Do you want to live longer? Take the stairs! A simple lifestyle adjustment to skip the elevator can help you prevent premature death by keeping the heart healthy, scientists find
It may be tempting to take the elevator, but choosing the stairs can really help you live longer, research shows.
Scientists wanted to investigate whether climbing stairs, as a form of physical activity, could play a role in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease and premature death.
They conducted a large analysis involving nine previous studies and almost 500,000 people aged 35 to 84.
Studies were included regardless of the number of stairs and the speed of climbing, while the study population included both healthy participants and participants with a history of heart attack or heart disease.
Analysis found that compared to not climbing stairs, climbing stairs was associated with a 24 percent lower risk of death from any cause and a 39 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, heart failure and stroke, over time of fourteen years.
Taking the stairs can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, heart failure and stroke
The researchers wrote: ‘As sedentary behavior and its associated health risks become increasingly common, it is increasingly important to explore accessible and practical strategies to reduce cardiovascular risk.
‘These findings highlight the importance of promoting daily activities, even in the workplace and at home, to promote a healthier lifestyle.’
Data shows that more than one in four adults worldwide are not meeting recommended levels of physical activity.
Dr. Sophie Paddock, from the University of East Anglia, said: ‘If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help your heart.
‘Even short bursts of physical activity have beneficial health effects, and short bouts of stair climbing should be an achievable goal to integrate into daily routines.
‘Based on these results, we want to encourage people to integrate stairs into their daily lives.
‘Our research suggested that the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits – but this needs to be confirmed. So whether you’re at work, at home or elsewhere, take the stairs.’
The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s Preventive Cardiology conference in Athens, Greece.
A previous study found that simple exercises such as climbing stairs can provide ‘significant’ benefits for the heart and muscles.
Researchers from McMaster University in Canada found that tackling the stairs is beneficial regardless of whether a person is walking or running.
The findings of separate research suggest that a ‘stair test’ is an easy way to check heart health.
Experts say a doctor should be consulted if it takes more than a minute and a half to climb four flights of stairs.