Climbing stairs is good for the heart: Study

According to a recent study, a few minutes of stair climbing at short intervals throughout the day can improve cardiovascular health.

The research published in the Journal Applied Physiology suggests that virtually anyone can improve their fitness, anywhere, any time by ditching elevators and taking the stairs.

"The findings make it even easier for people to incorporate 'exercise snacks' into their day. Those who work in office towers or live in apartment buildings can vigorously climb a few flights of stairs in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening and know they are getting an effective workout," said Martin Gibala, lead author of the study.

"We know that sprint interval training works, but we were a bit surprised to see that the stair snacking approach was also effective. Vigorously climbing a few flights of stairs on your coffee or bathroom break during the day seems to be enough to boost fitness in people who are otherwise sedentary," said Jonathan Little, co-author of the study.

The findings of the study suggested that in addition to being more fit, the stair climbers were also stronger compared to their sedentary counterparts, and generated more power during maximal cycling.