Overwhelming scientific evidence continues to affirm that consistent cardio is key to a longer life. But you don't need to be out on marathon training to boost your heart health. The power for change lies just there, in the mundane staircase that you usually glance at before seeping into your cushy elevator ride.

The dons of health research from Britain bring to you a simple tip for longevity - one that only costs a little huff and puff. According to their study, ditching the escalator or elevator for a good old stair-climb can gift you a healthier heart and add more years to your life. The paper was presented at the scientific gathering of the European Society of Cardiology, 2024 called the ESC Preventive Cardiology.

Dr. Sophie Paddock, a key proponent of this research, advised that choosing stairs over an elevator can dish serious health benefits. "Even tiny seismic activities like stair climbing can amplify health and are achievable daily goals," states Dr. Paddock.

Baby steps count too - that's the major shift observed in U.S physical activity guidelines instituted in 2018. It said that modest acts like briskly hopping your way across the parking area or a vibrant house clean up can also slither their way into the quota of your daily activity goals.

However, our love for inertia means only about a fourth of America's adult population make the recommended weekly movement targets.

Through a meticulous scrutiny and correlation of nine distinct studies and a whopping half a million participants, the research tried to link climbing stairs to a reduced lethal risk associated with ailing hearts and untimely death. Astonishingly, the stair-climbers displayed a drastic 39% less likelihood of shuffling off this mortal coil due to heart disease and 24% lesser chance of dying from any cause. Further, stair climbing also showed a dampened risk for heart attacks, heart failure, and stroke.

While this magnanimous calorie-shedding activity that's as ordinary as stair climbing can bestow health benefits, it's not to say that people climbing staircases also have healthy habits. Hence, the optimum frequency and intensity of stair climbing are a crucial facet to look into, suggests Dr. Paddock.

The potential health perks from stair climbing grow with the number of stairs scaled, the study inferred. A preceding research project unearthed that climbing at least 5 flights of stairs on a daily basis can drastically reduce the risk of heart disease by 20%. This enduring act, apart from being a time-efficient recourse, boosts cardiorespiracy fitness and helps maintain robust blood cholesterol levels-all without the need for a fat gym membership or fancy fitness equipment.

However, some chronic conditions like severe heart failure, underlying lung disorders, or debilitating joint conditions can potentially impair a person's ability to climb stairs, warns Cardiologist Dr. Laxmi Mehta. If you're unsure about the safety of stair climbing, it's best to seek your doctor's advice.

If you're gasping for breath, and drenched in sweat after a couple of flights or so, your body may need to acclimate. However, rushing to a self-prescribed workout can be risky and potentially mask chronic medical issues that cause you to pant like undiagnosed heart failure or certain lung conditions, advises Dr. Mehta. Starting small with a flight or two and gradually increasing may just protect your heart and keep your life heart-attack free.