In the book The Comfort Crisis, author Michael Easter shared a shocking statistic: only 2% of people take the stairs when an escalator is available. That might not convince you to “go the extra mile,” but this might – new research published in the journal Artherosclerosis suggests that taking the stairs daily can cut your risk of heart disease or stroke by 20 percent.
The study used data from more than 458,000 people and tracked their health over a period of 12 years. The scientists involved in the study found a clear relationship between those who walked stairs daily and a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease. The amount of walking needed to see significant protection was fairly small. Walking five flights of stairs – or about 50 steps – per day was enough to increase heart protection and reduce disease.
Most impressively, walking stairs appeared to offset those at a higher risk for cardiovascular health. Escalators and elevators might be convenient, but remind yourself that just 50 steps could be all your heart needs to become stronger and more resilient.
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