Climbing more than 55 flights of stairs a week significantly increases your chances of living longer, according to Duke University. The effort uses about eight to 11 calories per minute, higher than other moderate activities. Stair climbing increases leg strength, bone density and HDL cholesterol, and can help you achieve a healthy body weight. It's also a exercise that doesn't require special equipment or a great deal of time.
Walking a Mile
A mile is 5,280 feet, or 63,360 inches. The average height of a stair riser is 8 inches. That means you would have to climb 7,920 steps to achieve a vertical mile. With each step, you will be lifting your entire body weight on one leg, so it can be very intense exercise, even if you only take a few flights at a time.
Flights in a Mile
If a flight of stairs ascends 10 feet, you'd walk up 15 steps per flight. To ascend a mile on stairs, you would have to climb 528 flights. Your stride on level ground is likely to be 2 or 3 feet, meaning that you could walk a mile with 1,760 to 2,640 steps. Walking a vertical mile going up and down stairs takes many more steps because each step is only 8 inches.
Stair Stepping at the Gym
Exercise studios offer stair stepping fitness machines, elliptical stair stepping machines and step classes that use benches from 4 to 12 inches high. If you train stepping up and down from an 8-inch bench, you'll need to do 7,920 repetitions to climb a vertical mile. Using a 12-inch bench takes fewer repetitions, but can be harder on your knees, especially if you have any previous injuries or arthritis.
Stair Climbing Competitions
Stair climbing competitions are held around the world, in tall buildings or at outside venues with 2,590 or more stairs, according to the Canada Stair Climbing Association. This competition tests your cardiovascular fitness, your strength and endurance. Fit individuals can climb 10,000 steps in under three hours.
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