There is a bit of meme in our building: the lift is always broken. We have one small lift, and for the past 6 months it’s been plagued with issues. I’ve been stuck in it, and so have many neighbours—all of us needing wait for the lift maintenance company to come and let us out.
We live on the 4th floor, so all those flights of stairs over the past 6 months has made me curious about the benefits of stair climbing—a sort of “mathematics of taking the stairs”.
According to a study in Atherosclerosis Journal that collected data from more than 400,000 participants in the UK, “climbing five flights of stairs daily can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%”. The study found that short bursts of stair climbing is more effective for our cardiovascular health than getting our 10,000 steps in.
Even when the lift is working, I’m now often choosing to take the stairs. And at the office, I’m making the same decision multiple times per day.
One flight of stairs won’t make a difference, but doing it everyday will likely lead to benefits over time.
Compounding in action again.