Gaby
Want to live longer? Start taking the stairs. A University of East Anglia analysis found that choosing stairs over the elevator can protect you from cardiovascular disease — including heart attacks — and may lower your risk of premature death.
What Scientists Discovered
The university team looked at whether a specific type of physical activity, like climbing stairs, could reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
To do this, the researchers performed a meta-analysis of nine previous studies involving about 500,000 participants ages 35 to 84. The pool included healthy people as well as those with a history of heart attacks or heart disease.
The analysis found that climbing stairs was associated with a 24 percent reduction in the risk of premature death from any cause and a 39 percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
“As sedentary lifestyles become increasingly common, there is a growing need to explore accessible and practical strategies for reducing cardiovascular risks,” the team wrote. They added that such everyday activity is available both at home and in the workplace.
“If you have the choice between taking the stairs or the elevator, choose the stairs, as it’s beneficial for your heart,” said Dr. Sophie Peddock, the study’s lead author. “Even small bursts of physical activity have a positive impact on health. Make short stair climbs a habit in your daily routine,” she said.
The researchers observed that the more stairs a person climbs, the greater the heart benefits. However, that link needs confirmation in future studies, the Daily Mail reported.
The team presented their findings at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Athens, Greece.
Meanwhile, research from McMaster University in Canada found that any form of ascent—walking or running uphill—benefits the heart.
Other research suggests that if it takes more than one and a half minutes to climb four flights of stairs, consult a doctor.
Globally, one in four people does not meet the recommended level of physical activity.
