Taking just five flights a day can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%, according to a new study. Getty Images
Choosing the stairs over the elevator has been considered wise health advice for years, but a new study published in this journal proves this health tip. did atherosclerosis We found out how many stairs you need to climb every day to improve your heart health. Put simply?climbing Only 5 flights a day It can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%.
“Researchers found that participants who regularly climbed five flights of stairs a day had a 19% reduction in the relative risk of heart disease,” says internist Dr. Yvonne Cobbin. “Unfortunately, people who started out climbing stairs but then stopped had a 32% higher risk of heart disease than those who didn’t exercise at all.”
As with all research, this study has limitations. Dr. Robert Harrington Cardiologist and director of Weill Cornell Medicine. “This study was conducted using data from the UK Biobank, a large-scale observational/epidemiological study that is widely used for research purposes,” he says. Because this study was observational, it was not possible to establish cause-and-effect relationships (e.g., “climb more stairs”). equal Reduced cardiac events. ); rather, this study simply points to a link between this activity and heart health.
Why walking stairs is good for your health
causes of heart disease 1 in 5 people die each year in the United States, which causes approximately 695,000 deaths annually. The following applies to going up and down stairs. aerobic, or movement that uses repetitive activity to increase heart rate and oxygen levels. In general, aerobic exercise reduces the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
“Stair walking is similar to many activities associated with stair walking, such as walking, running, and bicycling. Improve cardiovascular riskThings like fewer heart attacks,” Harrington said. “Walking up the stairs may take a little more effort than just walking, and it also requires some balance and core strength to address issues such as frailty and muscle weakness.”
Elevating a few dozen feet before sitting at a desk all day may also improve longevity. “As we get older, climbing stairs can improve leg strength and back strength, both of which can improve. Helps prevent falls” says Cobin. Specifically, when a postmenopausal person climbs the stairs, high bone density.
Climb the stairs to improve heart health
To start improving your heart health now, Harrington recommends incorporating aerobic exercise, such as stair climbing, into your exercise regimen. “Following the recommendations of the American Heart Association, I ask my patients to aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week (30 minutes five days a week). This means walking at a moderate pace and doing some light weight lifting to maintain strength,” he says. Climbing stairs burns and is considered “moderate exercise.” Approximately 8-11 calories per minute.
However, exercise is not the ultimate means to improve your health. Cobin is Six pillars of lifestyle medicine Keep this in mind when choosing how to support your mind and body. “Lifestyle medicine is a subspecialty of medicine that focuses on evidence-based methods to support heart health,” she explains.
These six pillars contain a lot of classic advice that you’ve probably heard before. Eat whole, plant-based foods when possible, prioritize restorative sleep, squeeze in 150 minutes of exercise per week, avoid dangerous substances like tobacco and alcohol, and make time for social connections. Let’s make it.The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 80% of heart disease casesstroke, and type 2 diabetes can be prevented by prioritizing these six actions.
3 stair training exercises you should try
While there are many benefits to simply climbing the stairs, you can also try stepping up your stair workout in your local stairwell or using the stair climber at your local gym.
1. Stair interval training
Climb one flight of stairs at a controlled pace and the other at a slightly faster (but still safe and controlled) pace. Repeat 3 to 5 times, depending on how comfortable you are walking up the stairs. Take a break and repeat the workout one or two more times.
2. Stair climbing and calisthenics
Design yourself a circuit workout where you climb a few flights of stairs at a moderate pace, then get down to the floor and do some strength training like push-ups or crunches. For example, let’s say he climbs the stairs for 3 sets, does 10 squats, rests for 1 minute, and then repeats the entire cycle.
3. Stair climbing by time
For a quick workout, set the timer on your watch or phone for 10 minutes and walk up the stairs or stairs with slow, sustained effort. At the end of the 10 minutes, she takes a 5-minute break and then returns to her 10-minute task.
