Need A Quick Workout? Take The Stairs!

Which is better when it comes to exercise: Taking a short walk or climbing a few stairs?

The answer comes from kinesiology professor Martin Gibala from McMaster University.

He says, they’re both beneficial – but the stairs are better. That’s because it takes more effort to lift your body weight to climb stairs than walking on flat ground. In fact, climbing stairs demands almost twice as much energy per minute as walking on a flat surface… which translates to twice as many calories burned.

Even walking DOWN stairs burns more calories per minute than walking on a flat surface.

Stair climbing is also a better cardiovascular workout than walking, and it’s better at strengthening your muscles – particularly those in your legs and back – which can improve balance.

So if you only have 5 or 10 minutes and you need a quick workout – climb some stairs, even slowly.