People who regularly take the stairs rather than the lift could be significantly reducing their risk of dying from heart disease, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH).
The large-scale study found that frequent stair climbers were 39% less likely to die from cardiovascular causes and 24% less likely to die from any cause, compared with people who climbed stairs less often. Regular stair climbing was also linked to a lower likelihood of developing serious cardiovascular conditions, including heart attack, stroke and heart failure.
Researchers reviewed nearly 1,900 studies before analysing data from more than 480,000 people across nine high-quality studies. Participants, aged between 35 and 84, were followed for a median of 14 years, with 53% of the cohort made up of women. The group included both healthy individuals and people with a previous history of heart problems.
Professor Vassilios Vassiliou, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, with cases nearly doubling between 1990 and 2019, but that it is largely preventable through lifestyle changes.
"Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide – with cases nearly doubling between 1990 and 2019. But it is largely preventable through a healthy lifestyle – including regular physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes," he said.
"Taking the stairs is a practical and often overlooked way to build physical activity into daily life. We wanted to better understand how this everyday activity could have life-saving potential."
Dr Sophie Paddock, also from UEA's Norwich Medical School and a cardiology specialist registrar at the NNUH, said the findings showed a consistent association across the pooled data.
"After pooling results from over 450,000 participants, we found a consistent association between stair climbing and lower risk of both cardiovascular death and overall mortality," she said. "Unlike going to the gym or doing a workout, climbing the stairs is something you can easily fit into your day at home, at work or when you're out. It's a good option for people who don't have much time or easy access to exercise."
She added: "So if you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help your heart. Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts, and short bouts of stair climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines."
Earlier research cited by the team found that spending just a few minutes climbing stairs several times a week can improve cardiorespiratory fitness and reduce cholesterol levels. One large cohort study included in the analysis suggested that climbing around six flights of stairs each day might provide the greatest benefit, though researchers say further work is needed to establish the ideal amount of stair climbing to recommend.
Dr Paddock said: "Some of the studies we looked at showed that the more stairs climbed, the greater the health benefits. But even small changes had a measurable impact."
The findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that even relatively short periods of physical activity can produce meaningful health benefits. Professor Vassiliou said the results pointed to a low-cost, widely accessible intervention that could be encouraged at a population level.
"With more than a quarter of adults worldwide failing to meet recommended activity levels, choosing to take the stairs offers a realistic, scalable intervention," he said. "Encouraging people to take the stairs in workplaces, public buildings and homes could form part of a wider strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease at population level."
The researchers caution that climbing stairs may not be suitable for everyone, particularly people with mobility limitations or joint conditions. They also say future studies should make use of wearable technology to more precisely track physical activity and help determine the most effective amount of stair climbing to recommend to different groups.
The study, "Evaluating the Impact of Stair Climbing on Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis", is published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs. It was conducted with materials provided by the University of East Anglia.
