No time to exercise?' Try stair climbing

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If finding time to exercise is difficult amid a busy daily routine, taking the stairs instead of the elevator could still benefit your health. A new study has found that regularly climbing stairs is associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease as well as a lower overall risk of premature death.

Researchers from the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous studies examining the link between stair climbing and the risks of cardiovascular disease and premature death.

After reviewing about 1,900 studies, the researchers conducted a meta-analysis of data from nine studies that met their criteria. The studies included more than 480,000 participants between the ages of 35 and 84, with women accounting for 53 percent of the participants. The analysis included both healthy individuals and people with a history of heart attack or peripheral artery disease.

The results showed that people who used stairs had a 24 percent lower risk of death from any cause and a 39 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared with those who did not. Stair climbing was also associated with lower risks of major cardiovascular conditions, including heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

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Even short bursts of stair climbing can be helpful

One advantage of stair climbing is that it requires no special equipment or dedicated exercise facility. Simply choosing the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator at work or in a subway station can increase the amount of physical activity people get throughout the day.

“If you have the choice between taking the stairs or the lift, take the stairs, as it will help your heart," said researcher Sophie Paddock, who led the study.

She added that even short bursts of physical activity can be beneficial to health and that taking the stairs for brief periods is an activity that can be relatively easily incorporated into everyday life.

Climbing stairs uses more energy in a shorter period than walking on level ground, while also increasing the heart rate. As a result, it may offer a practical way for people who cannot set aside long periods for exercise to engage in brief bouts of relatively vigorous physical activity throughout the day.

The researchers emphasized that, as a substantial proportion of adults worldwide do not meet recommended levels of physical activity, encouraging people to use stairs more often could be a realistic way to increase daily activity.

How many flights of stairs should people climb each day to see health benefits? The current study does not provide enough evidence to establish a specific recommendation.

One large cohort study included in the analysis suggested that the greatest benefits may be associated with climbing approximately six flights of stairs per day, while some other studies suggested that greater amounts of stair climbing may provide greater benefits. Further research is therefore needed to determine the optimal amount and intensity of stair climbing for health.

Consider individual health conditions before climbing stairs

It is also important not to overdo it and to consider an individual’s fitness level and health condition. Stair climbing may not be appropriate for everyone, particularly people with joint or mobility problems or those with existing cardiovascular disease.

The researchers said future studies should use wearable devices and other objective measures to accurately track stair-climbing activity and determine the frequency and intensity needed to achieve meaningful health benefits.

The findings were published in the international journal American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs under the title, “Evaluating the Impact of Stair Climbing on Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.”

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.