Health and Fitness

Here’s How Norma Lost 20 Pounds with a Single Resource at Home.

An inspiring story of a single mum with five kids who improved her health, fitness, and well-being without going to the gym

An Inspiring Fitness Journey of a Busy Mum

As a single mum, Norma lived in a two-story house with five kids, ranging between 2 and 12 years old.

Norma was swamped with looking after the kids. Due to chronic stress mainly caused by financial difficulties, her husband had a nervous breakdown and left home to have care in a mental health hospital.

As a result, Norma had to shoulder the heavy work at home, being a mother and father for the kids.

She loved exercising, but her time was extremely scarce. So she couldn’t have time to go to the gym or walk outside. As a lovely neighbor, one day, she visited our home. I love her well-behaving kids, who all have different personalities.

My favorite one was the twelve-year-old son, Brian, who was gifted with technology and always picked my brain when they visited us. He had the ability to have an adult-like conversation.

Brian now works as a computer engineer in a reputable technology organization in Australia, where I live. I mentored him during his studies, and he reciprocated by solving complicated problems for me with his innovative ideas.

During this particular visit, Brian asked whether I could help them find a second-hand treadmill and if I could recommend to him a phone app his mum could use to track her fitness.

I told him I was not a fan of treadmills for various reasons. He understood my points, nodding his head thoughtfully as if he wanted me to suggest something else.

Hearing our conversations, Norma started raising her concerns about her weight gain, which had increased yearly. The main roadblock for her was her busy schedule, as she had to spend most of her time performing house chores and looking after five kids. Her concerns were valid, but I knew she could do something at home.

I visualized Norma’s home out of the blue, which brought me an interesting idea. Like our house, she had 20 stairs to the second floor.

As I used climbing stairs as a cardio tool for many years at home and in the office, I asked whether she considered using stairs to exercise at home when kids were playing or sleeping. When I shared my experience, she said it was a brilliant idea. She never thought about it.

I explained the benefits of walking on stairs based on my experience, especially highlighting the benefit of stairs in burning calories and increasing lower body strength. She agreed to start doing this.

She initially couldn’t walk more than five times a day with her fitness level. However, she gradually increased to ten, twenty, fifty, and hundred in three months.

Losing a few kilos motivated her. Brian loved her mum’s commitment, joined her, and recorded her steps daily.

Doing 100 steps on the stairs daily, Norma significantly increased her fitness in six months. She felt wonderful. Then, on another visit, she asked me whether she could do anything else at home which could not affect her busy schedule.

I mentioned the story of Audrey, who substantially improved her fitness via planking. She also loved the idea. To inspire her, I invited Normal and Audrey to dinner at home.

After hearing Audrey’s story, Norma got hooked on planking. Then, she enjoyed starting pushups after building her core. Initially, she had difficulty doing even a few pushups, but like stairs, she gradually increased it up to 50 pushups in a few sets daily.

Norma activated her core muscles, both upper and lower body parts, with these three workout tools. Within a year, her fitness significantly improved. Her body became more insulin sensitive. With determination and consistency, she lost twenty pounds in a year.

Since then, after more than a decade, Norma still uses stairs at home and uses planks and pushups to maintain her healthy weight. As a result, she does not need to lose weight anymore. In addition, to exercise, Norma also likes my idea of time-restricted eating, which helps her burn fat sustainably and keep her lean muscles.

Fasting also improved Norma’s mood, and she gained better emotional and mental health. I also introduced Norma to Alan, who detoxified his body with three self-healing mechanisms lowering health risks and accelerating fat loss. Audrey and Alan inspired Norma to stay on track in her fitness journey.

Conclusions and Takeaways

Like Norma, I used the power of stairs in my fitness at home. In addition, I used it in public places like train stations, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, and offices.

For example, finding a gym and exercise time was difficult when working on an international assignment in an Asian country. However, the company had an office with 24 floors with a lift and optional stairs.

I chose to walk the stairs three times a day during my breaks. It was a wonderful exercise for me. But the locals thought that I was out of my mind. Interestingly, some of them joined me later after seeing my fitness improvement.

However, there is one particular concern that I want to highlight. Like several other exercise regimes, climbing stairs might have risks. For example, walking on stairs has a tremendous impact on joints. If it is done excessively, it can cause inflammation of joints and cause damage to the knee tissues. It might not be for everyone.

For example, those who have knee pains can worsen the situation when climbing stairs. Like any exercise regime, it is essential to discuss with qualified healthcare professionals before starting stair workouts.

I mentioned this risk to Norma. Like me, she ensured her legs were recovered before attempting the next session. In addition, Norma asked me how to improve joint health.

When I shared my experience with supplementing with hydrolyzed collagen, she also included it in her diet after confirming with her family doctor.

Norma also started making bone broth at home, significantly improving her skeletal and gut health and her sleep.

Takeaways

Using stairs at home, in offices, and in public places can be a valuable and convenient workout for some of us. Here are five quick tips for consideration based on Norma’s, other friends, and my experience.

1 — Like any habit, starting slow and gradually increasing the frequency and load can be helpful.

2 — Recovering from previous sessions is essential.

3 — As climbing stairs puts significant pressure on knee joints and cartridges, it is essential to obtain advice before starting.

4 — To improve knee health, some supplements like hydrolyzed collagen or homemade bone broth can provide essential nutrients to these areas.

5 — As stairs mainly focus on the legs, they cannot be considered whole-body exercise. Therefore, incorporating planks, pushups, and pull-ups can activate the upper body.

6 — Stairs might cause potential falling down, leading to undesirable situations if not done properly. Therefore, full attention is critical while using stairs.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

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