Step up Your Health! 10 Reasons to Take the Stairs

Taking the stairs is an excellent way to prevent the health problems that come with inactivity including obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Taking the stairs is a great way to get in shape, improve cardiovascular function and strengthen and tone the legs muscles.

Given all our modern conveniences including cars, elevators, escalators, and computers, it is easy to go through a whole day without getting much physical activity. Activities that you can fit into your daily routine – like choosing the stairs instead of the elevator – is increasingly being urged by public health experts who point to mounting evidence that small amounts of exercise accumulated throughout the day can provide significant health benefits.

Ten Reasons to take the stairs:

• People spend an estimated two-thirds of their lives at their place of employment. In order to stay healthy, we need to find ways to incorporate physical activity into our workday.
• Daily living activities like climbing the stairs can make a significant contribution to the 30 minutes of exercise we all need...everyday.
• The 30 minutes of physical activity we need for our health can be accumulated a bit at a time, or one stairway at a time, spread at intervals throughout the day. Do it your way!
• Physical activities like stair climbing are a great way to cope with job-related stress
• Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday could result a loss of 2.7kg or 6lbs per year. Six flights a day could help you trim nearly 18 lbs. Why Weight?
• Adding stairs to your day can add years to your life. Studies show that risk of cardiovascular disease and death is lower among those who are regular Stair climbers.
• Stair climbing can also add life to your years. Those who climb stairs on a daily basis have greater leg strength and aerobic capacity, allowing them to participate more fully in a wide range of daily activities.
• Taking the stairs is often faster than waiting for an elevator during peak usage times. Take the test and time your trip. Often for trips of 7 floors or less, the stairs are the quickest way to your destination.
• Using the stairs requires no special skill, equipment or clothing and it burns twice as many calories as walking. Step right up!!
• Stair climbing is a 'green' activity, the only energy source used is what is stored in our bodies.... good for you and the environment!

Stair climbing is quite strenuous. When you start taking the stairs begin slowly and take one flight at a time. Gradually increase the number of stairs you do. The more you go up and down the stairs, the stronger you’ll become and the easier it will be. Be aware that you may not want to take the stairs if you have knee problems, arthritis or a heart or lung condition.

Stair climbing is also a great way to fight the weight gain that often comes with the holiday season and winter months. Taking the stairs burns more calories per minute than most other forms of physical activity.