Does taking the stairs instead of an elevator help you live longer?

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

Taking the stairs rather than an elevator leads to a longer life, according to a new study.

Researchers found that climbing stairs was associated with a 24 percent reduced risk of dying from any cause and a 39 percent lower likelihood of dying from a heart attack or stroke.

Study author Dr. Sophie Paddock said: “If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help your heart.

“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.”

She said cardiovascular disease is largely preventable through actions such as exercise.

However, more than one in four adults worldwide do not meet recommended levels of physical activity.

Dr. Paddock says taking the stairs is a "practical and easily accessible" form of physical exercise which is often overlooked.

The study investigated whether climbing stairs, as a form of physical activity, could play a role in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease and premature death.

The research team collected the best available evidence on the topic. Studies were included regardless of the number of flights of stairs and the speed of climbing.

A total of nine studies, involving more than 480,000 participants in the final analysis. The study population included both healthy participants and those with a previous history of heart attack or peripheral arterial disease. Ages ranged from 35 to 84 years old and 53% of participants were women.

Compared with not climbing stairs, stair climbing was associated with a 24% reduced risk of dying from any cause4 and a 39% lower likelihood of dying from cardiovascular disease.5 Stair climbing was also linked with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease including heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

Dr Paddock of the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust said: “Based on these results, we would encourage people to incorporate stair climbing into their day-to-day lives."

She added: "Our study suggested that the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits – but this needs to be confirmed.

"So, whether at work, home, or elsewhere, take the stairs.”

The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress in Athens, Greece.