Take the stairs and increase your longevity!

Taking the stairs is undoubtedly the most convenient way for all of us to fit a little fitness into our busy days.  Athletes  have been using  stair climbing  for decades as part of their intense training programs,  but the message of "take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator" is finally sinking in with everyone else.

Taking the stairs is a free and easy way to get from point A to B while providing you with an intense workout that can be done in a short period of time. Start with a few steps or 10 steps from the bottom and add more as your core strength improves. If you work on the 12th floor of your office building get off the elevator on the 10th floor and walk the rest of the way up. Keep adding more flights of stairs as you get stronger and your endurance increases.

Here are a few reasons to climb:

- Just two flights of stairs climbed every day can lead to a 2.7-kilogram (5.9 pound) weight loss over one year.

- Active stair climbers are more fit and have a higher aerobic capacity.

- Studies have found people who climb more than 55 flights of stairs every week live longer.

-  Stair climbing can maintain and promote healthy bone density in post-menopausal women.

- Stair-climbing  can help  improve the amount of HDL -- good cholesterol -- in the blood.

- Stair climbing increases leg power , tightens your glutes, and helps develop good core stability.

Need I say more? Take the stairs at every opportunity!