I’m very fortunate that my local park, where I live, recently added a flight of stairs up the hillside. It has 172 stairs from the bottom to the top. Sometimes after work, I try to go up and down 10 times in under an hour. Let me tell you, it’s harder than it sounds.
Research shows that taking the stairs has several key health benefits.
- You can burn more calories than jogging. Stair climbing has been shown to burn about 1 calorie for every ten stairs climbed. And if you are trying to lose weight, the more you weigh the more you burn.
- Climbing stairs builds muscle. This one is a no-brainer. I can tell from how sore I am that I am building muscle in my lower body and even my core. Why not burn calories and build muscle at the same time?
- It’s simple. Walk up, walk down. Do you ever go to the gym and then you can’t figure out what to do? Pick a number and go for it.
- Climbing stairs can reduce your risk of heart attack. In a Harvard study, men who climbed stairs significantly reduced their risk of stroke by climbing only 20 flights per week.
- Stair climbing is a great stress reliever. I have to admit it can be boring, but it’s a great way to end the day, get some fresh air, and get your heart rate up. And best of all…it’s free.
Find some stairs near you and get after it.