Taking the Stairs Linked to a Boost in Longevity and Heart Health, Study Finds

Health Magazine

Published on May 21, 2024  By: Brian Mastroianni

Fact checked by: Nick Blackmer (Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher
with more than 20 years of experience in consumer-facing health and wellness content).

FAST FACTS:

• A new study found a link between stair climbing and a reduced risk of a cardiac
  event or dying from any cause.
• Experts said there isn’t enough research to recommend a specific number of
  stairs to climb, but that any amount of stair-climbing has benefits.
• The first step to incorporating the exercise into your daily routine is to pay
  attention to your surroundings.

You probably already know that climbing stairs can boost fitness by burning calories
and strengthening muscles, but a new analysis has found that the simple exercise may
actually prolong your life.

The review, which looked at nearly 500,000 people, found a link between climbing stairs
and a reduced chance of dying from any cause. Researchers also found that taking the
stairs may lower the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

The findings, which haven’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal, were presented
at a conference from the European Society of Cardiology in late April.

“This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to specifically look at the
association between stair climbing as a form of physical activity and cardiovascular
risk,” lead study author Sophie Paddock, MD, of the University of East Anglia and
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom,
told Health. “It’s been well known for some time that physical inactivity is associated
with a significant burden of cardiovascular disease, and many guidelines [and] policies
advise us to increase our physical activity where possible.”

It’s important to remember that the study is observational and therefore doesn’t
establish causation, Tamanna Singh, MD, the co-director of the Sports Cardiology
Centre at Cleveland Clinic, told Health.

Instead, you can say that “there seems to be an association between stair climbing
and a reduced risk of dying and developing heart disease.

A Closer Look at the Study

Researchers reviewed nine studies examining the relationship between climbing stairs
and cardiovascular disease and premature death. Those papers included 480,479
participants who were either in good health or had a previous history of heart attack or
peripheral arterial disease. Ages ranged from 35 to 84, and about 53% were women.

The team found that people who climbed stairs as a form of exercise had a 24% lower
risk of “all-cause mortality,” or dying from any cause, compared to non-stair climbers.

Stair climbers also had a 39% lower chance of dying from cardiovascular disease, a
category that includes coronary artery disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, and
stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

Those who climbed stairs also had reduced odds of developing cardiac events such as
heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.

Paddock said the study’s main limitation is that the research it reviewed relied on
participants to report their climbing activity. “This may not be fully representative of their
actual stair-climbing behaviors,” she said.

She also said there’s a need for more studies “that objectively measure people’s stair
climbing behaviour,” including the number of steps taken, and how that activity ends up
impacting their health long term.

Why Stair-climbing Boosts Health

According to Singh, the exercise’s benefits come down to one specific attribute: its
vertical nature. Compared to an activity like walking on flat ground, climbing stairs is
more of an “exertional challenge for your body to move itself against gravity,” she
explained.

This type of movement takes up 9.6 times the amount of energy as sitting, Paddock
added.

Not only does this mean that climbing stairs “improves our cardiorespiratory fitness,”
Paddock said, but it can also boost other aspects of health. It “strengthens your
posterior chain: glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves, which improves overall
mobility and musculoskeletal resilience,” Singh said.

How many stairs should you climb?

According to Paddock, there isn’t enough research to recommend a specific number of
flights or an intensity level to achieve the health benefits found in her study.

However, she said some studies suggest that five to six flights of stairs daily (or 50 to
60 total steps) can make an impact.

A 2023 study, for example, found a link between climbing at least 50 steps daily and a
20% reduced risk of atherosclerosis, which is when plaque buildup causes arteries to
harden.

Nonetheless, “any stairs are better than none,” Singh said. She noted that taking the
stairs, even in cases that “are not systematic exercise regimes,” can help reduce all-cause
cardiovascular mortality.

How to make stair-climbing a habit

Incorporating stair climbing into your routine starts with simply paying attention to your
surroundings. Look for stairs in homes, your workplace, parking garages, and more.

As Singh put it, “If you see stairs, climb them.” “This type of exercise is accessible to
nearly all individuals,” she added.

To stay motivated, Singh recommended creating a stair-climbing challenge at work or
downloading an app that tracks the number of steps or flights climbed.

If you do create a stair-climbing routine and it eventually feels too easy, she advised
continuing to “build fitness” by increasing the number of steps climbed or the frequency
or duration of your workouts.

If you have mobility difficulties or lack access to stairs, try to move your body any way
you can, Singh said. Similar benefits can be achieved with other types of exercise, such
as swimming, biking, or rowing.

“Any physical activity is better than none,” Singh said. “Your heart really does not care
what you do as long as there is a consistent practice of exercise.”