- Researchers report that stair climbers reduce their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 39% compared to people who don’t use stairs.
- They say climbing stairs likely benefits the heart because it combines cardiovascular and resistance exercise.
- Experts say more study is needed to determine whether health benefits increase alongside frequency of stair climbing.
Take the stairs — it could prolong your life.
That’s the conclusion of United Kingdom researchers who are reporting that climbing stairs dramatically reduces the risk of dying of any cause and particularly cuts the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Their findings, which haven’t been published yet in a peer reviewed journal, were presented at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
“If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help your heart,” said Dr. Sophie Paddock, a study author and a faculty member at the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, in a press statement. “Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impact and short bouts of stair climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines.”
Paddock and her colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of nine studies on the health benefits of stair climbing.
The studies included a total of 480,479 participants, with a fairly even split between males and females. Ages ranged from 35 to 84 years old.
The study population included healthy participants as well as those with a previous history of heart attack or peripheral arterial disease.
The researchers reported that participants who climbed stairs had a 24% reduced risk of dying during the study period compared to those who did not climb…
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