Gather up four of your male friends. Statistically, one of you will die from a heart-related problem. Let's make sure it's one of the other bastards and test your heart health now.
Walk up 4 flights of stairs in under 45 seconds.
The Rules
- Start a timer and walk (don't run) up four flights of stairs. That's 60 steps.
- No stopping and resting.
Researchers at the European Society of Cardiology devised this as a quick test of overall heart health and to judge your likelihood of developing coronary artery disease. It was pretty accurate, even compared to those doctor-supervised stress tests and fancy heart imaging studies (1).
How to Evaluate Your Results
- Anything under 45 seconds is good.
- Around 60 seconds means you might have some work to do.
- Anything over 90 seconds and, well, make a doctor's appointment.
Remember, this isn't a sprint to the top. Just walk and make sure you can sustain that pace.
- European Society of Cardiology. Test your heart health by climbing stairs. ScienceDaily. 11 December 2020.
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