Surprising benefits of climbing stairs

TRY climbing stairs as much possible if you find aerobics or resistance-training exercises to be tedious, as it may not only reduce high blood pressure problems, but also build leg strength, especially in older women, according to a new study.

Post-menopausal women with oestrogen deficiencies are more susceptible to vascular and muscle problems. Climbing stairs may offer them the benefits of both aerobic and resistance exercise.

It does not only improve cardio-respiratory fitness, but also leg muscle strength without them having to leave the house or pay a gym fee. It also offers the benefits of lowering blood pressure and arterial stiffness – thickening and stiffening of the arterial wall – fat loss, improved lipid profiles and reduced risk of osteoporosis, the findings showed.

“This study demonstrates how simple lifestyle interventions such as stair climbing can be effective in preventing or reducing the negative effects of menopause and age on the vascular system and leg muscles of post-menopausal women with hypertension,” said JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of the North American Menopausal Society in Cleveland, US.

For the study, published in the journal Menopause, the researchers surveyed post-menopausal women who trained four days a week and climbed 192 steps two to five times a day.

The results showed that stair climbing led to reductions in arterial stiffness and blood pressure, and increased leg strength in stage 2 hypertensive post-menopausal women. –