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| NYC:Take the Stairs Campaign |
Unless you are a professional athlete, your average workday does not translate into structured exercise. Think again.
A recent publication in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine reviewed the evidence of short bouts (10 minutes) of physical activity in an organizational (work or school) routine. Activities included stretching, walking, and taking the stairs.
The majority of worksite related studies found a positive effect of the intervention on physical activity levels with half of the studies observing improvements in work performance indicators ( cognitive performance, work productivity); psychosocial factors (stress, mood); and clinical disease risk indicators (blood pressure, BMI). The average study duration was more than 1 year with several reporting outcomes at 3–6 years.
Although activity levels were by no means strenuous, physical activity promotion at the organizational level may have health benefits and may be sustainable. This appears to be backed by science.
I guess that I will be taking the stairs henceforth.
