The Health Benefits of Taking the Stairs

k, studying for tests, being respectful of others…you get the idea. Then he reached a point where he paused very briefly and added, “And if I ever catch any of you on that elevator you’re dead meat, so take the stairs!” Keep in mind that he said it with a smile on his face, but some limits are better left untested (especially when grades are on the line)!

I have to admit that I am guilty of telling my clients the same thing (and yes, I smile when I say it). It seems to me that if you are willing to go to the gym and workout, you should be willing to take the stairs as well. I am amazed at the number of people who come to the gym and take the elevator up to the weight room. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely heartless, I understand that some people have disabilities or injuries which makes stairs hard or, in some cases,even impossible. However, the vast majority of people would be better off hoofin’ it up a flight or two of stairs than standing inside a moving box, listening to bad music while silently criticizing the outfit the person next to you decided to wear and then actually left the house in… What!?!? Don’t tell me you’ve never done that, we’ve all done it at least once. 😉

I know what you’re thinking. Why  is taking the stairs so much better for you? Well, I’ve got 7 reasons  and I’ll list some statistics that’ll have you thinking twice before you push the little ‘up arrow’ button again! Did you know that….

• Just 2 minutes of climbing stairs a day can keep off the pesky 2 lbs that most adults gain in a year.
• Taking the stairs firms up your glutes and quadriceps while increasing your bone density.
• While climbing stairs, you’re burning an average of 10 calories a minute! That’s 7x more calories a minute than standing in an elevator.
• A brief session of stair climbing does you more good than walking or running for the same amount of time because you have to work against the force of gravity.
• According to a study done at Harvard university, if you can fit in 8 flights of stairs a day you could reduce your death rate by 32%.
• Stepping on  each stair with your entire foot can help prevent injury and straining of your Achilles tendon.
• A British study states that 11 minutes a day spent climbing stairs at “a brisk but comfortable”pace will not only burn calories and improve your cardiovascular endurance, it will also help lower your LDL cholesterol level (that’s the bad one).
• One thing to note: If you have bad knees, whether it be arthritis or something else, try taking the stairs up and then take the elevator  down.

So the next time you find yourself standing at the proverbial fork in the road, having to choose between and elevator and a flight of stairs, take the  stairs, your body will thank you for it!! 🙂