Walking 10,000 steps a day is said to be ideal for good health but not everyone has the time for it, especially throughout a busy day. Other shortcuts may be a better option for a person on the go and one of them is taking the stairs.
According to one study conducted among 450,000 adults which was published in the medical journal Atherosclerosis climbing five flights of stairs a day lowered your cardiovascular risk by as much as 20%.
The same benefits were found when climbing five flights a day was broken up into smaller instalments. A good shortcut to the 10,000 steps.
Dr Darien Sutton who is an emergency medicine physician says, “If you choose one flight of stairs, you go up it two to three times a day. If you’re working in an office, choose a bathroom that’s on a different floor.”
Climbing stairs not only helps with cardiovascular health but also reduces the risk of diabetes and helps improve muscle strength.
10,000 steps?
A study published on October 23 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine also says the same that short bursts of activity can do the body a lot of good. Just 20 to 25 minutes of vigorous movement including walking, jogging or cycling can help a person live longer.
Conversely, a sedentary lifestyle with less than 20 minutes of activity increases your mortality rate by as much as 40%.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults need 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week, which works out to 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
It also recommends that adults get two days of muscle strengthening activity per week.
The CDC also says that adults do not have to do all 30 minutes of exercise daily at one time. It can be spread out during the week and broken up into smaller chunks of time.
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Photo Cover: Wikihow