Shall We Take the Stairs?
In this health-conscious nation, we all take strives towards healthier living for ourselves and our families. When you encounter the dilemma of taking the stairs or using the elevator/escalator, which choice do you make? Obviously the scenarios may differ: groceries in hand, time-crunch, moving furniture etc. Unencumbered with heavy objects, a leisurely schedule, and kids in tow, taking the stairs keeps your whole family fit! The challenge of climbing those stairs is part of the fun!
Just take it step-by-step to start with! Doctors want you to get 60 minutes of activity a day, as Harvey B. Simon, M.D. notes in his article Stairs as Fitness Tool? “You’re right about climbing stairs; in fact, walking up stairs is one of the best-kept secrets in preventive medicine…In the days before stress testing held sway, doctors would often walk up stairs with their patients to check out cardiopulmonary function… Because stairs are so taxing, only the very young at heart should attempt to charge up long flights. But at a slow, steady pace, stairs can be a health plus for the rest of us. Begin modestly with a flight or two, and then add more as you improve. Take the stairs whenever you can; if you have a long way to go, walk part way, and then switch to an elevator. Use the railing for balance and security, and don’t try the stairs after a heavy meal or if you feel unwell.” This exercise requires no cost or possession of equipment, just an available staircase! Make it a game and ask your family to keep an eye out for stairs to climbs, allowing everyone to get excited about the next excursion!
Are you curious to know just how many calories you are burning as you stride up and down those stairs? As Radell Hunter explains in Calories Burned Climbing Stairs, “If you are looking for an exercise that is convenient, free, and doesn’t require any special equipment or clothing, then you should consider stair climbing. Stair climbing can be done outside during good weather or indoors, away from the seasonal elements, helping you to avoid the rain, sleet and snow that might otherwise threaten to derail your workout routine (or calorie-burning goals). Stair climbing can provide a cardiovascular workout for your heart and can even help strengthen your leg and hip muscles and bones, since it is a weight-bearing exercise. You also can burn 10 calories a minute (or more) by climbing stairs. And for those who choose to exercise this way in their work building–on their lunch break–they get the added benefit of not having to travel elsewhere to work out, or to battle traffic to do it. Using the calorie burn calculator on the website Internet Fitness.com provides a quick visual on how stair climbing stacks up against other exercises. By imputing data into the calculator (120 pounds for weight, 10 minutes for time), it shows that stair climbing burns 58 calories in 10 minutes, just like downhill skiing and swimming.” Stepping up to this challenge has such great rewards, keeping fit is so easy!
Interested in taking these stairs to the next level? There are thousands of people signing up to workout and receive recognition for their efforts with shiny medals, which journalist Liz Robbins accounts for in Great Workout, Forget the View “Once a year, Mr. Guie goes for the ultimate burn. On Feb. 3, he and 318 other climbers competed in the 32nd Annual Empire State Building Run-Up, racing up 86 floors and 1,576 stairs. Taking two at a time, Mr. Guie reached the observation deck in 19 minutes 34 seconds. The winner of the invitational race, Thomas Dold, 24, of Germany, finished in 10:07. The New York Road Runners organizes the invitation-only event to satisfy stir-crazy runners seeking to vary their winter workout on the one day the Empire State Building stairwell is open to foot traffic. A gimmick, perhaps, but also part of an extreme sport trend. Tower running events, many of which benefit charities, are held in world skyscrapers, from Taipei, Taiwan, to Milan, that open stairwells just for the occasion. This weekend, races will be held in Chicago (“Hustle up the Hancock”) and Las Vegas (“Scale the Strat”), Denver, Des Moines, Grand Rapids, Mich., Omaha and Philadelphia.” Tower events are equivalent to marathons: start training with your family now! No steps, no glory!
Keep fit!
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