Sitting in the waiting area at JMU's Blue Ridge Hall recently I observed the large number of able bodied people using the elevator instead of the stairs.
This got me thinking about an idea I thought I'd post here for your response. What if we all got behind a "Steps to Better Health" campaign to encourage more stair use, perhaps by creating an attractive note that could be posted on elevator doors that went something like: "If able, use the stairs to improve your health and save energy."
Climbing stairs forces you to lift your body weight, so it strengthens your legs and hips while also getting your heart rate up. It's a super-easy way to sneak in some cardio: The average person burns almost 150 calories in just 20 minutes of stair-climbing, which is equivalent to around 33 minutes of yoga or 35 minutes of brisk walking.
For people who are concerned about enhancing their physical well being as well as the health of the planet, this could be a low cost effort that could spread everywhere. And maybe someone could design a catchy logo and/or a slogan to go with it.
Your thoughts?
P. S. And don't even get me started on the subject of able bodied people using automatic door openers designed for the handicapped.
4 comments:
Yea, Harvey! One exception, maybe, those heavy doors at the library and people with arthritic shoulders. I worry about a young neighbor who drives next door in a golf cart. And about the Amish, I doubt it would be possible to be obese if you ate only what you raised, canned and preserved! Anne
Anne, I'm OK with your exception. I've gotten a couple of positive emails on this, but we'll see whether we can turn this into a movement!
I like your idea of a sign on elevator doors!
About the automatic door openers...they also come in handy when I'm trying to maneuver through doors while pushing a stroller (and usually keeping track of a child or two - or more - at the same time). Plus, my youngest two boys think it's such great fun to push those buttons and watch the doors open! But I trust that we'll grow out of this stage eventually and then all be able to open the doors with our own strength and walk through them. ;-)
Thanks for your kind response. Just don't wait too long to teach your sons that door openers for the handicapped are not designed for the mere amusement of either children or grownups. But one could make a case for a stroller being a kind of "wheel chair for the very young."
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