This must have been asked before but I could not find and answer to this specific question so here it goes:
I understand that stairmaster (I mean the escalator type one) may actually resemble uphill walking the most – it seems accepted that you actually do lift all your weight up the height of each step since you move together with the escalating stairs. 2nd to that then is Treadmill with incline (same principle). So if we don’t have easy access to mountains, this is the way to go.
However, we always have to come down too and as it seems, most accidents happen on the way down, right? Stairmaster/Treadmill only goes up! So why is it not better to actually find a steep (likely short) hill or a stair case (maybe just 2-3 flights) and go up and down for the time or ascent required, even if you have to do 20, 30, 60 or more laps? This way you train both up and down and if you do the down portion relatively quick, you can stay at your AeT too.
