Taking a flight of stairs is not just a happy-'n'-humble method of vertical traversal, but a move away from the madding crowd of elevators and escalators. The pleasure of climbing up and down a staircase beats the staticgym bike in working up a healthy sweat.
Taking the stairs is an environmentally friendly choice, consuming no power and producing no emissions. Apart from this, no small pleasure in contributing to a greener future, walking up and down steps, bannisters and staircases brings out the buried bundle of childish joys of clambering up and down.
When no one's looking and around, jumping up the stairs two or even three steps at a time can make you feel doubly-triply alive.
Coming down the stairs, mentally counting each floor before one 'hits' the ground floor, reminds us of the old chestnut about the journey being the destination. 'Stairing' is bereft of the discomfort of vertigo, while being stashed with the pleasures of changing levels. It goes beyond the symbolic and makes us feel the bliss of taking the right steps.
Stair Climbing Burns More Calories Than Jogging
Yes, it’s true: studies have shown that stair climbing, which is considered vigorous-intensity physical activity, burns more calories per minute than slower-paced jogging. One company, StepJockey, which is funded by the United Kingdom Department of Health and has as its sole mission the goal of getting everyone to take the stairs whenever and wherever possible, notes that stair climbing expends about 8 to 9 times more energy than sitting1 and about 7 times more energy than taking the elevator. As an added bonus, you burn calories not only on the way up but also while going down the stairs!
It is estimated that the average individual will burn at least 0.1 calories for every step she climbs (so, at least 1 calorie for every 10 steps ascended) and 0.05 calories for every step descended (so, 1 calorie for every 20 steps on the way down). Perhaps even more encouraging to those who are already struggling with overweight or obesity: the more you weigh, the more calories you burn when stair climbing.
2. Stair Climbing Reduces the Risk of Stroke
According to results from the Harvard Alumni Health Study, which enrolled over 11,000 men, physical activity such as climbing stairs can reduce the risk of stroke. For instance, in men who reported climbing the equivalent of at least 20 flights per week, there was a recognizable reduction in their risk of stroke over the long term—and that was in addition to any benefits they may have had from other forms of regular exercise.2
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