The Benefits of Stair Climbing Exercise

Dr. Kenneth Hunt vividly remembers how, as a high school football player in the 1990s, he and his teammates often ran up and down stadium stairs during practice. Their coach made the players run the steps as part of the team's conditioning regimen to strengthen their legs, improve their cardiovascular systems and boost their balance.

As a player, Hunt experienced how the workouts made him stronger. Today, as the medical director of the UCHealth Foot and Ankle Center – Stapleton in Denver, Hunt advises patients that climbing stairs – whether you're working your way up and down actual steps or exercising on a stair climbing machine – can be an efficient and safe way to exercise multiple muscle groups.

"Climbing stairs can be an effective exercise for strengthening muscles, improving your balance and boosting your cardiovascular health," Hunt says. This form of exercise is typically safe for most healthy people, though it can pose a health risk for some, he says. For example, if you have trouble with your balance and are prone to falling or have weakness, stiffness or pain in your feet, ankles, knees or hips, any kind of stair climbing may not be right for you. The same holds true if you have an inflammatory condition like arthritis, bursitis or degenerative joint disease. If you have these issues, you should check with a physical therapist or your primary care physician before initiating a stair climbing regimen, Hunt advises.

By strengthening leg muscles and joints, stair climbing can translate into improved function with daily activities, says Eric Sampsell, a physical therapist for The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics in Hagerstown, Maryland. Stair climbing can also improve energy levels and lower the risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and osteoporosis, Sampsell says.

Here are five health benefits of stair climbing exercise:

1. It engages multiple muscles.

Stair-climbing exercises engage more muscles than walking, jogging or running on flat terrain, Hunt says. Moving on flat ground engages your leg muscles, while stair climbing also works out your glutes and provides a more thorough workout for your quads and hamstrings. "Stair climbing requires a lot more muscular engagement and muscular force," he says.

2. It improves balance.

Whether you're climbing actual stairs or working out on a stair-climbing device, you'll have to engage the stabilizing muscles in your foot and ankle and the peroneal tendons to maintain balance, Hunt says. (There are two peroneal tendons in each leg, along the fibula. One is attached to the outer section of the foot near the little toe's base. The other runs underneath the arch of the foot.)

3. It's an efficient, low-impact cardio workout.

Because you have to engage more muscle groups and exert yourself more than if you were on flat ground, stair climbing is an effective and time-efficient cardio workout. "Your heart rate goes up when you're climbing stairs," Hunt says.

4. It boosts fitness.

A study published in January in the Canadian journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism suggests that adhering to a stair climbing "snacking" regimen improves fitness in healthy, sedentary adults. Researchers studied the effects of stair climbing in 24 young, physically inactive adults. Rather than exercising by climbing steps in a single continuous session, the participants did their exercises in several shorter bouts spread throughout the day – "snacking." Climbing stairs over a period of three to 12 minutes intermittently was superior to working out continually for improving blood sugar control in people with insulin resistance, researchers found. The snacking protocol resulted in a 12% increase in cycling peak power, according to the study.

5. It lowers mortality risk.

Stair climbing can also lower the risk of death from all causes, according to research published in 2019 by the Harvard Health Alumni Study. The study involved more than 8,000 men between ages 65 and 71. Researchers found an association between climbing a higher number of floors and lower mortality from all causes.

Stair Climbing Strategies

Lesley Bell, a personal trainer and brain health coach at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, agrees with Hunt that stair climbing can be an effective exercise for many people, assuming they don't have health issues that could be complicated by such a regimen. "For most people, attempting to climb stairs anywhere between two and four days a week is arguably one of the healthiest and most beneficial things they could do," Bell says.

If you don't have any of health issues that might prevent you from stair climbing, or if you do but have been cleared by your doctor to engage in stair climbing (either on real stairs or on a machine), Bell suggests these strategies:

1. Maintain good posture.

"How often do you see someone on the stair climber in the gym, hunched up with their forearms resting on the rails, their spine rounded and their head up as they stare into their cellphone?" Bell asks. Their knees knock with each step and they're totally unaware of their bad posture. "Not only are they reaping a fraction of the benefits of a good cardiovascular workout, but, most importantly, they are training the body to move repeatedly in an inefficient and totally wrong way," she says. "Without engaging the proper muscles, such as the core and glutes, the likelihood of injury increases dramatically." Bell recommends focusing less on electronic devices while climbing stairs (either actual stairs or an exercise machine) and standing up straight. "Squeeze your shoulder blades together and crunch your core," Bell says. "Every step you take, try to push up through the heel, driving your knee outward and in line with your hip to properly activate the glutes." This will help stabilize your joints, burn more calories and develop your glutes.

2. Start out slowly.

To avoid joint inflammation or overexertion, maintain a low- to moderate-intensity during your workout – about 60% to 75% of your heart rate maximum, Bell recommends. Watch for any signs of discomfort, and stop if you're feeling pain or becoming dizzy. Consider training for stair climbing by participating in a water aerobic conditioning routine. Seeking guidance from a physical therapist or trainer can be useful.

3. Wear the right shoes.

Bell is often surprised by how little thought people put into the type of shoes they wear during workouts. "You wouldn't play soccer in basketball shoes or go for a hike in heels, I hope," she says. Everyone has their own particular gait, like a fingerprint, which requires a specific kind of shoe. "If you're wearing Reeboks from 1991 and complaining about knee pain, I’m going to give you a face palm and a referral to a personal trainer," Bell says. Wearing the proper athletic shoes is crucial. Go to a store that sells running shoes and have your gait evaluated by an athletic shoe expert. He or she can suggest a specific shoe size, brand and model to help stabilize your feet, ankles and knees, Bell says.

4. Use a foam roller.

Since stair climbing places repeated stress on the same muscles throughout the workout, it's important to warm up and cool down properly, Bell says. Tight calves and flexors can lead to discomfort and overuse injuries. Bell recommends rolling a foam roller over your calves, hip flexors and glutes before each stair climbing session. "This will facilitate blood flow to the areas that may tighten up during the workout," Bell says. Be sure to stretch those same areas after you're done with your workout.

5. Control your breathing.

It's natural to breathe more quickly with each step that you take as the intensity of your workout increases. However, that kind of shallow "chest breathing" places unwarranted stress on the body, activating certain muscles in the torso that can lead to bad posture and improper biomechanics, Bell says. Instead, try controlling your breath by counting to three each time you inhale and exhale. Breathe in through your nose and fill up your belly each time. "This will help to send adequate amounts of oxygen to the muscles and reduce any inflammatory response that may arise from shallow breathing," she says.