Stairway to Heaven—and Better Glutes
One day not too long ago, a few of us here in the office were waiting for the elevator. When it took too long, we decided to climb the 12 flights up to our office. I made an offhand joke that we should always take the stairs. By the time I'd gotten back to my desk, I had an Outlook request to stair climb four days a week from one of my "climbing buddies". So now three of us take the elevator down and climb back up 12 flights of stairs. By the 6th floor my thighs are burning, by 10 it's hard to breathe, and by 12 my heart is pounding so hard I seriously worry it might burst.
Of course, it hasn't gotten to the point where I will automatically take the stairs when I arrive for work in the morning, or when returning from lunch. That would just seem masochistic. But it has given me a greater appreciation for the people who willingly--even eagerly!--participate in the United Way CN Tower stair climb, happening in less than a month (Thursday, October 23, and the weekend of October 25-26). I'm just trying to tighten my glutes; these people are climbing for a worthy cause.
To make myself feel better, I Googled the benefits of stair climbing and found that it could save my life, according to this study by a team of researchers at the University of Geneva and found this list of benefits from McGill. I'm so convinced now I might start using the stairs when I arrive in the morning as well.
I'll let you know when I start to see a difference.