People taking the stairs instead of elevator at work can expect to live longer, according to a Swiss study released on Monday.

Regularly walking from floor to floor in an office building decreased mortality risk by 15 percent, said Dr. Philippe Meyer, the main author of the study, which was done at the University Hospital of Geneva.

Banning the use of lifts and escalators led to better fitness, less body fat, trimmer waistlines and a drop in blood pressure, the study found.

Using the stairs improves fitness, body composition, blood pressure and lipid profiles, Meyer was quoted as saying by the Swissinfo news website.

"The challenge remains to develop successful population-based interventions, which promote physical activities that can be easily integrated into everyday life," he said.

For the study, 77 employees from Geneva University with a sedentary lifestyle were recruited to take only the stairs over a three-month period, Swissinfo reported.

Results showed an increase in aerobic capacity, a decline in waist circumference, weight, fat mass, blood pressure and cholesterol.

"This suggests that stair climbing can have major public health implications." Meyer said.

Professor Adam Timmis, consultant cardiologist at The London NHS Trust, said: "It's a small study but valuable because it provides a practical way for busy working people to increase their exercise capacity.

"Although the amount of exercise appears small, the benefits were clear in improving physical fitness and reducing body fat and blood pressure."
  
  本周一公布的一项瑞士研究表明，上下班不坐电梯走楼梯能让你更长寿。

据研究负责人菲利普•迈尔博士介绍，上下班坚持走楼梯能够将死亡风险降低15%。

据该项在日内瓦大学附属医院开展的研究发现，上下班坚持走楼梯能够增强体质，而且能减掉脂肪、腰围和降血压。

瑞士资讯网援引迈尔博士的话说，坚持爬楼梯能够提高身体素质，改善身体结构、血压和血脂水平。

他说：“走楼梯上下班有待发展成为改善公众健康的一大方式，这不仅能锻炼身体，在日常生活中也很容易做到。”

据瑞士资讯网报道，研究人员从日内瓦大学邀请了77名平时有久坐习惯的员工参与该研究，让他们在三个月内只能走楼梯上下班。

三个月后，研究人员发现，这些人的有氧能力得以增强，而且腰围、体重、脂肪指数、血压和胆固醇水平都有所下降。

迈尔博士说：“这说明爬楼梯对改善公众健康能起到很大作用。”

“伦敦全民健康医疗服务基金会”心脏病专家顾问亚当•迪米斯教授说：“虽然这项研究规模不大，但很有价值，因为它为‘上班族’们提供了一种很实用的锻炼身体的办法。”

“尽管运动量看起来很小，但对于增强体质、减少身体脂肪和降血压却有明显效果。”