Have a change of heart.
Research shows a simple swap in your daily life could keep your heart healthy.
That’s important when every 34 seconds, someone in the US dies of heart disease. It’s the leading cause of death across sexes and racial groups in this country.
One of the biggest risk factors is not getting enough exercise — and most adults don’t get enough. Official recommendations call for 75 to 150 minutes of physical exercise a week.
That’s why, in recent years, experts have been looking more into what’s called a micro-workout or exercise snack. These don’t ask people to carve out time to change, drive to the gym, and do a dedicated workout — it’s all about adding more movement to your everyday life.
Take the simple swap of taking the stairs over the elevator, which this new research examines.
“Taking the stairs is a practical and often overlooked way to build physical activity into daily life,” said author Vassilios Vassiliou.“Choosing to take the stairs offers a realistic, scalable intervention.”
Vassiliou and his team looked at data from nine studies involving almost half a million participants.
They found that people who often climbed stairs had a 39% lower risk of dying from heart-related issues, and 24% less likely to die from any cause, compared to people who didn’t climb the stairs often.
How many stairs make a difference
You don’t need 20 minutes on a StairMaster.
Researchers believe that adding just six flights of stairs (60-70 stairs) — which should take less than three minutes — can decrease risk of heart disease.
More is better, they found, but adding any additional movement has benefits.
“Even one- to two-minute bursts of movement performed several times throughout the day can add up and may be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events and death,” cardiologist Paul Drury told Medical News Today.
Stair climbing is a vigorous exercise, and a great way to do “sprint interval exercise.” Just make sure to start slow for a few minutes to warm up.
How it works is rather than climbing your six flights or more at once at your own pace, you push yourself to climb as many stairs as you can in 30 seconds, then rest for two minutes. Repeat for six rounds.
This exercise model was shown in a recent study to release all sorts of helpful proteins in the blood that boost heart health and protect against obesity and diabetes. Other research shows it can help with cardiorespiratory fitness, or how well the heart distributes oxygen during exercise.
Stair climbing isn’t for everyone
Researchers note that stair climbing puts pressure on the joints and could aggravate arthritis and hurt people with joint damage. People with heart and lung conditions that can flare up should also avoid it, as well as anyone who has balance or coordination issues.
There are lower impact alternatives to get moving, like brisk walking, bodyweight squats, and stretching that can be done during your day.
“I view this study as a reminder that cardiovascular exercise does not have to come exclusively from a structured workout,” said Drury. “The important message is to find safe ways to move more and sit less. Even brief periods of activity can be a meaningful part of an overall strategy for protecting cardiovascular health.”
