- New research suggests that taking the stairs may help lower your risk of premature death.
- The findings add to research that supports using the stairs for a longer life.
- Doctors say gradually increasing your stair-climbing is the best way to adopt the habit.
Taking the stairs over the elevator may seem like a minor choice, but it can have a big impact on your cardiovascular health—and even your lifespan. That’s the major takeaway from a new scientific analysis.
The review and meta-analysis, which was published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs, analyzed data from more than 480,000 people ages 35 to 84 who participated in nine studies. The researchers followed up with the participants for about 14 years; they looked at activities participants did and stacked those against their health. After crunching the data, they found that people who regularly took the stairs had a 39% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular-related causes during follow-up and a 24% lower risk of dying from any cause when compared with people who climbed stairs less often.
“These findings highlight the importance of promoting everyday activities, even within the workplace and home, to foster healthier lifestyles and mitigate the risks associated with cardiovascular diseases,” the researchers wrote.
This seems like a big payoff for a small habit—but cardiologists say they’re not shocked. Here’s why.
Meet the experts: Shaline D. Rao, M.D., cardiologist and director of heart failure services at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island; Paul Drury, M.D., cardiologist and associate medical director of electrophysiology at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA; Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S., co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab; Ahmad Halawa, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Why is taking the stairs linked to a lower risk of premature death?
“We’ve long known that regular physical activity and an active lifestyle are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death,” says Paul Drury, M.D., cardiologist and associate medical director of electrophysiology at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA. “Exercise can help lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, support healthy weight management, and strengthen overall cardiovascular fitness.”
But climbing stairs isn’t any old form of exercise. “It acts as a vigorous form of physical activity that engages muscles across your body, leading to muscle resistance efforts as well as aerobic exercise,” says Shaline D. Rao, M.D., cardiologist and director of heart failure services at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island. “Climbing stairs is an everyday habit that strengthens the heart and lungs, improves blood pressure, and helps maintain a healthy body weight.”
Taking the stairs leads to “more significant” changes in your heart rate and blood pressure than less intense exercise, says Ahmad Halawa, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “That could result in better cardiovascular health and durability,” he says.
Stair climbing is also a simple, convenient activity, allowing people to easily fit it into their day, Dr. Drury points out. “Even small opportunities to move throughout the day can contribute to better heart health,” he says.
This current meta-analysis builds on prior research looking at stair-climbing and health—and supports earlier findings. For instance, a 2021 study that analyzed data from more than 280,000 people found that those who climbed more than five flights of stairs at home each day had a lower risk of early death compared to those who didn’t climb any stairs. Those who regularly climbed six to 10 flights of stairs had the lowest risk, which stretched their lifespan by up to 55 extra days.
Add Prevention as a preferred source in your Google search results.
Use your Google account to add this to your settings.
Still, there are some limitations in this current meta-analysis to keep in mind: It’s important to point out that the researchers didn’t prove that taking the stairs lowered the risk of early death. Instead, they found a link between people who regularly used the stairs and a lower risk of dying during follow-up.
Dr. Drury stresses that more research is needed to see how much of an impact the actual act of climbing stairs has on a person’s risk of death. “People who regularly take the stairs instead of the elevator may already be more active and healthier overall,” he points out. “This type of study cannot prove that stair climbing itself directly prevents cardiovascular events.”
What does stair-climbing offer that walking doesn’t?
Both taking the stairs and walking are great forms of exercise. But while walking is aerobic—meaning it increases your heart rate and encourages your body to take in more oxygen—stair-climbing is aerobic and anaerobic, explains Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S., co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. Anaerobic exercise is a form of high-intensity physical activity where the body breaks down glucose (sugar) for energy, Matheny says.
There’s also a strength component to stair-climbing, as your muscles have to put more effort into each step in order to fight gravity and move upward. That explains why you may feel slightly winded when going up a large flight of stairs if you’re not used to it, even if you’re in good cardiovascular shape.
“What makes stairs interesting and unique is how it engages your cardiovascular system and muscular system comprehensively,” Dr. Rao says.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t walk for your cardiovascular health, Dr. Rao says. “Walking is an excellent exercise,” she says. “But if you have limited time, taking the stairs at work or when shopping adds a quick and efficient exercise boost to your day and adds to longevity and healthy living.”
The bottom line
While the new meta-analysis can’t conclusively prove that stair-climbing can lengthen your life, its findings fall in line with prior research that found similar health-promoting associations. And because stair-climbing is considered a high-intensity exercise, there’s physiological backing to explain what might be behind the link—basically, it gets your heart and your muscles working harder than less-intense forms of exercise.
What’s more, the study’s findings also suggest that simply doing what you can to sprinkle movement into your day can have a big impact on your cardiovascular health and lifespan, Dr. Drury says. After all, climbing stairs generally isn’t a formal workout—it’s usually just a few minutes here and there, sandwiched in between your everyday tasks. “There are opportunities to be more active throughout the day, whether that means taking the stairs, walking farther when you’re running errands, taking a short movement break during the workday, or simply sitting less,” he says.
If you want to add more stair-climbing to your day, Dr. Halawa suggests starting slow. “A gradual increase in the number of steps is highly recommended, especially for patients with a history of heart disease,” he says.
Read the full article here