Climbing stairs is an excellent way to lose weight and improve your cardiovascular health. When done regularly, stair climbing burns a significant number of calories and works major muscle groups in your legs and glutes. But how often should you climb stairs each week to see results? There are a few factors to consider when determining the optimal frequency for stair climbing to aid weight loss.
How Many Calories Does Climbing Stairs Burn?
Climbing stairs is considered a vigorous physical activity. The number of calories you burn climbing stairs depends on a variety of factors:
– Your weight – Heavier individuals burn more calories per flight.
– The number and height of steps – More and taller steps mean more calories burned.
– Speed – Climbing stairs faster results in more calories burned.
– Fitness level – Those who are less fit burn more calories climbing stairs.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, a 155-pound person will burn approximately 8.6 calories per flight of stairs. So if you climb 5 flights of stairs, you can expect to burn around 43 calories.
The more you weigh and the faster you climb the stairs, the more calories you’ll burn per flight.
How Many Flights to Climb Per Day to Lose Weight
To lose 1 pound of fat, you need to burn approximately 3500 calories through diet, exercise, or a combination of both. Stair climbing alone can help create the calorie deficit needed for weight loss, especially when paired with a healthy diet.
As a general guideline, aim to climb at least 10 flights of stairs daily to lose weight. Ten flights would equal around 86 calories burned for a 155-pound person. Do this 5 days a week and you’ll burn 430 calories through stair climbing alone.
To create a 500-calorie per day deficit for 1-pound weight loss per week through stair climbing alone, you’ll need to climb approximately:
– 60 flights per day if you weigh 150 pounds
– 80 flights per day if you weigh 200 pounds
– 100 flights per day if you weigh 250 pounds
Now, keep in mind that as your fitness level improves, you’ll burn slightly fewer calories per flight. Also, stair climbing alone may not be enough to lose 1 pound per week, but when combined with other activity and a calorie-controlled diet, it can help you reach your goal.
How to Work Up to Climbing More Stairs
If climbing 60-100 flights per day sounds daunting, don’t worry. You can start small and gradually increase the number of flights you climb as your fitness level improves. Here are some tips for working up to higher numbers of stair climbs:
– Time yourself climbing 5 flights and try to beat your time each workout.
– Start with 10 flights per day and add 2-5 more each week.
– Break up your stair sessions into smaller chunks – climb 10 flights in the morning, 10 at lunch, 10 in the evening.
– Find a long, uninterrupted staircase rather than short flights. This allows you to minimize time spent turning around.
– Use a staircase at home, office building, or stadium bleachers.
– Make it social and climb with a friend.
– Listen to music or podcasts to distract yourself from the exertion.
Aim to increase your weekly stair climbing by 5-10 flights each week until you reach your target. Allowing your body to adapt slowly can help prevent excessive soreness and overuse injuries.
Additional Physical Activity for Weight Loss
While stair climbing is great for burning calories, it’s most effective when combined with other types of activity as part of a comprehensive fitness routine. Here are some additional exercises to complement stair climbing to lose weight:
– Strength training – Lifting weights 2-3 times per week helps build and maintain calorie-burning muscle mass. Focus on major muscle groups like legs, hips, back, chest, shoulders.
– Walking – Aim for 10,000 steps per day. Brisk walking on flat ground or gentle hills is lower impact than stair climbing.
– Jogging/running – Run 2-3 times per week for 20-30 minutes. Start slow and gradually increase distance. Be sure to rest 1-2 days between runs.
– Swimming – A fun, joint-friendly cardio workout. Swim laps 2-3 times per week for 30-45 minutes.
– Cycling – Ride a bike outdoors or use a stationary bike at the gym. Cycling is an effective fat-burning exercise.
– HIIT workouts – High intensity interval training burns a lot of calories in a short time. Try sprinting between stair climbs.
Aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity per week in addition to your stair climbing sessions. Following general activity guidelines along with stair climbing will create the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
Stair Climbing Tips for Maximum Fat Burn
Here are some useful tips to maximize the amount of calories and fat you burn through stair climbing:
– Use a brisk consistent pace and avoid pausing between flights. Continuous movement revs your heart rate for greater calorie burn.
– Pump your arms as you climb. Engaging your arm muscles increases exertion for a whole-body workout.
– Maintain good posture. Stand tall and avoid leaning on the handrail too much. Engage your core.
– Wear a weighted vest. Adding extra weight increases the resistance to burn more calories per step. Start with 5-10% of your body weight.
– Climb 2 steps at a time. Be careful not to compromise form or safety, but skipping steps increases intensity.
– Run up the stairs. It takes more power and energy to run stairs compared to walking them. Use caution to avoid slips or falls.
– Find long, uninterrupted staircases. Minimizes time spent turning around and keeps your heart rate elevated.
– Use a heart rate monitor. Stair climbing intensely enough to reach 60-70% of your max heart rate maximizes fat burn.
– Monitor your speed. Climbing stairs faster results in greater energy expenditure.
– Add stair climbing sprints. Bursts of fast climbing increase intensity. Do 10 second sprints between regular stair climbing.
Precautions for Safe and Effective Stair Climbing
While stair climbing can be a vigorous exercise, take the following precautions to ensure your safety and success:
– Start slow – Allow your body time to adapt to prevent excessive soreness or injury. Gradually increase stair climbing frequency and intensity.
– Use proper form – Stand tall, avoid leaning on the handrail too much, engage your core, and keep your movements controlled. Do not take more than 2 stairs at once.
– Wear supportive footwear – Shoes with adequate arch and heel support help prevent foot and ankle injuries. Avoid slip-on shoes or socks without traction.
– Don’t overload weighted vests – Start with 5-10% of your body weight and increase slowly over time. Too much added weight can strain joints.
– Stay hydrated – Sip water before, during and after stair climbing to prevent dehydration.
– Fuel up properly – Eat a snack or light meal 1-2 hours before climbing stairs. Carbs provide energy while protein aids muscle recovery.
– Allow rest days – Take 1-2 rest days each week to allow your muscles time to recover and repair.
– Listen to your body – Discontinue any exercise that causes pain. See a doctor if you experience joint pain, tightness in your chest or any other concerning symptoms.
The Bottom Line
Climbing stairs is an time-efficient, joint-friendly exercise that can help create the calorie deficit required for weight loss when done consistently.Aim for 10+ flights per day, 5 days per week, and increase weekly as able. For best results, pair stair climbing with other cardio and strength training as part of a comprehensive fitness routine. Be sure to fuel your workouts properly, stay hydrated, use proper form, and build up gradually. Stair climbing provides an accessible, inexpensive way to improve your cardiovascular health and burn calories for weight loss.
