It's that time again, STalkers. Some weeks, it seems like Tuesday comes around more often than Saturday.

What's your favorite exercise for toning your glutes?

I do stairs. Up, down, up, down, up, down. Stair climbing a great way to tone your butt AND legs. The combination of sinultaneous ankle, knee, and hip extenstion means you work your legs naturally and without the impact commonly ASSociated with jogging, running, or sprinting.

Pushing your body up stiar after stair against gravity is also a great cardiovascular exercise that burns lots of calories, while developing both strength and power. And as no staircase is neverending, once you get to the top and walk carefully back down, you end up interval training without even realizing it!

Stair Climbing Tips

• Start by warming up with exercises such as skipping or jogging, and cool down with stretching (I can already see my coworkers eyeballing me as I skip to the stairwell...).
• Don't just use your calf muscles to power you up the stairs and avoid stepping on just your toes.
• Focus on using your larger leg muscles With each step you take, make sure you lift your leg high, put your foot on the step, and push off with your heel. This helps reduce strain on the knees and transfers the force to the hamstrings and glutes.
• When climbing down stairs, descend using each step. And WALK; don't run. Running down the stairs stresses the knees and ankles.
• Remember that stair climbing is a strenuous form of exercise, so you may want to check with your doctor before starting a new workout routine.