Running stairs is a great way to burn calories.
Image Credit: Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Finding time for fitness can sometimes be a challenge, but with a little creativity, you can turn an ordinary activity into a quick, heart-pumping, calorie-burning workout. If going up the stairs is a common occurrence in your day, then knowing how to convert stairs to miles is a necessity.
Cardiovascular Benefits of Climbing Stairs
The health benefits of aerobic activity include more than just burning calories. By regularly participating in cardiovascular exercise such as climbing stairs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.
The minimum guidelines for general health set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services say that adults should get 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, plus two or more days of muscle-strengthening exercises that involve all major muscle groups.
Whether you're aiming for the minimum of 150 minutes per week of cardiovascular exercise or you're working on meeting the American Heart Association's target of 300 minutes, which can lead to even more health benefits, make it a point to take the stairs every single day. In addition to boosting your cardio fitness, trekking up the stairs is also a fantastic leg workout.
Climbing steps requires you to recruit the muscles in your lower body, which means you can strengthen and tone the calves, quads, glutes and hamstrings while simultaneously improving your aerobic capacity. Plus, since it is considered a weight-bearing exercise, you're able to strengthen your bones, which helps to prevent falls and fractures and may reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis.
Read more: What Are the Health Benefits of Climbing Stairs?
Converting Stairs to Miles
Fitting in fitness throughout the day contributes to your total weekly cardio minutes, plus, it also leads to a higher calorie burn. If you're curious about how many steps you need to take in order to reach a mile, then you need to know how to convert steps to miles.
To do this, you first need to count the number of steps you climb and multiply that number by 17, which is the standard number of inches for most steps. This measurement accounts for tread and rise. The result of this equation is the number of inches you are climbing.
Next, you need to convert miles into inches. This will turn the number of stairs you climbed into miles. To do this, multiply the 5,280 feet in a mile by 12 inches, and you get 63,360, which means, one mile is equal to 63,360 inches.
With that in mind, if you climb 1,000 stairs in a day, that would equal 17,000 inches, which falls short of the one-mile goal. So, if you want to aim for one mile of steps, you will need to climb 3,727 steps (63,360 divided by 17 inches).
Read more: Walking a Mile a Day for Weight Loss
Tip
If you don’t know the number of steps, or you forgot, you can always go by the flights of stairs you climb. The average number of steps in a flight of stairs is between 12 and 16 steps. If you use 14 as the target, multiply that by the total flights of stairs, and you will arrive at the number of steps.
Climbing Stairs for Weight Loss
While climbing all those stairs may seem like a lot of work just to get one mile of walking in, keep in mind that each step you take, also burns calories. In fact, a small December 2012 study published in PLOS One, reports that the average rate of energy expenditure of climbing one step is 0.09 calories. Times that number by 3,727, which is the number of steps in one mile, and you will burn 335 calories.
To meet your goal, look for ways at work, home or even running errands to add a few flights of stairs to your daily activities. Start your morning with the staircase at work and head there for 10 minutes of climbing at lunch.
When running errands, skip the elevator and instead, look for the nearest exit sign leading to a flight of stairs. Find a set of stairs close to your house and head there in the evening for 10 to 15 minutes of climbing.
You can also turn a set of stairs into a full workout by adding lunges, push-ups, squats and planks to the routine. To do this, run the stairs for 10 minutes. Then do 20 squats, 20 walking lunges, 20 push-ups and 30 seconds of planks. Repeat this circuit until you reach your desired time.
FAQs
This will turn the number of stairs you climbed into miles. To do this, multiply the 5,280 feet in a mile by 12 inches, and you get 63,360, which means, one mile is equal to 63,360 inches. With that in mind, if you climb 1,000 stairs in a day, that would equal 17,000 inches, which falls short of the one-mile goal.
How many stairs climbing equal walking a mile? ›
Cohen says climbing about 40 flights of stairs is comparable to running or walking a mile. That said, it's a lot harder for some people. You're using a different set of muscles when you climb the stairs, and it can take some time to work up to a full mile of stair-climbing in one stretch.
How many flights of stairs is equal to a mile? ›
With 2,000 steps to a mile, you'd need to climb around 50 flights to equal a single mile walked according to their expert. The top Google search result (from Livestrong) for converting stairs to miles suggests a number closer to 350 flights to a mile.
How many miles is 50 floors on Stairmaster? ›
A mile is 5,280 feet, and the typical floor is 10-12 feet. Fifty floors would come out to 500-600 feet - way short of a mile.
How many miles is 200 flights of stairs? ›
The equivalent to climbing 200 flights is walking or running 22,000 steps (approximately 10.5 miles).
How many steps per 1 mile? ›
The general number of steps in a mile is about 2,000.
“The average stride length has been measured to be about 2.1 to 2.5 feet, which corresponds to roughly about 2,000 steps for most people to reach one mile,” Savage explains.
How many miles is 10,000 stair steps? ›
Using 2,000 steps in one mile as an average benchmark, 10,000 steps is approximately 5 miles.
How do you convert stairs to miles? ›
This will turn the number of stairs you climbed into miles. To do this, multiply the 5,280 feet in a mile by 12 inches, and you get 63,360, which means, one mile is equal to 63,360 inches. With that in mind, if you climb 1,000 stairs in a day, that would equal 17,000 inches, which falls short of the one-mile goal.
How many flights of stairs is considered a good workout? ›
Walking more than five flights of stairs a day can cut risk of heart disease by 20%, study says. Photo by Getty Images. Forget walking 10,000 steps a day. Taking at least 50 steps up the stairs each day could significantly slash your risk of heart disease, according to a new study from Tulane University.
How long is 1 flight of stairs? ›
Highlights. A typical flight of stairs has 13 to 16 steps. The average length (vertical height) of a flight is 8 1/2 to 11 feet. Your local building codes impact the number of steps and other dimensions.
According to research published in the journal Atherosclerosis, ascending more than five flights of stairs (50 steps) every day can reduce the risk of heart-related diseases by 20 per cent.
How many miles is 110 stories of stairs? ›
You can stair climb 110 flights (about 2 miles). Climb in places like in a gym on a stair climbing machine or stadium bleacher or at home.
How many flights of stairs to lose weight? ›
When you climb a flight of stairs, you will burn around two to five calories. On average, if you cover seven flights of stairs, the number of calories you lose is 83. If you climb stairs for 30 minutes, you should burn about 235 calories.
Is climbing stairs at home good exercise? ›
Climbing stairs is one of the best exercises when it comes to pure FAT BURN, strengthening the lower body, toning the butt, thighs, calves, losing inches from those love handles and belly and building great abs. Along with these benefits is the immense good it does for your lungs and cardio vascular system.
How many stairs should I climb a day to lose weight? ›
Not every 100 steps of stairs in a day can achieve weight loss effect, but we should climb stairs at least 15 minutes a day. May start slowly during the first week, then gradually increase. However, be persistent and practice regularly at least 4-5 days a week to create a habit.
How much is 1 flight of stairs? ›
Most flights of stairs average out at 12 or 13 steps but it depends on the height of the staircase, the location of the stairs (as stair height regulations differ between public and private buildings and between countries), and the purpose of a staircase (as fire escapes have more specific rules than other sorts of ...
Is climbing stairs equal to walking? ›
Burn more calories
First, walking up and down stairs burns more calories than walking on a flat surface at a moderate pace. How many calories you burn depends on your weight, but going down stairs burns between 175 and 275 calories per hour and going up stairs burns 530 to 835 calories per hour.
Is climbing stairs better exercise than walking? ›
However, if your routine involves a brisk walk for weight loss, you might consider taking a flight of stairs instead. While it is good for your health, climbing stairs offers greater benefits in the same duration," says Dr Chaudhry.
What is a good amount of stairs to climb in a day? ›
Taking at least 50 steps up the stairs each day could significantly slash your risk of heart disease, according to a new study from Tulane University. The research, published in Atherosclerosis, found that climbing more than five flights of stairs daily could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%.
