Stair Climbing to Health
Studies reveal that 30 minutes of physical activity of moderate intensity everyday is beneficial to health. It helps you to control body weight, promotes cardiovascular fitness and is good for your psychological and social health. The World Health Organization also recommends adults to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate intensive aerobic physical activities each week. Nowadays, many people do not participate into regular physical activities because they find they are "busy". However, for sake of your own health, you should try your best to be more physically active. Stair climbing is one of the ways of incorporating physical activity into daily life. It is a convenient and easily accessible exercise for the majority of people, especially the sedentary people. Stair climbing is a low-cost and readily accessible form of exercise that provides a series of health benefits if we do it everyday:
- It enhances heart and lung function and improves blood circulation.
- It reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes or colon cancer.
- It increases body resistance, thus reduces the chance of contracting diseases and increases efficiency at work.
- It leads to healthy bones and lowers the risk of osteoporosis.
- It strengthens muscles.
- It helps burn body fat, thereby controlling body weight.
Preparation
- Size of footwear should be fit to provide cushioning and stability for walking.
- Plenty of room for the toes with a snug, comfortable heel.
- Solid support and good cushioning inside the shoe.
- Firm, resistant heel counter outside the shoe.
- Non-slippery sole. Shoes should be flexible.
- Wear socks.
- Make sure that you warm up at the beginning and cool down towards the end of your exercise session.
Stairs facility
- Choose the platform height that would not require bending your knees more than 90 degrees.
- The stair should be dry, well-lit, well-ventilated and free of obstacles.
Keep good posture
- While stepping, relax your neck and keep it straight.
- Keep your back straight. Do not arch your back which may cause back pain.
- Keep your shoulders relaxed.
Keep correct stepping technique
- Always place the entire foot on the platform.
- Step quietly. Pounding can unduly stress the ankles and knees.
- Keep an eye on the platform at all times.
- Do not use hand weights. They greatly increase the risk of injury and provide no benefit.
Pace
- Climb slowly.
- Start by going up and down short flights or half flights rather than tackling one long staircase. Take rest if necessary.
- Do not take deep stairs or several shallow ones at a time.
Seek medical advice before starting the exercise programme if
- You have chronic medical disease, e.g. heart disease, respiratory disease.
- You experience chest pain or discomfort during or right after exercise.
- You tend to lose consciousness due to dizziness.
- You feel shortness of breath after mild exertion.
- You are middle-aged or older, have not been physically active and plan a relatively vigorous exercise programme.
- You have joint problems, e.g. you experience pain, aching, stiffness or swelling in or around a joint.
Ways to incorporate stair climbing into your daily life
- Using stairs instead of elevators or escalators if possible.
- Walking a few flights of stairs when you go to work or go home.
Promoting stair climbing campaign in the organization, workplace and housing blocks is an easy and interesting health promoting activity. Take a look at the followings if you are interested to organise stair climbing promotion campaign:
FAQs
It reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes or colon cancer. It increases body resistance, thus reduces the chance of contracting diseases and increases efficiency at work. It leads to healthy bones and lowers the risk of osteoporosis. It strengthens muscles.
What does climbing stairs do for your health? ›
Other research has linked regular stair climbing with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome (a term referring to several conditions that raise your chance of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes), improved fitness of the heart and blood vessels, and lower body weight.
What happens if you climb stairs every day? ›
Climbing stairs is a great way to amp your core muscle strength. Tones and sculpts your body: It also engages every major muscle in your lower body - glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, abs and calves to exercise and thus tones your body better.
How many stairs should you climb a day for a healthy heart? ›
A 2023 study suggests climbing more than five flights of stairs (or 50 stair steps) daily may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke, heart attacks, and blood clots.
Can you lose belly fat by climbing stairs? ›
Effective weight loss from climbing stairs is also clearly shown in scientific studies about the natural effectiveness of reducing belly fat when every 10 minutes of climbing stairs, the body has consumed an average of 100 calories equivalent. with walking for 20 minutes.
Is stair climbing good for seniors? ›
In one study, older men and women stair climbed 16–40 floors weekly for 8 weeks, resulting in significantly improved resting and exercise heart rates, and improved balance and perceived exertion.
How many minutes of stair climbing is a good workout? ›
An overview of the research suggests that 30-160 minutes of vigorous stair climbing a week for eight to 12 weeks will boost cardiovascular fitness.
Is climbing stairs better than walking? ›
If you are looking for an easy and effective way to burn calories, climbing stairs can help you lose weight. A study published in Harvard Health Publishing Journal says that compared to walking on a levelled surface, you can burn calories three times faster by steadily climbing steps.
What are the disadvantages of climbing stairs? ›
Some people should avoid climbing stairs to exercise as a regular form of exercise, they are: Elderly People with diabetes, acute heart disease, respiratory failure People with injury or osteoarthritis Pregnant women Climbing stairs heart palpitations are good for the heart.
How many flights of stairs equal a mile? ›
Cohen says climbing about 40 flights of stairs is comparable to running or walking a mile. That said, it's a lot harder for some people. You're using a different set of muscles when you climb the stairs, and it can take some time to work up to a full mile of stair-climbing in one stretch.
Stair climbing promotes better blood circulation throughout your body. As you climb, your heart pumps more blood, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and organs. This improved circulation can reduce the risk of blood clots, atherosclerosis, and hypertension, all of which can contribute to heart disease.
Is climbing stairs good for lungs? ›
Stair climbing is a low-cost and readily accessible form of exercise that provides a series of health benefits if we do it everyday: It enhances heart and lung function and improves blood circulation.
Is climbing stairs good for the knees? ›
Both of these large muscle groups get a workout when you climb stairs. Your own weight is enough to make stair climbing a challenge. Stair climbing also benefits the knees indirectly by helping to manage your weight. By walking up steps for just five minutes, you can burn about 45 calories.
How long does it take to see results from stair climbing? ›
The stair stepper benefits weight loss for people who are overweight and those who do little to no exercise will see fairly dramatic results within one or two weeks. If you're already at a fairly healthy weight and do some exercise, you can expect to see weight loss within two to four weeks.
Is climbing stairs better than running? ›
Research currently has stair climbing in the No. #1 spot for calories burned beating running, swimming, cycling and walking*. In fact stair climbing burns 23% more calories than running, 250% more than swimming, 63% more than cycling and 400% more than walking at 3.22 km/h.
What happens if I climb 100 stairs everyday? ›
Experts say stair climbing increases your heart rate, which in turn helps strengthen the heart muscle, lowers blood pressure, and lowers cholesterol. Other strategies to prevent heart disease include not smoking, limiting alcohol, and improving sleep.
How many stairs should I climb in a day? ›
Walking more than five flights of stairs a day can cut risk of heart disease by 20%, study says. Photo by Getty Images. Forget walking 10,000 steps a day. Taking at least 50 steps up the stairs each day could significantly slash your risk of heart disease, according to a new study from Tulane University.
Is it okay to do the stair climber everyday? ›
Sure, the workout is meant to be done twice a week, but Rivas suggests mixing up your fitness regimen. “Pair the StairMaster with other forms of exercise like strength training, which is optimal for better health because it builds bone density and muscular endurance,” she says.
