Did you know that each set of stairs:
- requires 9 x more energy expenditure than sitting and about 7 x more energy than taking a lift
- You burn about 0.15 calories for every step you climb, so you burn roughly a calorie for every 10 upward steps
- You also burn calories going down. Every stair descended burns about 0.05 calories, so you burn 1 calorie for every 20 steps down
- Just 7 minutes stair climbing a day has been estimated to more than half the risk of a heart attack over 10 years
- Two minutes additional stair climbing a day is enough to prevent average middle age weight gain
- Climbing 20 floors a week (just four a working day) is associated with a 20% lower risk of all-cause mortality
- The heavier you are the more calories you burn when stair climbing
(source: step jockey.com)
There is a reason why all good strength training programs always include some form of step up variation.
As you put the force through the front leg and down into the heel to push and pull your entire body up a few inches, everything fires up from your deep abdominal muscles to your Glutes.
Add on several extra kgs in the form of one or two heavy dumbells or kettlebells and the hip strengthening is second only to the cardio vascular demand and subsequent improvement.
So, why bypass this opportunity for a bit of extra leg training.
When carrying something (manageable!) then there is even more of a reason to take the stairs.
I'm often in offices and my inner PT screams when I see the H&S posters telling everyone to take the lift if they are carrying their laptop! I get the hot drink rule, but a laptop!?
Don't even get me started on the folks that use the lift in the gym and then go on the stepper for 20 mins...huh!?
Anyone else noticed that you can be pretty fit yet still get out of breath on a few flights of stairs?
Compared to walking which is our most natural movement, we are carrying our bodyweight plus any load uphill, PLUS essentially doing lunges uphill as we do it.
Add in the fact that the venous return from our muscles is a different pressure due to the use of the big leg muscles, it is no wonder that stair climbing for only 7 minutes a day can reduce the chance of heart disease by half over ten years!
I put lifts and escalators with chairs in my 'must avoid at all costs' category. It is convenience battling against us again!
Don't press that button!
J
