Tip of the Day- Take the Stairsby Alison Palmer | More from this Blogger 08 Feb 2007 09:36 AM If you were to visit my home you'd notice something. Well, something other than the total disarray and the dishes in the sink. I make little piles of things on the stairs of my home. Little piles of things to go up the next time I have to go up. Little piles of things to go down the next time I go down. Some days this goes down in my book as time and labor saving. I cluster things together instead of distracting myself from the task at hand. Believe me; I'm easily distracted, especially when it comes to housework. On other days like today, I'm going to call myself a little lazy. Climbing up and down the stairs is good for me and since it's good for me I tend to avoid it.  Stair stepping is a popular aerobic workout. Why? It burns tons of calories and it's great for the thighs and backside. It builds your endurance, helps you breathe better, prevents osteoporosis and heart disease, and improves your health in all the ways only aerobic exercise can. You couldn't convince me to do it exclusively for 20 minutes (which, by the way, claims to burn as much as 400 calories). Remember, I'm easily distracted. You can, however, remind me to take the stairs instead of the escalator at the department store. I can make the quick trip up and down in my home when I need to put something away or get something. I can choose the stairs more often than the elevator. Taking the stairs gets a little embarrassing for me in public. Since I don't take them as much as I should, and I also have asthma, when I get to the top you really notice I took the stairs. I need to fix that. So today that's our goal. Choose the stairs as often as you have an opportunity, not just when it's convenient. Incidentally, it might actually turn out to be faster than waiting for the elevator anyway. Have a contest between your family members- the person who walked the most stairs that day gets dessert first (yes, I realize that's counter-productive). Or, keep track of the amount of time you spend on the stairs- going up and coming down- and then visit Canada's website for their health program "Stairway to Health" for a calorie calculator. It shouldn't really be about the calories, your stepping up to better health, but calories are easier to track than your cholesterol level. Any way it goes just take the stairs today! Related Articles: 10,000 Steps and Counting: My New Best Friend the Pedometer Learn more about Alison Palmer  Writing is Alison's favorite past time, but you can also frequently find her reading, playing piano, cooking, taking long walks, sewing, or playing with her family. Relevanthealth tags User Comments  Tristi Pinkston (10839) 09 Feb 2007 12:59 AMIf you set decorative baskets on the stairs, you could tie the piles in to your decor and give yourself a handle to carry everything! (I may not be helping you take the stairs more often, but I can help decorate the journey!)  Alison Palmer (269) 09 Feb 2007 06:43 AMI tried that once. :) My boys just thought is was an open invitation to use them as sleds down the stairs! Community Tags exercise, organization, stairs Discuss this article
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