Turn your LRT or MRT commute into exercise. Simple stair and brisk-walk habits that add fitness without extra time, with safety tips for busy stations.
Taking the stairs instead of the escalator and walking briskly between connections turns your LRT or MRT commute into exercise without adding any time to your day. For example, 2 to 3 flights of stairs at each end of the trip is enough to start. Over a working week, that is a real dose of leg work and cardio, and it needs no gym, kit or changing room.
Why commute exercise works
The biggest barrier to exercise is time. Commuting happens every day, so attaching movement to it removes the decision. The evidence is encouraging, though observational. In a UK Biobank study of 263,540 adults (Celis-Morales et al., 2017), cycling to work was associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer and all-cause mortality, and walking to work with lower cardiovascular risk, after adjusting for other activity and lifestyle factors. We cannot be sure commuting itself caused the difference. What we can say is that building activity into daily travel is a sound habit.
Stair climbing is also a legitimate training stimulus. See our guide to stair climbing for fitness for the evidence and the technique, and exercise snacks for desk workers for the same idea applied to the office.
A simple commute plan
Pick two or three of these swaps and make them automatic.
- Stairs, not the escalator. Many LRT, MRT and KTM Komuter stations have long staircases. Take them at a pace where you can still speak a sentence, and rest on the landing if needed.
- Brisk walking at interchanges. Walk faster than usual on long walkways, for example at KL Sentral or Pasar Seni. Aim for a pace where you are slightly breathless but can talk.
- Get off one stop early on days when time and weather allow, and walk the last 800 metres to 1 km. See brisk walking technique.
- Stand on the train. Stand instead of sitting, hold the pole lightly and let your legs absorb the sway. Do not stand if you feel unwell.
- Add calf raises while waiting on the platform. Do 15 to 20, holding a pole or wall.
How much do you need?
The WHO 2020 guidelines recommend 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week for adults, plus muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days. Commute exercise can cover a useful part of the aerobic target, and short bursts count. In the trial by Boreham and colleagues (2005), 8 sedentary young women who built up to five stair ascents a day over 8 weeks improved VO2 max by 17.1% compared with controls. The sample was small, so treat it as encouraging rather than conclusive.
Build up gradually. If you currently take the escalator every day, start with one staircase a day for the first week, then add one more each week.
Where commute exercise is not enough
Stairs and brisk walking train the legs and heart, but they will not replace strength training. Add two short sessions a week of squats, step-ups, rows and carries. Our home longevity workout with no equipment takes about 25 minutes. For older commuters, add balance work from balance and stability training.
Heat, rain and haze
Stations are mostly covered and air-conditioned, which makes them good places to build activity during hot, wet or hazy weather. Walking between stations is a different matter. In midday heat, walk in shade where possible, carry water and slow down. On bad haze days, favour indoor stair use and shorter outdoor walking. See should you exercise during the haze.
Safety on stairs and in crowds
- Hold the handrail, especially on the way down and when floors are wet.
- Keep to the left or right side as signed, and do not block people.
- Do not rush in crowds, and do not carry heavy bags that unbalance you. Use a backpack.
- Wear stable shoes. Slippery sandals or high heels raise the risk of slips.
- Take the lift if you feel unwell, dizzy or have knee pain. Using the lift is not a failure.
Stop and get medical advice if stairs bring on chest pain or pressure, unusual breathlessness, dizziness or palpitations. Get clearance from a doctor before increasing activity if you have heart disease, uncontrolled blood pressure or balance problems, using when to get medical clearance before exercise as a guide.
If you want to fit this into a complete plan, we run home-visit assessments across KL and Selangor.
Key takeaways
- Choosing stairs over escalators and walking briskly between connections adds exercise to your commute without extra time.
- An observational UK study linked active commuting with lower cardiovascular and mortality risk, though it cannot prove cause.
- Start with one staircase a day and add one each week. Use handrails and do not rush in crowds.
- Combine commute activity with two short strength sessions a week to cover legs, upper body and balance.