The Best Aerobic Exercise for Firmer Glutes

Who doesn’t want stronger glutes and a firmer bottom line? Unfortunately, most aerobic exercises don’t specifically target this region. Even though an aerobic workout firms and tones the calves and, to a lesser extent, the thighs, the glutes miss out on all the action. To get the upper and lower glutes firm and toned usually requires squats and leg raises. But, guess what? There’s one aerobic exercise that’s quite effective at toning the glutes – letting you get the double benefit of aerobic exercise and butt firming. It’s the machine that most people ignore at the gym – the stair climber.

A stair climber can be your secret weapon to working the heart muscle and toning the glutes at the same time. If you don’t know what a stair climber is, it’s a machine where the stairs move at whatever speed you select. It simulates walking up stairs in a controlled fashion. Depending upon the speed you set it, a stair climber can burn significant calories in a very short period of time.

The other advantage of using a stair climber is that every time you lift your leg to step up, you’re toning your upper and lower glutes as well as the thigh and calf muscles. Adding resistance on a stair climber makes the glutes work even harder – giving more strengthening and firming benefits. The other advantage to a stair climber workout is that you can easily change the speed and intensity throughout the workout – allowing you to do an interval workout which burns even more calories.

To get the benefits of stair climbing for toning the glutes, you don’t even need to join a gym. All you need are a few flights of stairs to go up and down for twenty to thirty minutes. If you work in a office building that has several flights of stairs, bring along some exercise shoes and go up and down the stairs during your lunch hour. You’ll be toning the upper and lower glutes without ever having to leave your workplace.

When using a stair climber for toning the glutes, start out slowly until you get a feel for the movements. The risk of injury is higher on a stair climber than it is on other pieces of equipment, so keep the speed and resistance low initially. Spending a little time becoming accustomed to the stair climber is worth the time and effort – particularly six weeks later when you get a glimpse at your bottom line!