Walking up a staircase or climbing steps not only burns calories but also helps tone and shape the muscles of your lower body, including your hips, thighs and buttocks. Caloric expenditure varies and depends upon factors such as weight, speed and whether you are walking up actual stairs or using a stair-stepping machine.
Stair Climbing
According to the Diet and Fitness website, in general, a person who weighs 130 lbs. burns approximately 250 calories walking up stairs or climbing up a ladder for 30 minutes. The more you weigh, the more calories you burn during any physical activity. Thus, a person weighing 155 lbs. burns about 295 calories performing the same activity for 30 minutes while a 180 lb. person burns, on average, 342 calories climbing stairs for 30 minutes.
Stair Running
You burn far more calories by picking up the pace and running up a staircase or steps instead of climbing them at a slow to moderate pace. According to NutriStrategy, an individual weighing 130 lbs. burns about 442 calories per 30 minutes running up stairs. An individual who weighs 155 lbs. burns more calories--about 528 per half hour--running up stairs or steps. As with walking up steps, the more you weigh, the more calories you expend. An individual weighing 180 lbs. expends approximately 700 calories running up stairs for 30 minutes.
Climbing/Stair Machine
A climbing or stair machine is a piece of cardiovascular exercise equipment that simulates stair climbing. In general, using this piece of exercise equipment burns a similar amount of calories as walking up stairs. An individual weighing 130 lbs. burns about 265 calories per half hour using a stair-climbing machine. An individual who weighs 155 lbs. burns approximately 315 calories per 30 minutes while a person weighing 180 lbs. expends the most calories--about 367--per half hour of climbing on a stair-climbing fitness machine.
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