I’m a lifelong runner and weightlifter, and since 2021 I’ve been an American Council on Exercise–certified personal trainer. And even I am often stumped about how to change up my workouts so they feel fresh, and in ways my tiny home gym can support.
I first landed on a fitness step when I was browsing at TJ Maxx four years ago. The step that I bought — and still often use — is a roughly 8-inch-tall platform, two risers included. It is no longer made but is functionally identical to the Tone Fitness Compact Aerobic Step Platform, which I now recommend to family, friends, and clients who want to introduce additional variety to their home workouts
A sturdy fitness stepTone Fitness Compact Aerobic Step Platform
Rising 6 inches off the ground, this platform provides a stable surface for dynamic movements. Optional risers snap on securely to add 2 inches of height
Buying options:$28 from Amazon, opens in a new tab
$28 from Walmart, opens in a new tab
What I didn’t expect when I bought this step is how much I would end up using it — and not just for cardio (although it is great for that). A fitness step, it turns out, is also an effective tool for plyometric exercises and balance training, such as box jumps and single-leg step-ups. Plus, you can use it as a makeshift bench for resistance training
It provides a boost for low-impact exercise
While the step might evoke studio classes featuring high-cut leotards and slouchy leg warmers, aerobic exercise, which is essential for maintaining cardiovascular health, transcends trends.
For me, the platform helps to keep home workouts interesting by making my low-impact cardio routines a little less monotonous. As a former competitive hip-hop dancer, I’ve found that one of the most mood-boosting ways I can get my (literal) steps in is to pop on a 30-minute hip-hop step routine and reap a real “stepper’s high” while my toddler naps.
For my clients, a fitness step creates a way to increase their heart rate without overloading their joints. I recently programmed a step into a postpartum client’s workout plan, as she wanted to boost her cardiovascular endurance without exacerbating pelvic-floor weakness. I’ve also programmed assisted step-ups (holding on to a rail) for older adults who have osteoporosis and joint instability
But you don’t need a specific condition to benefit from adding a step to your routine. It’s useful for anyone looking to switch up the scenery or to add an element of play to a workout.
It’s a stable platform for strength training
The beauty of the step is that it’s not just for stepping. I’ve fashioned it into a makeshift bench: It provides unilateral support during rows, foot support in decline push-ups, and back support during chest flies and hip thrusts.
For Bulgarian split squats, one of the most effective exercises to target the glutes, I prop up my back leg on the deck, confident that its grooved, traction-heavy surface is supporting my body while I’m balancing in a heavy lift
Measuring 27 inches long and 11 inches wide, and weighing around 5 pounds, the Tone Fitness step is easy enough to slide beneath furniture or to store upright in a closet. Yet I haven’t felt the need to tuck it away. I’m currently eight and a half months pregnant, and I can’t bend or hinge at the hips like I used to. When I’m not using the platform as a step, it serves as the ideal raised surface to hold equipment several inches above the floor, a benefit that those with any type of limitation will appreciate.
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