Day 8: Stairs Again! — Why Stair Climbing is One of the Best Exercises You’re Ignoring
Day 8 of our fitness challenge — and it’s stairs again! If you’ve been skipping the lift and taking the stairs, you’re already doing more for your health than you realise. Stair climbing is one of the most accessible, effective, and underrated forms of exercise available to everyone.
The Science Behind Stair Climbing
Stair climbing is a high-intensity, weight-bearing exercise that engages your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and core simultaneously. Research shows that just 7 minutes of stair climbing per day can reduce heart attack risk by 62%. It burns more calories per minute than jogging and significantly improves cardiovascular fitness, leg strength, and bone density.
Benefits of Daily Stair Climbing
Cardiovascular health: Elevates heart rate into the aerobic zone, strengthening the heart and improving VO2 max
Muscle strength: Builds lower body strength without gym equipment
Calorie burn: Burns approximately 8–11 calories per minute — more than walking or cycling at moderate intensity
Bone density: Weight-bearing exercise stimulates bone formation, reducing osteoporosis risk
Mental health: Short bouts of vigorous exercise release endorphins and reduce stress hormones
How Your Genes Influence Your Exercise Response
Your ACTN3, ACE, and PPARGC1A gene variants determine how efficiently your body responds to cardiovascular exercise like stair climbing — including your VO2 max trainability, recovery rate, and injury risk. Some people see dramatic fitness improvements from stair climbing; others respond better to different exercise modalities.
Find Out Which Exercise Works Best for Your DNA
MyFitGene by MapmyGenome analyses your fitness genetics — including your cardiovascular response, muscle composition, and recovery rate — to help you build a training plan that delivers maximum results for your unique genetic blueprint.
