6 Reasons you should take the stairs

We know that opting for the stairs over the elevator is a great way to add activity to our day, but is there more to it? What are the true benefits of taking the stairs? Let’s break it down.

  1. What happens if you take the stairs everyday?
  2. How beneficial is taking the stairs?
  3. Does taking the stairs really make a difference?

What happens if you take the stairs everyday?

As with most activities, the more we do them, the bigger the benefit. So what would happen if you took the stairs everyday? Lots. In fact, you would likely see a huge increase in your balance and resting heart rate. Your core muscles will begin to adapt and strengthen and, after a while, you will start to notice more toning in the muscles of the lower body.

The benefits of taking the stairs are not only physical. Establishing routines is not only helpful for your fitness, but also for your mind. Carving out the time for yourself once or twice a day will send endorphins running through your body, giving you energy and mental clarity. If your stair climbing routine is connected to going and leaving work, it can be a great way to prepare for your day and unwind for the evening.


How beneficial is taking the stairs

As mentioned above, there are many benefits of taking the stairs. These include:

  1. Burning Calories – stair climbing actually burns more calories than jogging
  2. Stair Climbing Reduces the Risk of Stroke.
  3. Stair Climbing Improves Cardiovascular Fitness.
  4. Stair Climbing Strengthens Muscles.
  5. Stair Climbing Is an Easy Way to Combat a Sedentary Lifestyle.
  6. You Don’t Have to Listen to Elevator Music. (This might be the most important one!)

1. Burn More Calories

Believe it or not, taking the stairs actually burns more calories than going for a slow-paced jog! In fact, according to a study published in 2017, stair climbing actually expends 8-9 times more energy than sitting and 7 times more than taking the elevator.

2. Reduce the Risk of Stroke

Any type of physical activity can help to reduce the risk of stroke. However, a recent study found that men who reported climbing at least 20 flights/week had a sizeable reduction in risk.

3. Improve Cardiovascular Fitness

The key to improving cardiovascular fitness is perform routine physical activity. Research has shown that regular movement promotes cardiovascular health. Therefore, adding the stairs to your daily commute could help to improve your heart health by up to 7 years!

4. Strengthen Muscles

Believe it or not, it takes quite a few muscle groups to ensure we move up and down stairs efficiently. Obviously we are using the muscles in our legs, but we are also engaging our abdominals, and perhaps even pumping with our arms, making it nearly a full body workout!

5. Combat a Sedentary Lifestyle

We are a species that looks for the path of least resistance. Meaning, we like to find shortcuts or easier ways to do things. This is part of human nature, consistently trying to improve our surroundings. Unfortunately, this can ultimately result in machines doing the majority of the work. Sometimes we have to go back to basics and find avenues that are literally right in front of us to help bring physical activity back in to the fold.

6. No more Elevator Music!

Ok, so this one is less about physical health and. more about our environment, but who hasn’t cringed their way through an uncomfortable elevator ride? Ew…stairs please!

Does taking the stairs really make a difference?

The short answer – YES! Unlike the stair master or stair simulating equipment at the gym, taking the stairs up and down activates many lower body muscles and counts as cardio! The ascending and descending motions engage the quads, hamstrings, glutes, hips, calves, feet and abdominal muscles. If you’re just starting out in your fitness journey, taking the stairs can be a really great first step. Start small, perhaps taking the stairs up in the morning one day and down in the afternoon the next. Eventually working your way to taking the stairs up and down each day. You’ll be basking in the benefits of taking the stairs in no time!

Author: Kevin Murray

Kevin graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland with an honours degree in Physiotherapy with Clinical Distinction in 2009. He is an experienced physiotherapist who has worked in a wide variety of settings. He specializes in the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of muscular, joint and neurological injuries. Patient safety, comfort and satisfaction are always his highest priorities.

During his time practicing, he has been fortunate to meet and work with athletes of all backgrounds, from club-level to international and Olympic standard. He is constantly striving to further himself as a physiotherapist by keeping up-to-date with emerging literature regarding evidence-based treatment and rehabilitation. During his practice, he uses a variety of treatment methods and techniques, always with the aim of providing the best outcomes for his patients in the shortest space of time.

Kevin’s great love for sports arose from years of swimming competitively at both the provincial and national level in Ireland. He nurtures his sports enthusiasm by swimming, going to the gym, practicing yoga and playing golf to continually improve his single-figure handicap. In his free time, Kevin enjoys spending time at the beach with his family and chocolate lab, Hershey.