Take the first step!

Since the invention of the elevator and escalator, stairs are now ‘the road less travelled’
However, recent research and studies prove that there is much to benefit from by opting to take the stairs!

Let’s take a look at some key benefits shall we:

1. No special equipment is needed to climb stairs.
2. Stair climbing can be accumulated across the course of the day, making a significant contribution to the recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity.
3. There is a significantly lower risk of mortality when climbing more than 55 flights per week.
4. Stair climbing requires about 8 – 11kcal of energy per minute, which is high compared to other moderate level physical activities.
5. There is a strong association between stair climbing and bone density in post-menopausal women.
6. Climbing stairs can improve the amount of “good cholesterol” in the blood.
7. Stair climbing increases leg power.
8. Stair climbing can help you achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
9. Stair climbing can help you build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints.

Heart and Lungs Health.

Taking the stairs has been given a huge vote of confidence by a new study that found that short bursts of high-intensity stair-climbing can make a significant difference to your cardiorespiratory fitness (the health of your heart and your lungs).

Researchers from McMaster University in Canada recruited 31 sedentary (but otherwise healthy) subjects and put them through two different stair-based high-intensity exercise regimes, each of which lasted six weeks. Both of these required just three ten-minute workouts a week, with that time including warm-up, warm-down and recovery periods.

The first exercise plan involved three 20-second bursts of “all-out” climbing, while the second involved 60 seconds of vigorous climbing up and down one set of stairs. Both types of stair-based HIIT workouts were found to increase cardiorespiratory fitness, which is linked to overall longevity.

Ten minutes of exercise, three times a week – why wouldn’t you want to get in on that action?!

HA!
Why was the building summoned to court?
Because it had a staircase!