CLIMBING STAIRS DAILY LOWERS HEART DISEASE RISK BY 40 PERCENT; KNOW HOW
Looking for simple, effective ways to improve your heart health? Then dodge the elevator and take the stairs daily. According to a new study, climbing stairs can help lower the risk of heart disease by at least 40 per cent.
Experts say this exercise is like a mini workout and data from more than half a million people aged between 35-84 years has shown a remarkable improvement in their cardiovascular health.
The study, conducted by the University of East Anglia has confirmed that the same age group is at least 24 per cent less likely to die at a young age due to a stroke or heart attack if they take the stairs every day.
Related News |The research was presented to the prestigious Preventive Cardiology 2024 - a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology. “If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift [elevator], go for the stairs, as it will help your heart,” said study author Dr. Sophie Paddock, of the Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust and the University of East Anglia and Norfolk in the England, in a press release.
“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,” Dr. Paddock added.
Physical activities count towards your weekly goals Related News |
According to US physical activity guidelines, the overall benefits of such short bursts of activity - even taking a brisk walk across the parking lot or vacuuming the house – go toward your daily activity goals.However, researchers say most people do not get the recommended amount of physical activity to take care of their heart health.
How does climbing stairs help your heart?
For the research, a meta-analysis of nine more studies was done in which both healthy participants and people with a previous history of heart troubles like peripheral arterial disease were included.And so, in comparison with not climbing stairs, taking the stairs was associated with a 24 per cent lower risk of dying from any cause and a nearly 40 per cent lower likelihood of dying from heart disease.
How many stairs should you climb daily?
According to Dr. Paddock, there is no specific number of stairs to be climbed every day, but “the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits. So, whether at work, home, or elsewhere, take the stairs.”These findings support a previous study from the Ohio State University which showed climbing at least five flights of stairs a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 20 per cent.
Those findings showed that short bursts of high-intensity stair climbing could be a time-efficient and easily accessible way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and blood cholesterol levels. And unlike more structured exercise activities, there is no special equipment or gym fees required.
Healthy ways to lose weight
According to experts, weight loss is a long-term commitment so, it is important to make a few changes in your daily routine, which include:- At least 150 minutes of exercise every week
- Five servings of fruits and vegetables in a day
- Swapping sugary drinks with water
- Reducing salt and sugar in food