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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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Climb Stairs To Prevent Heart Disease Nowadays, people seldom climb up stairs because they use lifts, elevators and travellators that are readily available almost everywhere. Stairs are only used during emergency, for instance, during breaking out of fire or when lift breakdowns. Recent guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that adults need 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise to stay fit. While most people may think of exercise as sport, the scientific evidence indicates that it is everyday activities like walking and stair climbing that are most closely associated with improved health. People who can run 5 kilometers but often feel tire to run a couple of flights of stairs. In a study conducted by researchers in Canada, 17 healthy male volunteers with an average age of 64 were monitored while they walked, lifted weights, or climbed stairs. The findings revealed that stair climbing was the most demanding: Stair climbing was twice as taxing as brisk walking and 50 percent harder than walking up a steep incline or lifting weights. During stair climbing, the muscles are forced to resist gravity and move in a vertical pattern. This place high demands on the lower body. The leg muscles must repeatedly lift the body against the pull of gravity. Meanwhile, the muscles must stabilize and balance that will puts even more demand on the muscles in the lower body.
Obviously, charging up long flights is not suitable for everyone, especially for old folks. But climbing stairs at a slow and steady pace can be a health plus. Even at a slow pace, climbing stairs can burn calories 2 to 3 times faster than brisk walking. The Harvard Alumni Study found that men who climb at least 8 flights a day enjoy a 33 percent lower mortality rate than men who are sedentary, compared to 22 percent lower death rate for men who walk 1.3 miles a day. Other studies also highlighted the benefits of stair climbing. One reported that 7-minutes stair climbing a day can cut the risk of heart attack by half over 10 years, and another found that just 2 minutes extra stair climbing a day can prevent average middle age weight gain. Climbing stairs can be good for the lungs and cardiovascular system, too. The vigorous and continuous movement of the legs and hips results in deeper breathing and higher heartbeat that enhances blood flow to all areas of the body. Natural pain relievers, or endorphins, is released during stair climbing. One will, therefore, feel better and have less tension. Stairs climbing can be an ideal way to improve energy, increase the function of the immune system, and lower the risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and heart disease. Stairs are generally available in apartments, office buildings, on streets and in public areas. Places that have elevators or lifts also have stairs. One can just opt to take stairs when faced with such alternative. It is best, especially for an inactive person, to start out stair climbing gradually, say with 10-minute sessions 3 times a week and slowly build up to more time as the endurance increases. Attention should be paid to any pain that may be experienced in the knee, back, hips or ankles. The aim is not to hurt the body. One should set a goal, like 5 minutes of stair climbing twice per day, and progress slowly, increasing in one-minute increments each time. Over time, one can build up to 30-minute sessions of stair climbing to reap the most benefits from stair climbing for exercise. However, people who have health issues should seek approval from their doctors. For people who cannot attain the goal of 30-minutes session, they can still get some health benefits by trying to do at least some, say 8 flights a day.
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