People taking the stairs instead of elevator at work can expect to live longer, according to a Swiss study released on Monday.
Regularly walking from floor to floor in an office building decreased mortality risk by 15 percent, said Dr. Philippe Meyer, the main author of the study, which was done at the University Hospital of Geneva.
Banning the use of lifts and escalators led to better fitness, less body fat, trimmer waistlines and a drop in blood pressure, the study found.
Using the stairs improves fitness, body composition, blood pressure and lipid profiles, Meyer was quoted as saying by the Swissinfo news website.
"The challenge remains to develop successful population-based interventions, which promote physical activities that can be easily integrated into everyday life," he said.
For the study, 77 employees from Geneva University with a sedentary lifestyle were recruited to take only the stairs over a three-month period, Swissinfo reported.
Results showed an increase in aerobic capacity, a decline in waist circumference, weight, fat mass, blood pressure and cholesterol.
"This suggests that stair climbing can have major public health implications." Meyer said.
Professor Adam Timmis, consultant cardiologist at The London NHS Trust, said: "It's a small study but valuable because it provides a practical way for busy working people to increase their exercise capacity.
"Although the amount of exercise appears small, the benefits were clear in improving physical fitness and reducing body fat and blood pressure."
瑞士周一發(fā)布一份研究報(bào)告指出,工作時(shí)間不乘電梯而是走樓梯的人活得更長(zhǎng)久.
該報(bào)告的主要作者菲立普'梅厄博士在這份由日內(nèi)瓦大學(xué)附屬醫(yī)院所做的報(bào)告中指出,經(jīng)常在寫字樓的各樓層間徒步上下可使死亡風(fēng)險(xiǎn)下降15個(gè)百分點(diǎn).
該研究發(fā)現(xiàn), 避免使用升降機(jī)和自動(dòng)扶梯可以強(qiáng)身健體,減少體脂肪,塑造腰部曲線,還能降低血壓.
瑞士資訊網(wǎng)援引梅厄博士的話說,爬樓梯可以增進(jìn)健康,改善體成分,血壓和血脂譜.
梅厄博士指出,"我們面臨的挑戰(zhàn)是如何成功地建立起一種基于大范圍人群的介入方法,從而對(duì)那些可以融入日常生活的鍛煉方式起到促進(jìn)作用."
據(jù)"瑞士資訊"報(bào)道, 日內(nèi)瓦大學(xué)77名長(zhǎng)期坐辦公室的雇員參與到了這項(xiàng)研究中來,在為期三個(gè)月的實(shí)驗(yàn)期里樓梯是他們上下樓的唯一途徑.
研究結(jié)果顯示,研究對(duì)象的有氧能力增強(qiáng),腰圍縮短,體重,脂肪團(tuán),血壓和膽固醇均有下降.
梅厄博士說,"這說明爬樓梯對(duì)公眾健康有著重要意義."
倫敦國(guó)民保健基金會(huì)的顧問心臟學(xué)家亞當(dāng).提米思教授認(rèn)為,"這項(xiàng)研究雖不起眼卻很有價(jià)值,因?yàn)樗鼮槊β档纳习嘧逄岣哌\(yùn)動(dòng)量提供了一條切實(shí)可行的途徑.
"雖然運(yùn)動(dòng)量很小,但在改善肌體健康,降低體脂肪和血壓等方面效果很明顯."