If there’s one thing the quarantine taught me, it’s that you can gain weight fast when your daily steps drop to zero and your fridge is only five feet away. Like many people, I found myself snacking out of boredom, binge-watching shows, and realizing too late that my favorite jeans didn’t button up anymore.
At first, I panicked and googled every fancy home workout possible — yoga, pilates, HIIT, you name it. But honestly? Most days I just didn’t have the energy or the motivation to roll out a mat and act like a fitness influencer. What I did have, though, was a staircase. And as simple as it sounds, that staircase turned out to be my secret weapon.
So here’s what really happened when I climbed the stairs every single day for a week to lose my quarantine weight. Spoiler: it wasn’t always pretty, but it worked.
How Did I Even Think of Using the Stairs?
One evening, after realizing I’d spent the whole day sitting, I felt this wave of guilt wash over me. I glanced over at my apartment building’s staircase — seven flights from the lobby to my floor — and figured, Why not? I didn’t have a treadmill or a fancy bike, but I did have legs. So I laced up my sneakers and decided to walk up and down the stairs for ten minutes.
I reached the top, completely out of breath, heart pounding like I’d run a marathon. It wasn’t fun — but it was something. And that something felt way better than sitting on my couch pretending I’d “work out tomorrow.”
Setting a Simple Stair-Climbing Plan
The next day, I woke up with surprisingly sore calves and decided to keep it up. I told myself: Climb every day for a week. No excuses. My plan was simple:
- Warm up with a few stretches
- Climb all seven flights up at a steady pace
- Take a quick breather, then walk down slowly
- Repeat that circuit 4–5 times, depending on how I felt
I didn’t count calories or buy expensive supplements. I didn’t even adjust my entire diet. I just tried to drink more water and swap my nightly chips for fruit — baby steps, literally.
The First Climb: My Reality Check
Day one was humbling. I managed to climb all the way up three times before my thighs begged for mercy. My lungs were on fire, and I could practically feel every chocolate chip cookie I’d eaten over the past year clinging to my belly.
But instead of feeling defeated, I felt alive. That first sweaty, awkward workout gave me something I hadn’t felt in months: hope that maybe, just maybe, I could do this my way.
Day Three: The Soreness Hits Hard
By the third day, I won’t lie — my legs hated me. Stairs at home, stairs at the mall, stairs anywhere felt like torture. I went down sideways like an old man trying to protect his knees. But the surprising thing? I kind of loved that soreness. It reminded me that my body was waking up.
Also, by day three, I’d started to notice my energy felt different. I didn’t reach for a nap at 2 p.m. like usual. I didn’t mind standing a bit longer when making dinner. Those tiny changes added up to a small mental win.
Day Five: A Small Breakthrough
By day five, climbing got slightly easier. I didn’t gasp for air at the top. I could go up and down five times without feeling like I needed to call an ambulance.
Another small but huge moment: I weighed myself and saw I’d dropped about a pound and a half. Was it water weight? Probably. Did I care? Absolutely not. Seeing that number shift made me feel like my sweaty stair sessions were paying off.
The Unexpected Bonus: Stress Relief
What I didn’t expect was how peaceful the stair climbing became for my mind. I’d plug in my favorite playlist, zone out, and count my steps. For those 30–40 minutes, I wasn’t worried about work emails, news updates, or my growing to-do list. It was just me and the stairs — a weird kind of moving meditation.
How My Diet Played a Small Part
People always ask if you can lose weight just by climbing stairs. Truth is, I think the secret is doing something active and making small diet tweaks at the same time. I didn’t switch to salads-only mode, but I did drink a lot more water and tried to stop eating out of boredom.
Instead of stress-eating cookies at 10 p.m., I’d tell myself, You did all that climbing today — don’t waste it now. That mindset shift alone saved me a ton of late-night calories.
The Week’s End: What Actually Happened?
After seven days of stair climbing, here’s what changed for me:
- I lost just over 2 pounds. Not a dramatic “Biggest Loser” moment, but real, honest progress.
- My legs felt stronger. Going up the stairs to my apartment didn’t wind me anymore.
- I slept better. Maybe it was the physical exhaustion, but my sleep felt deeper.
- My mood improved. A tiny daily workout gave my brain something to feel proud about.
Did I transform my body overnight? No. But it was a solid start — and I needed that boost.
Would I Recommend Stair Climbing to Anyone?
Absolutely. Is it glamorous? Nope. Does it work? If you stick with it, yes. The beauty of stairs is they’re free, always available, and surprisingly challenging. You don’t need fancy gear — just supportive shoes and a willingness to sweat.
Plus, there’s no need for an instructor yelling at you. The stairs do all the coaching for you.
A Few Tips If You Want to Try This
If you’re tempted to give stair climbing a shot, here’s what I learned the hard way:
- Start slow — don’t go full Rocky Balboa on day one.
- Stretch your calves and quads before and after.
- Stay hydrated. I didn’t realize how much I sweat until I did.
- If you have knee issues, take it easy going down. Or focus on the uphill only and use an elevator down if needed.
- Make a good playlist — it’ll keep you from counting every painful step.
Final Thoughts: Small Steps Add Up
When people talk about fitness, they often make it sound complicated — fancy workouts, strict diets, expensive equipment. But sometimes, the simplest tools are the most effective. For me, it was a dusty old staircase that reminded me my body could still do hard things.
Did I drop 20 pounds in a week? Of course not. But I did prove to myself that I could build a new habit, one step at a time — literally.
If you’re staring down extra quarantine weight or just want to feel a bit stronger, look around. Your secret gym might be closer than you think — and it might just start with the stairs right outside your door.
