Step It Up!
Adam Konopelski, OT
Lifestyle Specialist
Do you find that there are not enough hours in the day to get everything completed
that needs to be done? If that is the case, how can you even find the time to work
out? Here is a thought. Try including the stairs as part of your daily workout. Here
are some facts about the stairwell gym.
1. You can burn 300 calories for 30 minutes of walking the stairs.
2. Two flights of stairs per day can lead to six pounds of weight loss
over one year.
3. You can burn 10 calories per minute ascending stairs and seven calories
per minute descending stairs.
4. Running up stairs can burn 1,020 calories per hour.
5. Benefits of taking the stairs:
a. It’s a low-impact workout.
b. It improves the muscle tone of your legs and buttocks.
c. It’s a good heart workout.
d. It can improve the amount of “good cholesterol’ and decrease the
“bad cholesterol."
e. Who needs the gym when you have the stairs?
If you think there are too many stairs in your house or at work, just think about if
you had to climb to the top of these buildings:
1. Statue of Liberty = 354 stairs to Liberty’s Crown.
2. Empire State Building = 1,860 stairs.
3. Eiffel Tower = 1,669 stairs.
4. Washington Monument = 897 stairs.
Bypassing the elevators for the stairs gives your body a chance to burn more
calories and improve your aerobic condition. This is just one more tool you can use
to create a healthier lifestyle for today and for the rest of your life.
“Step It Up!”
by Adam Konopelski, OT
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