It’s a small step towards improving your health.

A new study presented last week at the European Society of Cardiology found that people who habitually climb stairs have an approximately 39% lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who don’t.

Using a stepper also reduces your risk of dying from any cause by 24% and reduces your overall risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.

The analysis examined nine studies including 480,479 participants aged 35 to 84 with a variety of health histories.

Study author Dr Sophie Paddock from the University of East Anglia, UK, said: “Based on these results, we would like to encourage people to incorporate walking up and down stairs into their daily lives.”

“Our research suggests that the more you climb the stairs, the greater the benefits, but this needs to be confirmed. So take the stairs, whether you’re at work, at home, or anywhere else.” she added.

How many flights do you need to earn these perks? One study found that taking 6 to 10 flights a day reduced the risk of premature death, and another found that taking 6 to 10 flights a day reduced the risk of premature death. Climbing aboard a flight was found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%.

Dr. Manish Parikh, chief of cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, explained that when we climb stairs, our bodies immediately respond favorably.

“It increases your heart rate, increases your cardiac output, and improves your circulatory status,” he told NPR on Monday. “And all of them that we know are having a positive impact.”

A study published in February found that climbing stairs can improve cardiometabolic risk indicators such as body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and insulin sensitivity in just four to eight weeks.

Is climbing stairs better than walking down stairs?

Stairs combine cardio and strength training to get your heart rate up while toning your leg muscles. That means stairs are better than stairs when it comes to overall cardiac conditioning.

Want to add stairs to your fitness routine? Experts say start slow and track your climbs with a Fitbit or Apple Watch.

Dr. Carlin Long, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, provided an aspirational scope for climbing. “If people can achieve six to 10 stair movements a day, I think that’s a good goal,” he told NPR.