Is it time to climb on the bandwagon?
A mini stepper is like a pint-sized cross between a StairMaster and an elliptical machine — it simulates stair climbing but your feet don’t leave the two pedals.
They’ve risen in popularity in recent months because they’re fairly inexpensive and easy to fit into an NYC studio apartment or a home office — though user results are mixed.
“Based on my experience of using the mini stepper for a few months, I think it is a great option for people who are busy and easily find excuses not to workout,” Maura Hohman, Today.com’s senior health editor, penned this week in a review of the Sunny Health & Fitness Total Body Smart 2 in 1 Stepper Machine ($75 on Amazon).
Makers of the machine say the stepping motion engages the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves, while the detachable resistance bands challenge the biceps, triceps, shoulders, and core.
Hohman pointed out that a digital monitor displays workout time, calories burned, and number of steps. A twistable knob gets you to your desired intensity.
She said the mini stepper is a low-cost, efficient way to get in a good workout, especially if it’s cold outside and you’re not motivated to leave your home.
Simply set up the small, “quiet” stepper in front of your TV — and one episode later, “that’s your movement for the day.”
“I really did feel like my leg and arm muscles were burning, and if I made a conscious effort to try to step extra fast, I could definitely get winded,” Hohman shared.
She did report some downsides, including learning the rhythm of stepping and using the resistance bands at the same time.
She also cited troubles maintaining her balance.
“I think people with a lot of fitness experience, or who enjoy going to the gym or using an existing machine in their home, like a treadmill or stationary bike, might get less out of the mini stepper,” she concluded for Today.com.
Her review comes as a new study linked climbing stairs to a 39% reduced likelihood of dying from cardiovascular disease.
On TikTok, Phoenix Alazam, an Illinois-based certified personal trainer and mom of two, credited her mini stepper for reducing her waistline while strengthening her glutes, arms and calves.
“I’ve had my mini stepper for 4 months! I use it 3/4 times per week!” Alazam shared in April as her followers gushed about how “toned” she looks. She revealed that she uses it for 15 minutes at a time.
One Texas mom said she shed 40 pounds over five months last year by using dumbbells while on the mini stepper for 30 minutes at a time.
But another TikToker complained that her stepper keeps breaking.
The Sunny Health stepper that Hohman tested has 4.5 of 5 stars on Amazon among 3,000 ratings, with the biggest complaints being machine noise and inability to work the pedals comfortably.
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