Scientists have revealed that climbing stairs is good for your heart and can lead you to have a longer life. 

Opting for the stairs over the lift is reportedly linked to a 24% reduced risk of dying from any cause, according to new research.

The new study also said that stair climbing is also associated with a 39% lower likelihood of dying from heart disease.

Even short bursts of activity such as stair climbing could cut the risk of premature death, the new findings stated.

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The scientists recently presented the research at the European Society of Cardiology’s Preventive Cardiology conference in Athens, Greece.

“If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help your heart," according to Dr Sophie Paddock, of the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust, in Norwich.

The doctor continued: “Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts, and short bouts of stair climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines.”

The team of researchers analysed data from nine studies involving more than 480,000 people, aged between 35 and 84 years.

The data featured healthy individuals as well as patients with heart disease of whom 53% were women.

The study found that regular stair climbing not only reduced the risk of premature death but was also associated with a lower risk of heart disease including heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

Dr Paddock said: “Based on these results, we would encourage people to incorporate stair climbing into their day-to-day lives.

“Our study suggested that the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits – but this needs to be confirmed.

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“So, whether at work, home or elsewhere, take the stairs.”

The research follows an Office for Health Improvement and Disparities report which stated that physical inactivity is associated with one in six deaths in the UK.

How much should you exercise a week?

We should be doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week under the current NHS recommendation.

Alternatively, you could do 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week instead.

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The health service also recommends spreading the exercise evenly over 4 to 5 days a week or doing some every day.

We should also aim to be reducing the time we spend sitting or lying down.

Not to mention, we should break up any long periods of not moving with some kind of activity.