Wellness

StairWell and Hydration Challenge —
Climb Your Way to the Top!

8 week challenge to promote and increase stair usage, physical activity and hydration

Taking the stairs is one way to be more physically active. At work, employees are often presented with a choice between taking the stairs and taking an elevator or escalator. Choosing the stairs instead of the elevator is a quick way for people to add physical activity to their day. And with increased physical activity, especially during the summer months, staying hydrated is important.

Goal: Increase use of the stairs vs. the elevator and increase hydration to support increase in physical activity.

The Challenge began July 10th and ends September 6, 2012. 

Throughout the 8-week challenge you will:

• Virtually climb a building in one of 8 major cities and track your flights on the tracking log provided.
• Each week, the goal gets progressively higher.
• Weekly tips will be distributed containing fun facts about the building and city, a sample stair workout/exercise, and hydration tip.
• Earn a reward for meeting 6 out of 8 goals (reaching the top of the building)
• For those that track their daily hydration, minimum of 64 oz a day, will be entered into a raffle for one of 25 Insulated Tumblers.

Milestone Levels

Kick Off Presentation and Program Overview

Tracking Card

Stair Workouts

Stair Workout Videos  - view short 20 second clips of 11 StairWell workout videos.

Please contact Julie Chobdee, Wellness Program Coordinator to be added to the Challenge list!

Benefits to taking the stairs:

• Taking the stairs can make a significant contribution to the 30 minutes of exercise we all need...every day.
• The 30 minutes of physical activity we need for our health can be accumulated one stairway at a time, spread out at intervals throughout the day.
• Physical activities like stair climbing are a great way to cope with job-related stress.
• Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday could result in a loss of 6lbs per year. Six flights a day could help you trim nearly 18 lbs. (results will vary based on other lifestyle/personal factors).
• Adding stairs to your day can add years to your life. Studies show that risk of cardiovascular disease and death is lower among those who are regular stair climbers.
• Stair climbing can also add life to your years. Those who climb stairs on a daily basis have greater leg strength and aerobic capacity, allowing them to participate more fully in a wide range of daily activities.
• Taking the stairs is often faster than waiting for an elevator during peak usage times. Take the test and time your trip. Often for trips of 7 floors or less, the stairs are the quickest way to your destination!
• Using the stairs requires no special skill, equipment or clothing and it burns twice as many calories as walking. So step right up!
• Stair climbing is a 'green' activity; the only energy source used is what is stored in our bodies.... good for you and the environment!
• UCR has 105 elevators on campus. If each of the 105 elevator climbs just one floor during the month, 14.4 lbs of CO2 (equivalent to ¾ of a gallon of gasoline) and about $2 in electricity costs are consumed.
• It’s a free workout!