The Effect Of A Stair Climbing Exercise Program On Cardiorespiratory Fitness In A College Community

Participating in physical activity on a regular basis helps improve cardiorespiratory fitness. Many people do not meet the minimal recommended amounts of physical activity each week. Research studies have demonstrated that stair climbing is an effective means of increasing overall health and cardiorespiratory fitness; however, studies on stairclimbing exercise programs in college communities are limited. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a stair climbing exercise program on cardiorespiratory fitness in members of a college community. METHODS: Subjects (n = 11) included 8 female and 3 male faculty and staff members at Cedar Crest College. Pre-post intervention testing included maximal exercise testing on a Corival CPET electronically-braked cycle ergometer using a ramp protocol. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the highest workload achieved. The stairclimbing intervention consisted of a progressive 4-week stair climbing program. Subjects began with climbing 150 stairs/day, 4 days per week for the 1st week and increased to climbing 300 stairs/day by the 4th week. Subjects were instructed to complete the daily requirement in single or multiple bouts at a comfortable pace. Subjects documented and self-reported their progress at the end of the intervention. RESULTS: The mean maximal cycle ergometer workload pre-intervention was 172 ± 30 watts and 177 ± 28 watts post-intervention with a statistically significant difference between the values (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Despite limitations such as a short intervention duration and uncontrolled physical activity outside of the intervention, significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness were demonstrated with the subjects in this college community following a 4-week stairclimbing intervention. These results support the potential of stair climbing as an effective form of exercise to enhance cardiorespiratory fitness and suggest that incorporating stair climbing throughout the day can positively impact health and overall fitness. These findings have implications for promoting easily implementable physical activity interventions in college communities where stair access is readily available.