Stairs
or
elevator?
A
recent
study
out
of
the
United
Kingdom
says
to
ditch
the
lift.

Researchers
from

the
Norfolk
and
Norwich
University
Hospital
(NNUH)
and
the
University
of
East
Anglia
looked
at
data
from
more
than
480,000
people
and
found
that
those
who
often
took
the
stairs
had
a
lower
chance
of
developing
cardiovascular
disease.

The
study
was
published
in
the

American
Journal
of
Cardiovascular
Drugs.

People
who
often
climbed
the
stairs
had
a
39%
lower
risk
of
dying
from
heart-related
issues
and
a
24%
lower
chance
of
dying
from
any
cause.
They
also
had
a
lower
risk
of
issues
like
heart
failure,
stroke
and

heart
attack.

Researchers
conducted
a
meta-analysis
and
review
of
nine
individual
studies
to
come
to
their
conclusions.
Participants
were
followed
for
an
average
of
14
years
and
were
between
the
ages
of
35
and
84.
The
group
was
53%
female
and
included
people
with
a
history
of
heart
disease
and
without.

Exactly
what
constitutes
“frequent
stair
use”
needs
more
research,
but
one
large
cohort
study
used
in
this
analysis
found
that
climbing
the
stairs
six
times
each
day
resulted
in
heart
health
benefits.
But
“researchers
say
the
optimal
‘dose’
requires
further
investigation,”
according
to

the
study
press
release.

“Some
of
the
studies
we
looked
at
showed
that
the
more
stairs
climbed,
the
greater
the
health
benefits.
But
even
small
changes
had
a
measurable
impact,”
study
author
Sophie
Paddock
said
in
the
press
release.

Even
if
you
don’t
climb
the
stairs
six
times
in
a
day,
there
are
still
marked
benefits
to
taking
the
stairs
over
the
elevator.

“Even
brief
bursts
of
physical
activity
have
beneficial
health
impacts,
and
short
bouts
of
stair
climbing
should
be
an
achievable
target
to
integrate
into
daily
routines,”
Paddock
said
in
the
press
release.

Quick
bursts
of
exercise,
often
known
as

“exercise
snacks,”
are
known
to
help
improve
energy
levels,
cardiovascular
functioning,
sleep,
mental
health
and
more.

But
there
are
limitations
to
this
study.
Participants
often
self-reported
their
stair
use,
which
could
mean
that
people
misremembered
how
often
they
used
the
stairs.

Also,
people
who
choose
to
frequently

walk
up
the
stairs
may
already
live
a
healthy
lifestyle,
which
would
also
lower
their
heart
disease
risk
outside
of
stair
climbing.

“We
know
that
habitual
stair
climbing
may
co-occur
with
other
health-seeking
behaviors,
so
those
that
tend
to
take
the
stairs
may
well
have
overall
higher
physical
activity
levels
or
fitness
levels
compared
to
those
that
don’t,”
Paddock

told
Medical
News
Today.

If
you
aren’t
used
to
climbing
the
stairs
frequently,
it
can
be
perfectly
normal
to
find
it
challenging
and
even
to
become
winded

after
going
up
a
flight
of
stairs.
To
build
up
your
stair-climbing
tolerance
and
the
muscles
required
to
do
so,
simply
start
doing
it
more
often.

“Your
body
adapts
to
imposed
demands
on
it.
So,
if
you’re
practicing
going
up
the
stairs,
you
become
more
efficient,”

Karl
Erickson,
a
performance
specialist
at
Mayo
Clinic
Sports
Medicine,

previously
told
HuffPost.

You
don’t
need
to
start
by
climbing
up
four
flights
of
stairs
—
and
that
may
not
even
be
safe.
Instead,
start
with
one
flight
and
build
up
your
endurance
from
there.
Perhaps
climb
the
stairs
at
the
airport
instead
of
taking
the
escalator.
Or,
take
the
two
flights
up
to
your
doctor’s
appointment
instead
of
the
elevator.

If
you
have
underlying
conditions
such
as
COPD
or
chronic
lung
disease,
you
should
have
those
treated
and
under
control
before
starting
a
stair-climbing
workout
regimen.

Dr.
Katherine
Pohlgeers,
a
family
medicine
and
sports
medicine
doctor
at
University
of
Louisville
Health,
previously
told
HuffPost
that
if
you
notice
chest
pain,
vision
changes
or
headache
after
climbing
stairs,
talk
to
your
doctor.

Overall,

staying
active
all
throughout
your
life
is
an
important
way
to
improve
your
cardiovascular
health
and
strengthen
your
musculoskeletal
system.
Doctors
often
recommend
that
people

move
around
more
than
they
sit,
and
taking
the
stairs
instead
of
an
escalator
or
elevator
is
a
great
way
to
increase
just
how
much
you’re
moving
each
week.

Heart
disease
is
the
leading
cause
of
death

in
adults
in
the
United
States.
Lifestyle
changes
such
as
exercise,
including
walking
up
the
stairs,
a
healthy
diet,
and
controlling
risk
factors
like
high
blood
pressure
and
cholesterol
are
all
ways
to
lower
your
risk.