Climbing stairs helps you lose weight 20 times faster than walking

Besides burning calories, climbing stairs also helps strengthen muscles and improve cardiovascular health - Photo: iStock

If you're looking for an effective and inexpensive way to lose weight, climbing stairs every day is an ideal option. Not only is it an easy activity to do, but it's also proven to be far more effective than walking on a flat surface.

Lauri van Houten, vice president of the International Skyrunning Federation, emphasized: "Climbing stairs helps the body get fitter quickly and burn more calories."

According to research, climbing stairs burns 20 times more calories than walking on flat ground. Even when you go down stairs, your body still expends five times more calories than walking thanks to the muscles working to slow down the descent.

Dr. Alberto Minetti, a physiologist at the University of Milan (Italy), has conducted extensive research on human movement, including climbing stairs. He explains that the body expends 0.5 calories when moving 1 kg horizontally. However, when moving the same weight vertically, such as climbing stairs, the body expends up to 10 calories – equivalent to 20 times more than normal walking.

Dr. Minetti said that "attention to speed is needed" for older people and those just starting to develop the habit of climbing stairs. He shared that he usually takes several deep breaths before climbing stairs and this makes him feel more refreshed when he reaches the top.

One of the advantages of taking the stairs is convenience. Stairs are everywhere: at home, at work, in shopping malls, or in subway stations. You can easily incorporate this habit into your daily life without needing to go to the gym.

In a scientific study, Minetti also pointed out that using handrails when climbing stairs can help us increase strength and improve safety. Most staircases in buildings have handrails, and using them can help "maximize the muscle mass involved, as well as the mechanical/metabolic strength when climbing stairs."

Suzy Walsham, the champion stair climber at the Empire State Building (New York, USA), shared: "Climbing stairs is a great form of exercise for people who have difficulty running, especially as they get older, due to joint problems."

According to experts, climbing stairs not only burns calories but also strengthens muscles and improves cardiovascular health. You don't need to spend a lot of time; just a few minutes each day climbing stairs can yield surprising results in maintaining your figure and improving your overall health.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/leo-cau-thang-giam-can-nhanh-hon-di-bo-gap-20-lan-20240930213253425.htm