We’ve all heard the recommendation to “take the stairs” instead of the escalator or elevator. Not only is it an easy way to squeeze more movement into your day, but research has linked stair climbing to better cardiovascular health and longevity. Even the famously long-lived residents of Barbagia, Sardinia—one of the world’s so-called Blue Zones—spend much of their day navigating steep hills and staircases.
But nutritionist Marián García—better known as Boticaria García, author of Mujeres de Hierro (Iron Women)—takes the humble staircase one step further.
According to Garcia, the benefits of climbing stairs are more numerous than many of us realize: the activity can help increase energy expenditure, improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen muscles and bones, and even blunt post-meal blood sugar spikes—benefits that become especially valuable after 40, when metabolism, muscle mass, and hormone levels begin to shift.
The Rule of Three
According to García, consistency matters more than intensity. “When I started running, I incorporated stairs on my way home as the finishing touch to my workout,” she writes in Mujeres de Hierro. “Over time, the habit grew, and today I not only seek out stairs wherever I go—whether at work or in hotels—but sometimes I even climb them carrying grocery bags or suitcases.”
You don’t even need to spend hours on the stair climber at the gym to reap the benefits. García’s recommendation is easy to remember: Simply aim to climb three flights of stairs three times a day. The advice comes from a study in which sedentary adults climbed approximately 60 steps—about three flights—at a brisk pace three times a day, three days a week, for six weeks. By the end of the study, participants had significantly improved their cardiovascular fitness.
García recommends aiming for an effort level of around six or seven out of 10. “You should be breathing harder and your legs should know they’re working,” she says. “You don’t need to sprint or arrive at the top completely out of breath—but you shouldn’t be climbing while looking at your phone, either.”
How to Get More Benefits
Once stair climbing becomes part of your routine, García suggests making two small adjustments.
Take two steps at a time: “Your stride lengthens, and your glutes and legs have to work harder. That muscle contraction also increases the stimulus on the bone,” she explains.
