Fitness
Should you use a treadmill or stair climber? Fitness experts reveal pros and cons
If you’re looking for a challenging, calorie-burning, engaging workout, should you use a treadmill or a stair climber? Either one is can be a good option, fitness experts say, but they’re not always right for everyone.
There are actually two types of stair climbing machines you might find in a gym, Chris Barucci, a physical therapist and certified strength and condition specialist at the Boston University Physical Therapy Center, tells TODAY.com.
When using the first variation, sometimes called a stepper, your feet stay in place on pedals that go up and down as you step. But when using the second type of machine, colloquially referred to by the brand name StairMaster, your feet leave the machine briefly while climbing a never-ending staircase. This type of machine is also sometimes called a stair mill, Barucci says.
That’s why, while you can get a great workout on either a stair climber or a treadmill, using a stair climber is generally more strenuous, Dr. Jeanne Doperak, a primary care sports medicine physician and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, tells TODAY.com. But that also means it can be riskier than using a treadmill — especially for your knees, she says.
Here’s how to choose which machine is best for your goals.
Does a treadmill or stair climber give you a better workout?
Both a treadmill and stair climber can get your heart rate up, burn calories and work your lower body muscles.
But they impact the body a little differently, Barucci says.
When walking on a treadmill, people typically hit the tread in a “heel-to-toe pattern” and work the hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh, he explains. Whereas on a stair climber, “the pressure is mostly on the forefoot and mid-foot, which loads the lower leg, quad and hip muscles more,” Barucci adds.
Plus, the fact that a stair climber requires you to stay upright while stepping adds a balance challenge that engages your core muscles, TODAY.com explained previously.
With both cardio and strengthening components, a stair climber is generally going to be a more intense workout than a treadmill, Doperak says. That’s especially true if you’re comparing a stair climber to walking on a treadmill.
If you have a relatively high fitness level to begin with and are looking for the most efficient workout machine, a stair climber will likely be a better option.
But, the experts say, not everyone needs that. “In the right pace and the right population, (a stair climber) is a great workout,” she says. And the “vast majority of people will find that they can get as good a workout on some of the other apparatuses,” Doperak adds.
You can up the intensity on a treadmill by increasing the incline or speed, for instance, Barucci says. And you can build lower body strength with a dedicated strength-training routine in addition to using a cardio machine, Doperak says.
“Doing a cardiovascular workout and then having a separate strength workout that really is tailored to where you are in your fitness plan probably is the safest (option),” Doperak says.
Does a treadmill or stair climber have more impact on the body?
Climbing stairs is “one of the hardest things that we do on a daily basis as human beings,” Doperak says. When going up and down stairs, you’re putting “anywhere between three to seven times your body weight on your knee,” she adds. And stairs only become more challenging as we age.
For that reason, a stair climber inherently places more impact on the body — especially the knees — than a treadmill.
That also puts you more at risk for an injury to the knee when using a stair climber, Doperak says. “If we load the knee constantly with a motion that’s putting more stress on it, we get more cartilage wear,” she explains. And in the case of stairs, “people will get early wear and tear behind their kneecap,” she says.
To be fair, a treadmill can pose the same risks at a high enough incline. But Doperak is “often hesitant to recommend the stair climber as opposed to other things,” she says, “simply because I do think it puts many people at risk of having these knee issues.”
Should you use a treadmill or stair climber?
A stair climber is a great option for those who want to train for activities like hiking and climbing, Barucci says.
It can also be helpful for those who are just a little bored with their usual cardio workouts in the gym. “Because of the challenge the user faces needing to keep up with the staircase, it’s very difficult to not be focused on the activity while doing it,” Barucci says, “particularly if the speed is relatively fast.”
Additionally, stair climbers are particularly demanding on the quads and calf muscles, Barucci adds, so it can be a good option for people looking to work on those muscles.
But a stair climber isn’t necessarily a good option for beginners. “If the most you’re doing is a walk around the neighborhood, it feels like a big jump to a half an hour on the StairMaster,” Doperak says. She also cautions against using a stair climber if you have certain health concerns, particularly pain in the front of the knee.
A treadmill is ideal for those who want to continue their walking or running indoors, as TODAY.com explained previously. It’s also perfect for folks looking to build up their walking endurance before a big trip, for example.
Of course, there is also value in variety, Doperak says, adding that even stair climber enthusiasts probably shouldn’t use that machine every single day.
Whether you’re using a treadmill or stair climber, Barucci recommends starting with a time, speed and incline or resistance level that leave “plenty of safety margin.” Basically, start with what you feel comfortable with and increase those settings gradually.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Finding time to work out as a mom with young kids can be a challenge in itself, especially when you’re new to an area and don’t know where to start. However, a new fitness option strolled into Sioux Falls today. iStroll offers moms the chance to work out and meet other moms all while their kids can play or even join alongside them.
iStroll is a national organization that has more than 35 locations in the country but this is the first time one opened in South Dakota. It’s a full body workout that incorporates dumbbells, body weight, and jogging strollers when the weather’s nice.
“I found iStroll in Oklahoma and fell in love,” said Kelsi Supek who started the affiliate in Sioux Falls. “We made friends. It became our entire social network. The kids loved it and then we moved to Arizona during COVID. And all the moms were stuck at home. They were inside with our kids and lonely, honestly. And we were like, why can’t we start an iStroll and be out at the parks with the kids every day? And it took off.”
When Supek moved to Sioux Falls, she was encouraged by her family to start an affiliate and own it herself.
“Gym daycares did not work out for my children,” said Supek. “I would get 10 minutes into a class and then I’d have that person trying to knock outside the yoga studio going, Can I have Kelsey and her kids screaming in daycare? And it just didn’t work for us. So at iStroll they could be with me or I could be breastfeeding the baby as I was teaching in class.”
Classes are planned to continue each Wednesday and Friday at We Rock the Spectrum and First Presbyterian Church. For a full schedule for January and February, you can look at their Facebook. The first class is also free and memberships are for the whole family.
“Letting the kids see you work out is, it’s similar to homeschooling where like, you know, how are they going to love working out if they don’t see you working out,” said Kelly Jardeleza, a stay-at-home mom of three kids. “Whereas at other gyms they put them in a room and they don’t get to watch you. And how are you going to inspire them if they’re not watching you do it?”
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
There’s no bad time to take a more active interest in your health, but the new year, for lots of us, feels like a fresh start. Maybe you’re planning to sign up for a 10k or finally have a go at bouldering, eat a bit better or learn to swing a kettlebell. Maybe you want to keep up with your grandkids — or just be a little bit more physically prepared for whatever life throws at you.
To help things along, Guardian Live invites you to a special event with public health expert Devi Sridhar, journalist and author Mariella Frostrup, and health and fitness columnist Joel Snape. They’ll be joining the Guardian’s Today in Focus presenter Annie Kelly to discuss simple, actionable ways to stay fit and healthy as you move through the second half of life: whether that means staying strong and mobile or stressing less and sleeping better.
To make the whole event as helpful as possible, we’d love to hear from you about what you find most challenging — or confusing — when it comes to health and exercise. What should you actually be eating, and how are you going to find the time to make it? What sort of exercise is best, and how often should you be doing it? Is Pilates worth the effort — and should we really all be drinking mugfuls of piping hot creatine?
Whether your question is about exercise, eating, or general wellness, post it below and we’ll put a selection to our panel on the night.
Share your experience
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Jan 6 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that it will limit regulation of wearable devices and software designed to support healthy lifestyles, issuing new guidance to clarify its regulatory approach.
The guidance, along with comments from FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, adds to existing policy that classifies low-risk wellness tools, such as fitness apps and activity trackers that encourage exercise, as non-medical devices exempt from stringent regulation, provided they do not make claims related to disease diagnosis or treatment.
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“We have to promote these products and at the same time, just guard against major safety concerns,” Makary said in an interview with Fox Business about artificial intelligence software such as ChatGPT, adding that “if people are looking up a symptom on an AI-based tool, let’s have that conversation when they come in to see their doctor or do a virtual visit.”
“We want to let companies know, with very clear guidance, that if their device or software is simply providing information, they can do that without FDA regulation,” Makary told Fox Business.
“The only stipulation is if they make claims of something being medical grade … like blood pressure measurement. We don’t want people changing their medicines based on something that’s just a screening tool or an estimate of a physiologic parameter.”
The agency also sent out a broader warning to consumers about the risks posed by unauthorized devices.
Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Henderson and Sherry Jacob-Phillips
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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