4 min readApr 30, 2024 02:26 PM IST
First published on: Apr 30, 2024 at 10:53 AM IST
Next time you are tempted to press the lift button when you have three flights of stairs to climb, pause a little. Take the stairs instead. For that can keep you in fine fettle and prevent heart attacks or other heart diseases. UK researchers have found that stair climbers reduce their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 39 per cent compared to people who don’t use them at all.
The findings were presented at a preventive cardiology congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). “Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impact and short bouts of stair-climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines,” said Dr Sophie Paddock, a study author and a faculty member at the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust.
The study population included healthy participants as well as those with a previous history of heart attack or peripheral arterial disease. Those who climbed stairs had a 24 per cent reduced risk of dying during the study period compared to those who did not climb stairs. The stair climbers also had a 39 per cent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a lower overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease or suffering a heart attack, heart failure or stroke.
WHY CLIMBING STAIRS IS A HEART-FRIENDLY EXERCISE?
Says Dr Rockey Katheria, interventional cardiologist at Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, “It is a combined resistance and cardiovascular exercise for which you do not have to go to the gym. It mobilises your heart, lungs and muscles simultaneously. Unlike the gym, where you are working only on your biceps or triceps, which are smaller muscle groups you develop locally, stair-climbing engages multiple big muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves. So more calories are burnt and you improve lean muscle mass, which is good for metabolism and regulating blood sugar.”
As a result, the muscles have a better ability to extract oxygen out of the blood, reducing the need for the heart to pump more blood to them. “This slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones that can put an extra burden on the heart, reduces inflammation, increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and helps control triglycerides,” says Dr Katheria. “Not only that. An increased metabolic rate means your bodies will continue burning calories afterward when you are resting,” he adds.
HOW DOES IT MAKE THE BEST USE OF OXYGEN?
According to Dr Abhishek Srivastava, cardiac rehabilitation consultant at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute, Mumbai, stair-climbing qualifies as a moderate to high intensity exercise. “This intermittent style of exercise has been shown to boost VO2 max, a key marker of cardiovascular efficiency,” says he. VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption, refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can use during intense or maximal exercise. The more oxygen a person can use during high level exercise, the more energy a person can produce. “Besides, stair-climbing is a functional movement pattern that promotes balance, coordination and mobility.” However, he points out, stair-climbing should not be done by those who have knee arthritis as that could worsen their pain.
HOW TO ADOPT THIS ROUTINE?
Those without heart problems can do short-burst stair- climbing of four levels for 10 to 15 minutes twice or thrice a day. “And space them out with some normal walking,” says Dr Srivastava. He advises stair-climbing as a routine that can be a part of 45 minutes of moderate intensity exercise daily. “I would recommend starting small and gradually increasing the frequency and duration of stair-climbing sessions. Begin with one, then may be two flights. Over time, you could aim to climb more flights at a brisker pace,” he advises.
Can somebody who has experienced a heart event take to stair climbing? “That’s possible provided you gradually get into the rhythm at a lower intensity. First the person has to stabilise themselves with ground-level walking without heartbeat racing too much or breathlessness. Only then can one take to the step-climbing routine in level 2 of cardiac rehab,” says Dr Srivastava.
Those who climbed stairs had a 24 per cent reduced risk of dying during the study period compared to those who did not climb stairs. (Pexels) 
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