Stair climbing can improve fitness much like running, though it may burn fewer calories per minute. The Conversation article reviews evidence on Stair Climbing, rather than reporting one new study. It covers fitness, calorie use, and muscle gains. The studies included a small comparison involving 30 men and muscle research in older adults. The main takeaway is that calorie burn is not the whole story. In the 30-man study, people worked at maximum effort on each machine. The stair climber burned around two fewer calories per minute than the treadmill. The article suggests this may reflect less upper-body muscle use on stairs. Another comparison matched effort to each person's ability. People using stair climbers had lower heart rates and used less oxygen. That could mean a smaller fitness boost. Yet a comparison with Treadmill Running found improved fitness and similar gains in running performance. Stairs also lowered blood pressure as effectively as brisk treadmill walking. There was a muscle benefit, too. Older adults gained muscle size much like people doing leg-press Strength Training. Those gains were linked to greater strength. It remains unclear whether younger people would see the same results. For BioSocial members, this makes progress worth tracking beyond a machine's calorie display. Session length, machine settings, and how hard the effort feels give your numbers context. For real stairs, Flights Climbed can help describe your routine. Comparing notes with others may reveal changes a single workout misses. What changes have you noticed in your fitness or workout numbers since making stairs a regular habit?