Study Suggests Stair Climbing May Have Big Benefits

Many people find that they do not have time to exercise regularly, but even short periods of exercise may have big healthy benefits. A recent study suggests that even brief bursts of exercise like climbing the stairs for a minute may improve heart health.

Participants in the study included 31 sedentary but healthy women. All of the women underwent two interventions: 20-second bouts of climbing as hard as they could — which was compared with doing the same thing on an exercise bike — and vigorously climbing up and down the stairs for 60 seconds.

The researchers noted improved cardiorespiratory fitness in both groups.

Researchers from McMaster University conducted the study. It was published in the February 2017 issue o f Ovid Insights.

Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. This type of exercise is called “interval training” and it involves short bursts of intense exercise, followed by a rest period. Previous studies suggest that  it is an effective way to both lose weight and build muscle.

Additionally, interval training can be easier to work into a busy schedule, as it requires a much lower time commitment than traditional workouts and — as was the case in this study — often requires no extra equipment.