The internet is full of ideas and products to promote longevity. However, one of the most effective, inexpensive and readily available tools is the staircase.

A study just presented at the 2024 European Society of Cardiology Preventive Cardiology meeting found that climbing stairs is associated with a longer lifespan.

“If you have a choice between taking the stairs or the (elevator), choose the stairs to help your heart,” said study author Dr Sophie Paddock, from the University of East Anglia, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Trust. I am. The Norwich, UK group said in a release from the association. “Even brief periods of physical activity have beneficial effects on health, and a short trip up and down the stairs should be an achievable goal that can be incorporated into daily life.”

The recommendation comes after data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows less than half of U.S. adults (just 46.9%) meet physical activity guidelines for aerobic exercise. Only a quarter met the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.

A European study looked specifically at whether climbing up and down stairs reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. They looked at results from nine studies with a combined 480,479 participants. Some of the participants were healthy, while others had a history of heart attacks or peripheral artery disease caused by blockages in arteries in the lower extremities. The age of the study subjects ranged from 35 to 84 years.

Researchers found that compared to people who didn’t climb stairs, climbing stairs had a 24% lower risk of dying from any cause and a 39% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The researchers added that walking up and down stairs is associated with a lower risk of heart diseases such as stroke, heart failure, and heart attack.

“Based on these results, we would like to encourage people to incorporate climbing and descending stairs into their daily lives,” Paddock said in the release. “Our research suggests that the more stairs you climb, the greater the benefits, but this needs to be confirmed.”

She added: “Use the stairs at work, at home, and anywhere else.”

The European study is not the first to link climbing up and down stairs to heart health and, ultimately, longevity. At a meeting of the same group in 2020, Spanish researchers said that stairs are a valuable and easy way to test heart health.

“If it takes you more than a minute and a half to walk up four flights of stairs, your heart may not be in optimal condition and you should consult your doctor,” said study author Dr. Jesús Peteiro. Cardiologist at A Coruña University Hospital. Researchers looked at the results of 165 people who were asked to undergo increasingly intense treadmill tests, all of whom were suspected of having heart disease or who were known to have heart disease. After completing the test and taking a short break, they were asked to climb 60 steps as quickly as possible without stopping, but without running. How long it took was recorded.

The researchers then looked at the results of the two tests and found that those who climbed the stairs in less than 45 seconds performed better on the treadmill test, a finding that was lower than 1% over 1 or 10 years. They found that it was associated with a lower mortality rate. % over 10 years. A score that took more than 90 seconds to climb a flight of stairs was associated with a 3% to 4% chance of death, or a 30% chance of death over 10 years.

Why are stairs so useful?

The American Council on Exercise calls stair climbing a type of “vertical training.”

Alexandra Lempke, a clinical assistant professor of applied exercise science and co-director of the Michigan Performance Institute at the University of Michigan’s School of Kinesiology in Ann Arbor, writes in an article that moving your entire body against gravity requires effort. said. mass. “Stair climbing for exercise targets the cardiovascular and respiratory systems,” says Lempke.

Dr. Manish Parikh, chief of cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, told NPR that climbing the stairs “increases your heart rate, increases your cardiac output, and improves your circulatory status.” And all of them we know have a positive impact. ”

This article mentions the following obvious benefits of climbing stairs:

• It reduces the risk of metabolic syndromes such as high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, and increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
• Improves cardiopulmonary function.
• Improves memory and mood.

But how many steps does it take to make a difference?

A 2021 study published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle found that climbing five flights of stairs a day at home was associated with a lower risk of all-cause and cancer death. did. A study published in the journal Atherosclerosis reports that flying five or more times a day reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases by 20%. .

As NPR pointed out, when people stopped climbing stairs, the risk increased. “It’s a reminder that to reap the benefits of exercise, you must continue,” the article says. But, he added, “the benefits could be immediate.” A review published earlier this year found that he needed at least 4 to 8 weeks to start improving cardiometabolic risk. This study found that regularly climbing stairs improved body composition, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure. ”

Start

If you are not in the habit of climbing stairs often, you can start small.

According to Everyday Health, most people can start with one flight of stairs and build up. Dr. Lakshmi Mehta, a cardiologist and clinical professor of internal medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, told Everyday Health that anyone who becomes completely short of breath after one or two flights should consult a doctor and get breathing care. He said he needed to check to see if it was broken. It is safe to stack from there. “Shortness of breath can also be caused by a serious medical problem, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure or an undiagnosed condition such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, or COPD,” she says, noting whether or not you’re actually going out. There is a condition or condition that only a medical professional can determine.

Assuming you’re just feeling unwell, start small and gradually increase the difficulty, adding more flights as the difficulty decreases. As you gain strength, you can increase your pace and continue improving your health.