In addition to cardio exercises, you can also include some strength training exercises using the stairs as well. Working your legs and glutes is particularly easy with stairs.  Lunges are an easy exercise to adapt to a staircase.  Lunges really work your legs and glutes without the addition of stairs, so doing them on stairs will really up the intensity.  To do lunges, you'll take the stairs two or three at a time.  Going for more stairs than this will increase your risk of overstraining. Step your right foot up two or three stairs.  Focus on pulling yourself up the stairs using your right leg.  You will notice this in your thigh muscles.  Push yourself up until your left leg comes to meet the right leg on the step. Repeat either on the same side or do alternating lunges.  Aim for 10 lunges per side or do as many as you're able. Running or jogging up the stairs is pretty taxing on your legs, glutes, heart, and lungs. If you want to get a balanced workout, you're going to want to include some upper body work as well. The elevation of the actual stairs also allows you to work the backs of the arms and triceps.  To start, face away from the staircase.  Rest your arms on the second or third stair with your fingers facing away from the stairs.  Grab the corner of the stair for this exercise and keep arms shoulder width apart. Keep your feet flat on the ground in front of you.  Press your hips up so that your arms are in a straight, extended position. Slowly lower your body down using your triceps to allow your body to dip down toward the stairs.  Lower down until your arms are bent about 90-degrees. Push yourself up back to the starting position. Try to do three sets of 15 to 20 reps. Like tricep dips, you can also use the stairs to do push-ups as well. These work your arms, chest and core muscles..  Start by facing the stairs and placing your hands on the first or second step.  Keep your legs extended behind you so you're almost in a plank-like position.  The higher the stair you use to place your hands, the easier this exercise is. While keeping your hands shoulder width apart, slowly bend your elbows so that your upper body and face slowly lower down towards the stairs. Lower down until your nose is almost touching the stairs.  Hold this position here for a few seconds and then slowly push yourself up to the starting position. Do a decline push-up variation by placing your feet on the bottom or second step and your hands on the floor at ground level. Similar to lunges, doing side steps up the staircase can help strengthen your legs, but more specifically the inner and outer muscles of your thighs.  Start this exercise by standing next to the stairs with your right shoulder facing the stairs. Step up 1 or 2 steps with your right leg and bring your left leg up to the step below it. Repeat until you get to the top and then do it again, this time leading with your left leg. This exercise can really make your calves pop. It works the gastrocnemius, which is likely what you think of when you imagine a calf muscle.  Start by standing on the edge of the stair. Only about the first fourth of each foot should be on the stair; your heels should be hanging off the edge. Rise up on your toes as high as you can. Keep your back, legs, and feet straight and don't allow yourself to lean forward or backwards. Slowly lower your body as far as possible. Keep one hand on the banister if balance is a concern.  Try doing this on one leg for an even more effective exercise, but only do so if you have a banister or wall to hold.

Summary: Try stair lunges. Do stair tricep dips. Use stairs to do push-ups. Try climbing side steps. Perform stair calf raises.


Breaking up prematurely will, 99.9% of the time, ruin a relationship. If there's a problem, try to find a way to solve it, and if you can't, you'll either have to deal with it or break up. Common sense, right? Wrong. Breaking up over the phone is a sign of fear to some, and a sign of lying to some. If you're breaking up with someone who really likes you, of course they'll cry or get angry. Save yourself the embarrassment and try not to break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend in a place such as the movie theaters, the beach, a restaurant, etc. This just ruins the mood, and if it's a movie or restaurant, you're the one whose going to have to pay the bill. Definitely. So say your girlfriend/boyfriend crashes your car. Don't get angry and end it just because she/he wrecked your car. If you do, this screams that you don't care about any girl/guy you'll have, and it's extremely hard to get another girl/boy to trust you. This IS COMMON SENSE. Breaking up with someone when they're mad is just screaming "Give me what you got!" They just might end up taking out their anger on you.

Summary: Make sure you're actually ready to break up. Never break up over a text or over the phone. Pick a place where it's okay to make a scene. Don't break up with someone on a date. Don't break up with someone just over a small thing. Don't break up with someone when they're in a bad or mad mood.


You're not going to make it in the pet photography business if you don't truly love what you do. Over the years in your business, stay passionate. Remind yourself of the things you like about animals, even in moments when animals are being frustrating.  For example, if you're working with a timid dog, empathize. If the dog came from an abusive background, remember this. Also, pets do not live as long as people. Your clients will treasure the pictures you take of this animal after it's gone, so work hard to get some successful photos. You never know when clients may be available, so maintaining a flexible schedule can help you land more clients. Be willing to do last minute shoots. Clients may want photographs of an animal that's going to be put to sleep, for example, so be willing to dedicate your Saturday afternoon to an emergency photo shoot. Working with animals is an ongoing process, so continue your education as you get more involved in the business. Take additional classes in animal training and behavior and learn from your own experiences. If there are any certification classes you can take in animal training, enroll in them. A broader skill set can attract more clients. Broaden your experience to working with different types of animals. Advertise in pet stores that sell things like reptiles or tack shops so you can work with horses or livestock. In addition to building your skills working with animals, learn more about photography as you build your business. Take photography classes or use online tutorials to learn things like editing, lighting, and other technical skills. The more you know about photography, the happier your clients will be with your work. As your business grows, you may find you can't keep up with everything yourself. In the future, you may need to hire employees to help with things like set up, scheduling, and editing. Hire employees as necessary to keep up with the increasing demands of your business. If you don't have business experience, consult a lawyer or accountant to help you fill out any necessary documents for hiring employees.
Summary: Stay patient and enthusiastic working with animals. Keep your schedule flexible. Continue to develop your animal skills. Widen your photography skill set. Hire employees if it becomes necessary.