Every time you walk up a flight of stairs instead of taking the elevator, you burn extra calories and benefit your cardiovascular health. Making stair-climbing part of your daily routine can also build muscle strength and endurance.
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Walking up stairs at a moderate pace works the large muscle groups in your lower body and elevates your heart rate. Bypassing the elevator or escalator for the stairs will increase your fitness level and add to your daily exercise goal.
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Calories
Your weight makes a difference in the calories you burn walking up stairs. A 160-lb. person expends 29 calories in 3 minutes walking up stairs. Climbing those stairs four times a day would burn 116 calories. Use an online calorie calculator to determine how many calories you can burn climbing stairs each day.
Benefits
If you're starting a fitness program, begin by walking up one or two flights of stairs each day at a relaxed pace. Walking up stairs daily can build strength in your gluteal muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. For a more focused workout, walk up and down stairs at the office on your lunch break or at hotels while traveling.