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Stair climbing is a simple activity that gets your heart beating faster and burns more calories than walking.
Stair climbing can be effective for losing belly fat.
Weight loss journey often involves adding various exercises to your daily routine. While workouts combined with a healthy diet can help you reach your fitness goals, there is one simple yet effective activity that can prove to be beneficial – taking the stairs. It is a simple activity that gets your heart beating faster and burns more calories than walking. Moreover, stairs are accessible almost everywhere. Let’s look at the benefits of stair climbing and how much you should aim for.
Is Climbing Stairs A Good Workout?
Climbing stairs is more than just a convenient way to get from one floor to another, it is a powerful workout for your heart and muscles. According to a meta-analysis shared at a European Society of Cardiology conference this year, regular stair climbing can lower the risk of heart disease by 39% as well as reduce the chances of stroke and heart attack.
Regular stair climbing can lead to fat loss and improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity, according to a research published in the National Library of Medicine in 2023.
“You’re working your heart, which is the most important muscle of the body, but then you’re also working your legs and you’re building muscles. It’s a great workout,” Dr Carrie Jaworski, a sports medicine physician in Park City, Utah, told TODAY.com.
How Many Calories Are Burned While Climbing Stairs?
The number of calories burned while climbing stairs depends on your pace but it can be much higher than walking. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, a 155-pound (about 70 kg) person burns around 1,050 calories per hour running up stairs and about 560 calories when walking up. In comparison, walking on a flat surface at a moderate speed burns just 246 calories per hour.
Though climbing stairs for long periods can be challenging even a short session is highly effective due to the high energy burn.
How Many Stairs Should One Climb To Lose Weight?
Climbing six to ten flights of stairs daily with about ten steps per flight has been linked to a lower risk of early death, a study found as mentioned by TODAY.com. A separate study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism found that even brief, intense sessions of stair climbing can improve heart health. Participants who climbed three flights of stairs three times a day at a vigorous pace saw positive results.
Stair climbing can be effective for losing belly fat. Fitness influencer Camilla Akbas shared in 2022 that using a stair-climbing machine without holding onto the handlebars helped her achieve toned abs in just eight weeks.
