Take the Stairs!

TAKE THE STAIRS!

We live in a 2-story house with kitchen and living room downstairs and bedroom and office (Warren) and studio (JoAnne) upstairs. We’re both up and down our flight of stairs many times per day. I’ve heard this climbing back and forth is actually good exercise.  Heck, it certainly feels like it!  But I hadn’t gone to the trouble of researching the fitness advantages of taking the stairs, especially for us seniors.  It didn’t take long for me to find this informative July 2019 U.S. News online article by Ruben Castaneda: The Benefits of Stair Climbing Exercise.  Here are excerpts:

Dr. Kenneth Hunt, medical director of the UC Health Foot and Ankle Center – Stapleton in Denver, advises patients that climbing stairs – whether you’re working your way up and down actual steps or exercising on a stair climbing machine – can be an efficient and safe way to exercise multiple muscle groups.

“Climbing stairs can be an effective exercise for strengthening muscles, improving your balance and boosting your cardiovascular health,” Hunt says. This form of exercise is typically safe for most healthy people, though it can pose a health risk for some, he says. For example, if you have trouble with your balance and are prone to falling or have weakness, stiffness or pain in your feet, ankles, knees or hips, any kind of stair climbing may not be right for you. The same holds true if you have an inflammatory condition like arthritis, bursitis or degenerative joint disease. If you have these issues, you should check with a physical therapist or your primary care physician before initiating a stair climbing regimen, Hunt advises.

By strengthening leg muscles and joints, stair climbing can translate into improved function with daily activities, says Eric Sampsell, a physical therapist for The Centers for Advanced Orthopedics in Hagerstown, Maryland. Stair climbing can also improve energy levels and lower the risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and osteoporosis, Sampsell says.

Here are five health benefits of stair climbing exercise:

1. It engages multiple muscles.

Stair-climbing exercises engage more muscles than walking, jogging or running on flat terrain, Hunt says. Moving on flat ground engages your leg muscles, while stair climbing also works out your glutes and provides a more thorough workout for your quads and hamstrings. “Stair climbing requires a lot more muscular engagement and muscular force,” he says.

2. It improves balance.

Whether you’re climbing actual stairs or working out on a stair-climbing device, you’ll have to engage the stabilizing muscles in your foot and ankle and the peroneal tendons to maintain balance, Hunt says. (There are two peroneal tendons in each leg, along the fibula. One is attached to the outer section of the foot near the little toe’s base. The other runs underneath the arch of the foot.)

3. It’s an efficient, low-impact cardio workout.

Because you have to engage more muscle groups and exert yourself more than if you were on flat ground, stair climbing is an effective and time-efficient cardio workout. “Your heart rate goes up when you’re climbing stairs,” Hunt says.

4. It boosts fitness.

A study published in January in the Canadian journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism suggests that adhering to a stair climbing “snacking” regimen improves fitness in healthy, sedentary adults. Rather than exercising by climbing steps in a single continuous session, the participants did their exercises in several shorter bouts spread throughout the day – “snacking.” Climbing stairs over a period of three to 12 minutes intermittently was superior to working out continually.

5. It lowers mortality risk.

Stair climbing can also lower the risk of death from all causes, according to research published in 2019 by the Harvard Health Alumni Study. The study involved more than 8,000 men between ages 65 and 71. Researchers found an association between climbing a higher number of floors and lower mortality from all causes.

Stair Climbing Strategies

Lesley Bell, a personal trainer and brain health coach at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, agrees with Hunt that stair climbing can be an effective exercise for many people. “For most people, attempting to climb stairs anywhere between two and four days a week is arguably one of the healthiest and most beneficial things they could do,” Bell says.

Bell suggests these strategies:

1. Maintain good posture.

Bell recommends focusing on standing up straight. “Squeeze your shoulder blades together and crunch your core,” Bell says. “Every step you take, try to push up through the heel, driving your knee outward and in line with your hip to properly activate the glutes.” This will help stabilize your joints, burn more calories and develop your glutes.

2. Start out slowly.

To avoid joint inflammation or overexertion, maintain a low- to moderate-intensity during your workout – about 60% to 75% of your heart rate maximum, Bell recommends. Watch for any signs of discomfort, and stop if you’re feeling pain or becoming dizzy.

3. Wear the right shoes.

“Wearing the proper athletic shoes is crucial. Go to a store that sells running shoes and have your gait evaluated by an athletic shoe expert. He or she can suggest a specific shoe size, brand and model to help stabilize your feet, ankles and knees,” Bell says.

4. Use a foam roller.

Since stair climbing places repeated stress on the same muscles throughout the workout, it’s important to warm up and cool down properly, Bell says. Tight calves and flexors can lead to discomfort and overuse injuries. Bell recommends rolling a foam roller over your calves, hip flexors and glutes before each stair climbing session. “This will facilitate blood flow to the areas that may tighten up during the workout,” Bell says. Be sure to stretch those same areas after you’re done with your workout.

5. Control your breathing.

Try controlling your breath by counting to three each time you inhale and exhale. Breathe in through your nose and fill up your belly each time. “This will help to send adequate amounts of oxygen to the muscles and reduce any inflammatory response that may arise from shallow breathing,” she says.

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If you have stairs in your house, you’re probably already reaping the benefits of climbing them back and forth.  If not, you can try a stair climbing machine at the gym.  Or if you work in a multiple-story office building, by just taking the stairs up and down instead of the elevator.