Why Take The Stairs

 Just the other week, when I was visiting Madrid, I stayed at a nice place up on the third floor.  Although the place had an elevator, I chose to use the steps most of the time because I wanted the exercise.  The first day, it was a bit difficult but by the end, it was so much easier.  I've decided to use steps whenever possible.  Now I am not going to be crazy and take the stairs up 35 flights of stairs but for anything under 5 or 10 floors, I want to take the stairs.

There are some great benefits to using the stairs beginning with the fact you do not need any special equipment.  The stairs are already part of the building.  If you repeatedly use the stairs, it accumulates across the day to make a great part of your daily workout.  If you climb at least 55 flights of stairs every week, it decreases your chance of dying prematurely.  It is considered a moderate form of exercise that burns between 8 and 11.5 kcal of energy every minute. 

Furthermore, climbing stairs help you improve your cardio capacity and you will be more fit.  They say even climbing two flights of stairs every day will help you lose up to 6 pounds over the year.  In addition, there is research indicating that stair climbing can increase your bone density while helping bring up the amount of good cholesterol.  Overall, stair climbing helps improve your overall health.

If you do not use the stairs regularly, it is suggested you start slowly by climbing only one or two flights of stairs, working your way up as you get in better shape.  If you work in a taller building, climb the steps as far as you can and take the elevator the rest of the way.  Note that you can spread taking the stairs over the day so you might do 5 flights of stairs at 6 different times over the day but if you are not feeling well, go ahead and take the elevator. Make sure you stretch your muscles before and after taking the stairs and make sure you have good posture as you climb up and down.  

The cool thing about climbing stairs is that you are burning calories going up and down the stairs. It is said you burn 0.1 calories every step you take up or 1 calorie for every 10 steps while you burn 0.05 calories or 1 calorie every 20 steps when you go down. It is a great way to burn calories.  As mentioned earlier, you significantly reduce the risk of stroke by even taking as little as 20 flights of steps every week and at the same time you are strengthening your muscles in your legs and abs while developing leaner muscle mass.  The increased muscle mass helps you burn more calories.

Furthermore, when you climb the stairs, your heart and lungs work together to take more oxygen to your muscles because you are breathing quicker and deeper. Thus your muscles are able to extract oxygen more efficiently from the blood. This helps you lower your blood pressure  If you take a quick walk up or down the stairs whenever you are feeling tired, it will help you feel more energetic and improves your mood.

In addition, regularly using the stairs can help you sleep better at night, reduce your stress level, and maintain a healthy weight. This is a cheap way to improve your health with no cost and most every building today has stairs so take advantage especially on those days when the weather is horrid and you can't get outside. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.