Category: Real Estate

Stairs: Friend or Foe?

9/18/2018

Currently we represent a charming 1920's cottage in Summerland. It has great one-hundred-eighty-degree views. But like most of Summerland there are power lines and some freeway noise.

Life is full of trade-offs. If you want a quiet village life, great Channel views at a super price, you’ll probably need to give on some other features. That’s Summerland.

Author

Earl Wilcox

Yet in open house after open house, do you know what the single biggest concern was?

Stairs. Too many stairs.

I am not just talking about the aged or the infirm. I am talking about hale and healthy forty, fifty, and sixty-year-olds. I am talking about people who should be able to easily navigate stairs today,

And there weren’t that many.

That got me to thinking:
Are stairs really bad for you?

Time to Google. Here’s what I found.

There is a big aging-in-place movement. People want to stay in their homes as long as possible. For many that means finding ways to avoid or modify stairs in an effort to make elderly life easier and safer.

But here is the real question. Should we give up on stairs?

Numerous studies indicate that not only are stairs great exercise, but they improve cognitive function, and likely contribute to a longer healthier life.

According to the StepJockey (a corporate wellness provider):

Climbing just eight flights of stairs a day lowers average early mortality risk by 33%
Seven minutes stair climbing a day can halve the risk of heart attack over 10 years
Just two minutes extra stair climbing a day is enough to stop average middle age weight gain

In a study done at McMaster University in Ontario researchers found that stair climbing “led to an improved state of the participants’ cardio-respiratory health, which means the ability of your circulatory, respiratory, and muscular systems to supply enough oxygen to your body during exercise.”

Australia’s Edith Cowan University found that the exercise could help protect people against diabetes.

And here’s the real kicker: Climbing stairs can contribute improved cognitive function. According to a study done at King’s College in the UK stronger legs contributes to decreased cognitive decline over time.

Sheena Aurora, M.D., a clinical associate professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University says "There is good evidence to state that exercise helps the brain function better…in part because motor learning helps other areas of the brain to function better as well, …and raising your heart rate (which happens when you work out) sends more blood to the brain, which is better for your cognitive function—especially over time.”

Your Brain on Stairs

While stairs may pose a challenge or even a danger to the elderly, frail, or infirm, having a few stairs in your life today might lead to a happier, healthier, longer, and even smarter life in the future.

Acknowledgements: Idea by lastspark from the Noun Project. Stairs by chappara from the Noun Project.

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Stairs: Friend or Foe?

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That got me to thinking:
Are stairs really bad for you?

Your Brain on Stairs

Compass & Pacific Union

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Life is simpler in Montecito.

CONTACT PAMELA REGAN NOW

SEND AN EMAIL REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION

Stairs: Friend or Foe?

Author

That got me to thinking: Are stairs really bad for you?

Your Brain on Stairs

Compass & Pacific Union

Author

Archives

Categories

Contact Us

That got me to thinking:
Are stairs really bad for you?