It's easy and quicker to use the lift. No wonder this is the default option for many. Research shows taking the stairs has many health benefits.
Stair climbing is recommended by doctors and health authorities worldwide:
Climbing just eight flights of stairs a day lowers average early mortality risk by 33%
Seven minutes stair climbing a day can halve the risk of heart attack over 10 years
Just two minutes extra stair climbing a day is enough to stop average middle age weight gain
Burns more calories than jogging
If you're looking for an easy way to add more activity into your day, take the stairs. Everyone can do it, as it’s a low-impact exercise and you don’t need to buy any kit – just find some stairs to climb.
Stair climbing burns more calories per minute than jogging, and counts towards your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise.
For example, if you weighed 75 kg and used the stairs in the Underground and then walked up to your fifth-floor office, twice a day, you would burn over 17,000 additional calories a year – that’s more than eight days of food.
Research shows regularly taking the stairs is good for strong bones, your heart and managing your weight.
Stepping up challenge
Think about some stairs you could use to help you tweak your week, and move more.
Mount Everest is 29,029 feet high, which is about 58,070 steps. It may sound like a a lot, but when you break it down to a daily stair count it’s 56 stair steps or no more than five flights a day for a little less than three years.
So before pressing the lift button, picture Mount Everest. Small changes can make big differences to your health over time.
Which stairs are you going to climb more often?
