Stairs Offer a Better Workout
Walking up stairs is much more physically demanding than walking on an escalator. With stairs, you:
Use more muscle groups
Raise your heart rate more
Burn more calories
So if you’re aiming to improve your health, stairs give you much more benefit.
Escalators Do Half the Work
Even if you walk while on an escalator, the machine is still carrying you upward. This means:
Your body isn’t working as hard as it would on stairs
You’re not getting the full effect of climbing