Taking stairs instead of using the elevator can increase longevity. This is what a study presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference points out, which found that people who climb stairs are 39% less likely to die from heart diseasewhen compared to those who only use the elevator.
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“I was surprised that such a simple form of exercise could reduce all-cause mortality,” said study author Sophie Paddock of the University of Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom.
She explained that the study involved the participation of 480,000 volunteers, including healthy ones and those with a history of heart attack, aged between 30 and 80 years. Candidates filled out questionnaires about their lifestyle and physical exercise history, including going up and down stairs – habits that were analyzed over 12 years.
At the end of the study, researchers found that climbing stairs was associated with a 24% reduced risk of death from any cause and a 39% lower likelihood of dying from cardiovascular disease. This is because activity, if done regularly, can improve body composition, insulin sensitivity and blood pressure.
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“If you have the option of taking stairs or an elevator, take the stairs as it will help your heart,” said Sophie Paddock. “Even brief periods of physical activity have beneficial impacts on health, and short periods of climbing stairs should be an achievable goal for integration into daily routines,” added the study author.
