Take the stairs challenge graphicTaking the stairs is a simple contribution to the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity per day.

Campaign touts stair-climbing to improve overall health

Fitting physical activity into a busy lifestyle can be a challenge, notes the Workplace Wellness Committee. It has launched the Take the Stairs campaign to introduce UWindsor staff and faculty to a simple contribution to the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity per day.

Not only does stair climbing help individuals manage their weight by burning calories, it can also help reduce the risks associated with heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases.

Taking the stairs can:

  • Improve your heart health. It can help raise the levels of good cholesterol in the blood.
  • Help you achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Taking the stairs burns twice the amount of calories as walking. Taking six flights of stairs per day can accumulate to 18 lbs. of weight loss over a span of a year.
  • Contribute to building and maintaining healthy bones. It can enhance bone density and assist in the prevention of osteoporosis.
  • Help you build and maintain healthy joints and muscles. People who frequently take the stairs have greater leg strength in comparison to non-climbers.
  • Help you breathe better and have a higher aerobic capacity. Taking three to four flights of stairs at a moderate pace utilizes your heart and lungs similar to a 10 minute walk.
  • Reduce stress and tension. When you take the stairs, your body releases endorphins that help relieve stress and other negative feelings.

The committee has designated March 11 to April 8 as a 20-day challenge. It encourages employees to participate in “virtual climbs” of well-known buildings and mountains as individuals or in teams. At the end of this friendly challenge, participants will be entered into a draw for prizes.

More information about the challenge, including the online sign-up, can be found on the Take the Stairs website: www.uwindsor.ca/takethestairs.