Healthy holiday shopping tip: take the stairs

by Thor on Nov. 16th, 2007
in Human Organism

comments

Stairway to health: English researchers have found that twice as many people will take the stairs rather than ride an escalator when signs tell them the health benefits of climbing up under your own power.
Courtesy Zach KAre you gearing up for your holiday shopping trips? You’ve got your list of items to get, a map of the malls and stores to make the rounds to. But what about your health?

A new study conducted in England has found that stores that encourage the health benefits of climbing the stairs are seeing a dip in the number of people using escalators.

Over a six-week period in shopping centers were colorful signs were put up by stairwells extolling the benefits of going vertical under your own power, usage of stairs by shoppers doubled. Without the signs, about four percent of shoppers hoofed it up and down the stairs. After the signs, that figure went up to 10 percent.

As we’ve become a more convenience-oriented society, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to challenge ourselves physically during our daily routines. Researchers on this project are hoping some simple signs can have a positive impact on people’s health.

Your Comments, Thoughts, Questions, Ideas

Liza says:

I don't need a sign telling me it's good for me to walk the stairs. I just need a sign telling me where the stairs ARE! In many, many public places, stairs are hidden away and inaccessible.

posted on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 2:16pm

Thor says:

Except at the Science Museum of Minnesota, where there are stairs everywhere, but people don't read the signs to see which stairway they should be taking!

posted on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 2:21pm