An article published by NPR (National Public Radio) asks, Elevator or stairs? Your choice could boost longevity. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/04/29/1247532191/longevity-stairs-climbing-exercise-heart-disease
There is new scientific evidence that climbing stairs reduces the risk of heart disease and helps people live longer. This is timely as it is known that less than half of adults in the U.S. get the recommended amount of exercise advised as a result of the voluminous amount of evidence of the benefits of exercise.
At the European Society of Cardiology a new meta-analysis was presented which found that people who were in the habit of climbing stairs had an approximately 40% reduced risk of dying from heart disease, and had a lower risk of suffering from myocardial infarctions and strokes compared to those who didn’t climb stairs. https://esc365.escardio.org/presentation/279143
The lead author of the study Dr. Sophie Paddock, of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust in the UK. said, “I was surprised that such a simple form of exercise can reduce all-cause mortality.” She and her research colleagues looked at data from about 480,000 participants, ranging in age from the mid-30s to mid-80s. Paddock says the findings fit with the extensive body of evidence pointing to the benefits of moderate-intensity exercise.
The moment you start climbing steps, your body responds. “Your heart rate goes up, your cardiac output goes up, and your circulatory status improves,” explains Dr. Manish Parikh, chief of cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.
So, how much stair climbing is enough? One study found climbing six to ten flights a day was linked to a reduced risk of premature death. And another study published in the scientific journal Atherosclerosis found climbing more than five flights a day lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%.
https://www.atherosclerosis-journal.com/article/S0021-9150(23)05221-8/fulltext
To calculate this, researchers analyzed participants’ risk of heart disease based on factors including blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking history, family history and genetic risk factors. Participants filled out questionnaires about their lifestyle and exercise habits including stair climbing. Over the course of 12 years, the stair climbers fared better at fending off heart disease. Notably, people who stopped climbing stairs during this time saw their risk rise again. It’s a reminder that in order to benefit from exercise, you’ve got to keep doing it.
The benefits can kick in pretty quickly. A review published earlier this year found a minimum of four to eight weeks are needed to start improving your cardiometabolic risk. The study found regular stair climbing can improve body composition, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and blood pressure. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10656261/
If you’re trying to incorporate more movement into your day, adding stair climbing is a good way to get quick bursts of aerobic exercise, says Dr. Carlin Long, a cardiologist at University of California, San Francisco. “I think if people are able to achieve six to ten flights of exercise on stairs a day, that that would be a good target,” but this will depend on your personal level of fitness, Long says.
“Exercise is one of the best approaches to cardiovascular fitness,” Long says, and stair climbing can be convenient. “It doesn’t require a gym membership,” he says and many people can climb stairs at home or at work. Long says there’s also value in more sustained exercise, such as a longer bike ride, a walk or jog, or a treadmill session, to meet the recommended 30 minutes a day of exercise.
Taking the stairs can also help build muscle. “Climbing stairs can be a wonderful mix of both aerobic exercise and resistance training,” says Dr. Tamara Horwich, a cardiologist at UCLA who focuses on women’s heart health.
An earlier broadcast at NPR discussed the federal government’s recommendations for physical activity recommendations. Thye said it was not a surprise that the simple advice for the public at large was just to move more. A transcript of the broadcast makes some basic points
ALLISON AUBREY reporter – “In 1960, about half of all workers in the U.S. had jobs that required moderately intense physical activity. There were lots of factory workers, farmers. And more people spent more energy just going about their daily lives.”
Her guest physician and researcher Tim Church of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center pointed out that “this whole idea of sitting for a living – it’s a very recent phenomenon in the history of mankind.”
AUBREY: ” His research has shown that compared to the 1960s, workers in the U.S. burn about 140 fewer calories per day. Combine this with eating more, and Church says society is paying a steep price.”
CHURCH: “The obesity epidemic, which has led to the diabetes epidemic.”
But all is not lost if one takes to heart the advice being given enabling people to counter the health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle, to engage in practical levels of activity that can lower the risk of disease and death.
AUBREY: “The good news is we can offset the negative consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. And one way to get motivated is to understand what happens within minutes of setting out on a walk or a bike ride.”
CHURCH: “Once you get the blood rushing through the vessels, you already start having physiological benefits.”
AUBREY: “People who maintain a regular exercise habit, about 20 to 30 minutes a day on average, reduce the long-term risks of lots of diseases from cancers and heart attacks to dementia. Exercise can also elevate your mood.”
Another guest on the program researcher Kathleen Janz of the University of Iowa explained,” Every time you’re active, you think better, you sleep better and you feel better.”
AUBREY: ” Chuck Hillman of Northeastern University has studied the effects of a single workout on academic performance.”
CHUCK HILLMAN: “Following a single bout of exercise, we find benefits to reading comprehension and arithmetic. And what’s interesting is in some of our studies, we’ve actually shown that the benefits to academic achievement are a full grade-level increase.”
It is crucial to understand that these lifestyle changes have to be maintained if the benefits are to become long lasing-
AUBREY: “These immediate benefits can fade pretty quickly, so the best prescription for exercise is a daily dose.”
You raise your heart rate and work your muscles at the same time. “You are building up those leg muscles by having to pull your weight up to the next stair,” she says. And this is a key benefit given that only 24% of adults in the U.S. meet the recommended targets for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise.
If you’re not in the habit of stair climbing, you may have to start slowly.
You can track steps on a FitBit device or Apple Watch and they can also be used to track climbing steps. “So instead of just looking at steps, [you] can also look at the number of stairs climbed and try to increase that,” she says. It’s a good way to gauge progress.”
Among the benefits of exercise is cancer risk reduction. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/physical-activity-fact-sheet#:~:text=Colorectal%20cancer%3A%20Evidence%20from%20multiple,from%20any%20cause%20(4).
Also see – https://drsobo.com/exercise-lowers-cancer-risk/ And exercise may help stave off dementia/ Alzheimer’s disease.
https://drsobo.com/diet-and-exercise-may-reduce-beta-amyloid-in-the-brain-lower-alzheimers-risk/
The overall benefits of exercise have been shown repeatedly in many research studies over the years. Stair climbing is an easy one for many busy people to incorporate into their lifestyles.
