It may be tempting to take the elevator, but choosing the stairs can actually help you live longer, research suggests.
Scientists wanted to investigate whether stair climbing, 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 that involved nine previous studies and almost 500,000 people between 35 and 84 years old.
Studies were included regardless of the number of flights of stairs and speed of climbing, while the study population included both healthy participants and those with a history of heart attack or heart disease.
The analysis revealed that compared to not climbing stairs, climbing stairs was associated with a 24 percent reduction in the risk of dying from any cause and a 39 percent lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks, heart failure and strokes, for 14 years.
Climbing stairs could reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks, heart failure and stroke.
The researchers wrote: ‘As sedentary behaviors and associated health risks become increasingly prevalent, there is a growing imperative to explore accessible and practical strategies to mitigate cardiovascular risk.
“These findings highlight the importance of promoting everyday activities, including in the workplace and at home, to encourage healthier lifestyles.”
Data suggests that more than one in four adults worldwide do not meet recommended levels of physical activity.
Dr Sophie Paddock, from the University of East Anglia, said: “If you have the option of taking the stairs or the lift, choose the stairs as it will help your heart.”
“Even short periods of physical activity have beneficial health effects, and short periods of climbing stairs should be an achievable goal to integrate into daily routines.
“Based on these results, we would encourage people to incorporate stair climbing into their daily lives.
“Our study suggested that the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits, but this needs to be confirmed. So whether at work, home or anywhere else, use 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 at McMaster University in Canada found that climbing stairs was beneficial whether a person walked or ran up.
Findings from other research suggest that a “stairs test” is an easy way to check heart health.
Experts say you should see a doctor if it takes more than a minute and a half to climb four flights of stairs.