Stair climbing v. walking for fitness

The stairs win. From the NY Times "Well" Q & A

… if you want to get picky about which is healthier, go for the stairs

In fact, according to recent estimations, slowly climbing stairs demands almost twice as much energy per minute as does walking along a flat surface at an everyday (not brisk) pace. In practical terms, those numbers mean that you can burn nearly twice as many calories per minute climbing the stairs as strolling down the hall.

Even descending the stairs requires more calories, per minute, than walking over flat ground.

The added intensity of stair climbing also increases cardiovascular fitness more effectively than the same amount of time spent walking, Dr. Gibala said.

Plus, you activate and strengthen more muscles in your legs and back while climbing and descending stairs than you do while strolling, and may subtly improve your balance.