Skip The Elevator

After recently moving into my dorm room, located on the fifth floor, I quickly realized I'd either be: A) Spending a lot of time waiting for the elevator or B) Getting my butt into shape by walking up those 5 lengthy flights of stairs.

Considering I'm an impatient person and like to keep fit, I assume I'll often opt for the latter option (which I've been doing quite frequently). While I can't say I love climbing stairs, I've discovered that the activity itself will be doing my body wonders.

After doing some research, I found that climbing stairs burns 7 calories a minute, where as standing in an elevator only burns one calorie a minute as well as burns up a lot of time. If I were to take the stairs for just 10 minutes 7 times a week, which is quite likely considering the number of times I stop in and out of my room, I'd be burning 490 calories a week. That means I'd be burning almost 2,000 calories a month, just by taking the stairs!

If you're looking for an easy activity to add some exercise into your everyday life, skip the elevator and hit the stairs. If you do not often take the stairs, I guarantee that after awhile you will notice yourself beginning to slim down. And almost immediately, you will probably notice your leg muscles beginning to tone. In particular, climbing stairs tones the quadriceps and buttocks muscles. You can consider this activity similar to those arduous lunges you do at the gym. So think of it this way, you can bring the gym to almost any building you go to. One step at a time you'll be slimming down and boosting your health. Give it a try and see what you notice.