More stairs, longer life? Researchers find big health benefits

Fend off heart disease and prolong your life by taking the stairs rather than the elevator, results of a new study suggest.

A team of researchers recently conducted a meta-analysis of nine studies featuring more than 480,000 people between the ages of 35 and 84. They found that stair climbing was associated with a 39% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 24% reduction in risk of death from any cause when compared with participants who skipped the stairs. 

Stair climbing was also linked to a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke and heart failure.

“We would encourage people to incorporate stair climbing into their day-to-day lives,” lead study author Sophie Paddock said. “Our study suggested that the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits. Whether at work, home or elsewhere, take the stairs.”

The study was presented during the European Society of Cardiology’s annual scientific congress in Athens, Greece.