Take the stairs. Everyday movements count.

2 mins to read

Modern technology has engineered movement out of our lives. Online weight loss coach Andrew Cate explains how introducing random acts of movement, such as taking the stairs instead of a lift, can help to manage your weight.

Everyday health

How can taking the elevator trigger weight gain?
Weight gain occurs when kilojoule intake exceeds kilojoule expenditure. Modern life has dramatically reduced the amount of kilojoules people use for everyday living, with desk orientated work and countless energy-saving devices. For example, most buildings, airports, and shopping centers provide elevators and escalators to move between floors. The stairs often sit next to the escalators, looking shiny and new due to their limited use. But it's not just elevators and escalators that tickle our lazy bones. Cars, mobile phones, remote controls, electronic toothbrushes and computers all reduce the amount of movement we perform every day. With the cumulative effect of reduced kilojoule use from all this technology, it's little wonder that excess body fat has become a common health problem.

The research
A study published in the journal Science compared the amount of kilojoules that both lean and overweight subjects used during incidental movements such as sitting, standing and walking. A physical activity monitoring system was used to record posture and movement every half second for 10 days. It was discovered that overweight subjects spent an average of 164 minutes longer sitting each day compared to lean subjects. There was little difference in sleep time between the two study groups. This led researchers to surmise that overweight people could expend an additional 1500 kilojoules a day by adopting the non-exercise activities of their lean counterparts.

Activities such as taking the stairs instead of the lift, accumulated over time and combined with other incidental movement, could add up and potentially lead to substantial weight loss.

Additional research published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation examined the impact of increased stair use in a workplace setting. It found that after 12 weeks, inactive staff who became regular stair-climbers saw significant improvements in markers of stamina, waist circumferences, body weight and heart health.

Using everyday movements such as taking the stairs for weight control
While structured and planned exercise is important, it is not the only type of exercise that can prevent weight gain. The cumulative effect of incidental movement (also called spontaneous physical activity) can have just as much impact on weight loss as the cumulative effect of energy-saving technology on weight gain. Incidental movement involves being more active when it might be easier not to, such as walking up a flight of stairs instead of taking a lift or escalator.

Some of the advantages of taking the stairs are:

You'll boost energy levels - A short burst of activity can elevate your breathing rate and boost circulation giving you a physical and motivational lift.
You'll burn excess kilojoules - Stairs may help you to burn kilojoules at a faster rate than at rest. Try to walk up and down stairs at a fast pace to maximise the kilojoule-burning and health-giving benefits.
You'll take more steps - If you wear a pedometer, taking the stairs will boost your step count and increase your chances of weight loss. Get familiar with the location of stairs in your surroundings, and seek them out instead of avoiding them.
You'll help the planet - Taking the stairs instead of a lift is good for the environment as it reduces your carbon footprint.
It's free - Stairs are a great training tool that cost you nothing to use. It's not hard to find a set of stairs anywhere, and they may even save you time if the lifts are busy.

References available on request