Just climb 5 floors a day and your risk of many diseases will be greatly reduced!

Climbing stairs is a low-cost and convenient way to exercise

In our fast-paced and busy working life

It is essential for us to stay healthy

Compared with people who did not climb stairs

People who climb more than 5 flights of stairs (10 steps per flight) every day

Risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Reduced by about 20%

But how do you go up and down the stairs correctly?

How to climb stairs without hurting your knees?

Sister Kong will take you to find out!

Climbing just 5 floors a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 20%!

In September 2023, researchers from Peking University published a study in the journal Atherosclerosis showing that compared with people who do not climb stairs, people who climb more than 5 flights of stairs (10 steps per flight) a day have about 20% lower risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction).

The researchers analyzed information from more than 450,000 participants with an average age of 56. The study found that the intensity of stair climbing was "U-shaped" in relation to the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Compared with those who did not climb stairs, those who climbed stairs 1-5 times, 6-10 times, 11-15 times, 16-20 times, and ≥21 times a day had a 3%, 16%, 22%, 23%, and 19% lower risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, respectively. In addition, similar relationships were found in coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke.

So how many floors do you need to climb every day to achieve the greatest health benefits?

The study found that:

(1) 16 to 20 flights of stairs: People with a family history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease will benefit the most from climbing 16 to 20 flights of stairs every day.

(2) 11 to 15 floors: People with no family history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease will benefit the most from climbing 11 to 15 floors of stairs every day.

Climbing stairs is an exercise that is very beneficial for improving cardiopulmonary function and increasing the body's oxygen uptake capacity. It also lowers blood lipids and blood pressure, and increases muscle strength, thereby significantly improving cardiovascular health.

Many people are busy with work and life every day and have no time to go to the gym or exercise outdoors. Climbing stairs every day can help exercise the body. Researchers say that climbing stairs is a low-cost and convenient way to exercise, which is essential for us to stay healthy in our fast-paced and busy work and life.

How to go up and down stairs correctly

Climb stairs correctly

【Action steps】

1. The toes and knees should be in a straight line, not deviating significantly from the center, the knees should not exceed the toes, the torso should remain straight, and slightly lean forward;

2. The entire sole or most of the sole of the foot should be in contact with the step;

3. While leaning forward and exerting force with your thighs, you should also exert force with your buttocks and push up with your back leg at the same time.

【Notice】

The body should be slightly leaned forward, which can slightly flex the hips and activate the hip muscles, all of which can relieve the pressure on the knee joints. If you are worried that the knee tip will exceed the toes, you can use your toes to support the step in front of you when you go up the stairs to ensure that the knee tip does not exceed the toes.

Go down the stairs correctly

【Action steps】

1. When going down the stairs, first let your toes touch the ground to relieve the pressure on your knees;

2. Then transition to the heel.

【Notice】

Don't move too fast when going down the stairs to avoid spraining your knees, and don't let your knees buckle inward or outward. During this process, don't lean your body too far forward, and bend your back leg after providing enough support to form a continuous stair-going movement.

Climb stairs without hurting your knees, know these 5 points!

Climbing stairs is a "zero-cost" aerobic exercise. Climbing stairs does not hurt your knees. Here are some correct ways to climb stairs:

1. Go upstairs by stairs and go downstairs by elevator

The best way is to climb the stairs when going upstairs and take the elevator when going downstairs. This is because when going downstairs, the weight of the lower limbs is increased, and repeated movements increase the activity of the joints, the intensity of the pressure will increase sharply, and the possibility of joint wear will increase.

2. It’s best to warm up before climbing stairs

Before climbing stairs, you should warm up your knees and ankles to avoid joint injuries. In daily life, it is best to do squatting and standing exercises frequently to give your joints adequate exercise.

3. Wear comfortable shoes when climbing stairs

When you want to climb stairs, put on comfortable shoes to reduce the reflex stimulation of the soles of the feet and reduce the force on the knees, ankles and other joints. If you are wearing high heels or ill-fitting shoes, it is recommended to take the elevator.

4. Control your speed when climbing stairs and do it within your ability

Stair climbing exercise should be combined with your actual situation, and it varies from person to person. For young people with normal cardiopulmonary function, you can go a little faster. For older people, you can slow down appropriately. When you first try to climb stairs, you should take a slow speed and gradually increase the time.

5. These two types of people are not recommended to climb stairs on a daily basis

Although stair climbing is a good aerobic exercise, it is a weight-bearing exercise that will increase the pressure on the knees. It is bearable for normal people, but for "people with knee injuries" and "obese people", it may cause damage to the knees, so stair climbing is not recommended.

Health Tips

1. Climbing just 5 floors a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 20%

People with a family history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease benefit most from climbing 16 to 20 flights of stairs a day;

People with no family history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease would benefit most from climbing 11 to 15 flights of stairs a day.

2. Don’t do these 4 movements that hurt your knees when climbing stairs

Mistake 1: Your knees go beyond your toes when you go up the stairs;

Mistake 2: Knees buckling inward when going up stairs;

Mistake 3: Walking up the stairs with your body straight;

Mistake 4: Landing on the whole foot or heels when going up or down stairs.

3. Climbing stairs without hurting your knees, here are 5 things to know

1. Go upstairs by stairs and go downstairs by elevator;

2. It is best to warm up before climbing stairs;

3. Wear a pair of comfortable shoes when climbing stairs;

4. Control your speed when climbing stairs and do it within your ability;

5. People with knee injuries and obese people are not recommended to climb stairs on a daily basis.