Participants ranged in age from 35 to 84, and 53% were women, according to the report [1]. The median follow-up period was 14 years, the report stated [1].
The research adds to a body of evidence suggesting that short bouts of physical activity accumulated throughout the day may carry measurable cardiovascular benefits. "Taking the stairs is a practical and often overlooked way to build physical activity into daily life," said Vassilios Vassiliou, a professor at the University of East Anglia's Norwich Medical School and the study's senior author, in a press statement [1].
Review Analyzed Nine Studies Involving 480,479 Adults
Researchers screened nearly 1,900 studies before narrowing the pool to nine, according to the report [1]. The included studies covered generally healthy adults and people with a history of heart problems, the report stated [1].
Researchers compared how regularly participants climbed stairs with cardiovascular outcomes over time, according to the report [1]. Because many included studies were observational, the findings do not prove that stair climbing itself caused longer life, researchers said [1].
Long-term studies such as the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study and the Harvard Alumni Health Study have provided documentation of the benefits of physical fitness in improving cardiovascular health and reducing mortality from all causes, according to the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine [2]. A 1990 meta-analysis concluded that physically active individuals had about half the coronary heart disease rates of those who were sedentary, though fewer than one fifth of the studies in that analysis included women, according to Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Food and Nutrition [3].
Stair Climbing Associated With Lower Cardiovascular and All-Cause Death Risk
People who regularly climbed stairs had a 39% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, according to the report [1]. The same group had a 24% lower risk of dying from any cause compared with people who climbed stairs less often, the report stated [1].
Stair climbing also was associated with a lower likelihood of major cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke, and heart failure, according to the report [1]. Previous research cited by the study authors found that a few minutes of stair climbing several times a week may improve cardiorespiratory fitness and cholesterol levels, the report stated [1]. One larger study included in the analysis found that about six flights a day was associated with particularly strong benefits, according to the report [1].
The findings align with prior research on short-duration exercise. A 2019 study supported by McMaster University and the University of British Columbia Okanagan found that spending a few minutes going up several flights of stairs every two or three hours can greatly improve heart health, according to NaturalNews.com [4]. Separately, pooled data from 11 trials involving 414 participants showed that cardiorespiratory fitness improvements from brief exercise snacks ranged from 4.6 to 17%, according to a NaturalNews.com report [5].
Walking also has been linked to lower heart failure risk. A study published in JAMA Cardiology found that women who walked fewer than 2,000 steps per day had a higher risk of heart failure compared with those who walked more, according to NaturalNews.com [6].
Researchers Cite Observational Limits and Exercise Snacking Context
The review fits into a growing discussion of exercise snacking, or breaking movement into small bouts throughout the day, according to the report [1]. People who regularly climb stairs may also be more active or healthier in other ways, researchers said, so the results do not establish causation [1].
Stair climbing requires moving full body weight against gravity, which raises heart rate and works large leg muscles, according to the report [1]. The report stated that stair climbing does not replace strength training, longer walks, or usual workouts [1]. "We wanted to better understand how this everyday activity could have life-saving potential," Vassiliou said [7].
The connection between physical activity and better heart health represents an "association with something as simple and accessible as stair climbing," according to the senior author [1]. Research on eccentric exercise, which involves muscles lengthening under tension such as when walking downstairs, suggests that descending stairs builds greater force with less oxygen demand and less cardiovascular strain than conventional exercise, according to a report on the fitness benefits of the lowering phase of movement [8].
Conclusion: Stair Climbing Adds Movement but Does Not Replace Structured Exercise
Taking the stairs regularly adds more movement and more opportunities to challenge the cardiovascular system, according to the report [1]. The report stated that taking the stairs will not suddenly make up for an otherwise sedentary lifestyle [1].
Researchers said structured exercise remains important, while small daily choices also matter for health [1]. A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that combining small improvements in sleep, physical activity and diet was associated with a significantly reduced risk of major cardiovascular events, according to NaturalNews.com [9]. The findings were reported by mindbodygreen and are based on a systematic review and meta-analysis, the report stated [1].
References
- NaturalNews.com. "Stair Climbing Linked to 39% Lower Heart Disease Death Risk, Study Finds". September 9, 2026.
- Michael T Murray ND Joseph E Pizzorno ND. "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine".
- "Taking sides Clashing views on controversial issues in food and nutrition".
- NaturalNews.com. "Try exercise snacks vigorous bouts of stairclimbing to boost heart health advise researchers". April 7, 2019.
- Patrick Lewis. "Just Five Minutes Twice a Day May Be Enough to Boost Heart Health in Inactive People, New Study Suggests". NaturalNews.com. October 8, 2025.
- NaturalNews.com. "Study Walking 2000 steps a day can decrease older womens risk of heart failure". April 9, 2024.
- NaturalNews.com. "Study: Taking Stairs Associated With Lower Risk of Death". August 16, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "The fitness revolution hiding in your daily descent: Why eccentric exercise builds more muscle with less strain". July 30, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "New study reveals combining small lifestyle improvements significantly reduces risk of major cardiovascular events". April 26, 2026.
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