the intensity. You should listen to your body carefully, however, when beginning Step Aerobics or any new exercise regime.
Within about four months of doing step aerobics at home (on my home step, for 30-40 minutes, three to four times a week) I had lost 12 pounds and dropped two dress sizes. I was also eating more healthy foods, and trying to minimize my snacking (or at least eat more healthy snacks if I needed to eat between meals).
After about six months I joined a gym, where I found more motivation in working out with others who were all trying to get or keep fit. The Step Aerobic classes at the gym added more variety to my routine, which was great because I was beginning to get bored with my three tapes. Over the course of the next year I lost the rest of the weight, and got back to my original size. I was able to maintain that without too much difficulty for the next three years (when I became pregnant) with healthy eating habits and continued exercise, including regular step classes.
If you are looking for a way to get into shape, either at home or at the gym, without investing in an expensive piece of equipment, I can highly recommend step aerobics and the Step Reebok. You can pick up a Step on sale for about $50 and tapes are typically about $10 each. If you can dedicate thirty minutes, three times a week, to your Step routine, you will begin to see the benefits both in your body and your attitude very quickly. More defined inner thighs and quadriceps, sculpted hamstrings and calves, smaller hips and butt – all of these were the direct result of my step aerobics.
This is a great exercise for both men and women, and you’ll see both in most step classes. Five stars to Reebok for developing an exercise program that really works for those of us who are less coordinated but still want a good workout, without buying a huge piece of equipment, and/or want to work out at home.
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