Elevators are wonderfully convenient contraptions, but face it: Are they really worth the awkward silences, uncomfortable small talk with strangers or the shuffle of shame back onto the lift when you’ve accidentally gotten off on the wrong floor? (Yeah, we’ve all done it.)
Health experts have long told us that opting for the stairs instead of an elevator has a definite effect on your well-being, so we decided the break down the benefits, step by step.
They’re calorie burners
Climbing stairs burns more calories than a walk on a flat surface, and way more than standing in an elevator car. It burns roughly seven times greater the number of calories, in fact. According to the American Council on Exercise, which broke down a stair-based workout into its smallest increments, every step you climb burns about .15 calorie “” or more, depending on how much you weigh.
In a five-minute walk up stairs, you can burn as many as 10 calories. That’s as much as one-minute sprint on a flat course. For those who participate in the annual climb of the Carew Tower’s stairs for the American Lung Association, that can be a heck of a tally. The tower has 804 steps, meaning can burn 8,000 calories on the way up.
You don’t only burn calories on the way up stairs, though. You also burn them going down stairs. According to the Council on Exercise: Each stair burns about .05 calories, or a calorie for about every 20 steps you descend, so add another 40 calories burned if you go back down the Carew steps rather than taking the elevator down.
You build muscle
Walking up the stairs work out your quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors and calves all at the same time. These also happen to be some of the largest muscle groups you have, so by taking the stairs you increase your muscle mass. Why is that important? Because those muscles burn more calories while you’re working out and continue to burn more calories when you’re at rest. The more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism will be.
You’ll feel better
Climbing stairs, particularly at a steady clip, increases the endorphins that you’re body releases. The substance, produced by your central nervous system and pituitary gland, are a naturally occurring natural pain reliever. Endorphins also can produce a feeling of euphoria like the one runners refer to a “runner’s high.”
You’ll live longer
Opting for the stairs has been shown to have a tangible effect on your overall health. According to a recent study conducted in the UK, just seven minutes of climbing stairs a day has been estimated to cut your risk of a heart attack by half. Just two minutes is enough to prevent middle-aged weight gain. Twenty floors a week cuts mortality rates 20 percent across the board. The increase in activity will also help stave off high blood pressure, osteoporosis and diabetes.
So, next time you’re heading to work ““ skip the elevator.
