Going Up the Ladder Can Improve Heart Health

There is no more reason not to exercise because new research has found a few minutes up the stairs every day is enough to improve cardiovascular health and the whole body. Some of the studies show many health benefits from that short exercise.

For example, a review of existing studies, shows that the period of acute exercise can immediately protect the heart against future ischemic episodes. Other recent research shows that 10 minutes of physical activity is enough to give a boost to the brain, increasing attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility among other mental skills.

As reported by Medical News Today, Tuesday (1/22), research now shows climbing ladder intervals that last several minutes with recovery periods including, can increase cardiorespiratory health.

A professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton Canada Martin Gibala, PhD is the senior author of this new study. His writing appears in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

Gibala and the team investigated whether interval-running training was a short activity of intensive training that was separated by several minutes of recovery totaling around 10 minutes can improve cardiorespiratory fitness.

Cardiorespiratory fitness refers to the ability of the heart, lungs, and vascular system to send oxygen-rich blood to the muscles that work during intensive physical exercise. Research shows greater respiratory fitness brings several health benefits, including better heart health, increased insulin resistance, and a lower risk of early death.