In observance of Earth Day, I took the stairs when leaving work rather than using the elevator down 24 flights of stairs. I do that every once in a while. Good exercise.
A couple weeks ago I walked down 14 flights of stairs at the Tribune Tower, and it took a lot longer than i thought. For some reason going down seemed to take longer than going up. Maybe I was just being impatient thinking that going down stairs should go really fast. I'd like to learn some sort of acrobatic move where I can just climb down the staircase using only the railing and not having my feet touch the stairs at all. That would rock. Get down the stairs in like 10 seconds.
Going down the stairs is good exercise? Really? Hmm ... I keep telling myself I'm going to walk up at least 3 flights when I go home (I live on the 12th floor) ... and I've thought about walking down all 12 flights, but don't see the exercise value. There is no stairway access at work.
When my brother and I were very young, we used to slide down the hand-rail of the stairs in our house. We would just pull our sleeve over our hand and then grab onto the handrail and pick up our feet. Voila, we could make it all the way to the bottom without setting foot on the stairs.
I'll never understand what prevented that handrail from snapping in the middle or coming out of the wall while we slid down.
Another fun way to get down the stairs as a child was to sit on a satin blanket/comforter or on a big piece of cardboard and slide down the stairs.
It's a wonder we survived childhood with no broken bones or concussions.
Posted by: Mark R on Apr 23, 08 | 10:11 am
OK, I'm back to say that walking down 12 flights of stairs every morning is not only good for the environment but obviously very good exercise. I didn't expect much, but I can feel the muscles in my legs responding to the new regime. Maybe walking down 12 flights is better than walking up 3.
Try getting lost on the Coit Tower hill in San Francisco and walking up and down the hills. Actually, that wasn't too bad. Although I thought walking down would be a breeze after walking up, but it's like you have to be really careful when you walk down and bracing every step.
