31 Mar The Importance of Taking the Stairs
As we age, walking up hills and taking the stairs are some of the first capabilities that start to decline, and they go downhill fairly rapidly once we start to struggle which is why I advocate taking the stairs as often as you can for as long as you can because by doing so you should be able to continue on for many years
No, not the stair lift!
You may be way off the age of getting a stair lift, but as with this wise Chinese proverb – The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is today – we need to take that advice to heart and get started today.
I don’t want to put stair-lift people out of business, but I do want you to have a better quality of life for as long as is possible. Don’t forget if you can’t get up a flight of stairs, you will soon lose the ability to get up just one or two steps, which could confine you to your home, mean you can’t manage a curb, or even smaller steps within your home – prevention is always better than cure.
Set some Bright Line Rules
Bright Lines are non-negotiable contracts you make with yourself around certain aspects of your life. Simply put, you agree with yourself that you either are or are not going to do something that you feel strongly about, or only allow yourself to do certain, maybe unhealthy things, at specific times.
One of my Bright Line Rules is, I always take the stairs unless I have a very heavy load, or there is no option to do so, which is rare. I have even been known, although not often, to take the 193 steps at Covent Garden underground station – equivalent to a 15-story building! Simply put my Bright Line Rules are non-negotiable to me, so I stick with them. – check out my blog on Bright Line Rules for more information.
What makes people stand?
I am always amazed when I see people standing on escalators, you will have noticed it too, and probably even do it yourself. Why is this I wonder? They are still stairs after all, it’s just that they are moving stairs, so even if you are lazy and choose to take the escalator, at least walk up while it is moving, you will get there a whole heap faster and will get some stair climbing practice in too, it’s a win-win.
And as for lifts, some people will go just one floor in a lift without even considering the stairs, it is a sign of pure laziness and a lack of understanding that as with most things in life, if you don’t use it, you will lose it. Don’t start the decline early in your life, hunt out the stairs and notice the difference in your stair-climbing ability over time. Even now you may struggle with a couple of flights of stairs or a steep hill if you are out of practice!
Health is wealth
As we all know, making small changes can make a huge difference in our lives over time, and taking the stairs more often is a perfectly good example of this. Your health is so important, don’t ever take it for granted. Small habit shifts that you can stick to, and are sustainable, will soon become second nature, and then you won’t even hover over the escalator you will automatically plump for the stairs every time, and feel way better for it.
Don’t forget that the fitter we are and the more muscle we build, the better our metabolism is even when we are resting, so don’t shy away from those stairs, they are there to help you every time. Better metabolism = greater weight loss.
The importance of movement
Climbing stairs, walking up hills, or just simply getting off our backsides sets all sorts of bodily functions in motion, the heart, the lungs, the digestive tract, and even the bowels, however, one of the most important systems that exercise activates is the lymphatic drainage system, which, unlike the heart, does not have a pump so requires regular movement to assist it.
Known as the body’s waste disposal unit, the lymphatic drainage system is responsible for cleaning out viruses, rogue bacteria, damaged cells, and other cellular waste, by doing this it helps to fight infection and clean out the debris. As you can imagine it is super important to keep moving so the waste disposal unit keeps working, it’s as simple as that.
Making deposits into your health bank account
Taking the stairs is like putting money into your health bank account, escalators and lifts draw it out, but stairs and hills are where the money is every time! Health is wealth, never forget that. Take the stairs every time.
Feed Good Habits
Kathy Mac
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Kathy Mac – author Feeding Good Habits – 12 weeks to rewire your mind, reset your habits and renew your relationship with food for improved health and sustained weight loss.