Take the stairs

Using an elevator rather than taking the stairs could be a metaphor for the obese American’s battle with weight loss. As widely reported, Americans, by a large percentage, are unhealthy.

But why?

Do we take the easy way out?

Maybe?

Do we use the elevator rather than taking the stairs?

Enter the metaphor.

Does the elevator represent the easy way out? Is it the quick way to what we want? Need?

Is the elevator the quick route from point A to point B, just as the fast food joint can be the easy way to grab breakfast, lunch and dinner? I have to say, these are the things I was wondering as I was tackling the stairs at the AT&T Sports Center on Wednesday.

Stairs have been a part of my circuit training. Five sets of stairs, up two flights and down, are separated by another exercise. It’s certainly a great way to work out. But as I was running myself up and down these flights of stairs I started to think how often the typical person avoids the stairs.

Head to a 10-story office building or even the 5th Avenue Mall in Anchorage, and how often does the average person use the stairs. The percentage using the stairs is probably far less than those who do. And when I mean far, I mean absolutely, ridiculously less.

So, do those averages translate into other areas of society? Do they parallel the number of families who consistently stop by a fast food place to grab food rather than packing a more sensible meal?

I think it might.

As a person who has spent a decent portion of their life overweight, I can say that part of the problem is simply taking the easy way out. It’s easy to stop by the burger place and grab a few things off the dollar menu, rather than putting together that sack lunch. It’s easy to skip the work out and say you can do it later. And it’s easy to take the elevator rather than the stairs.

Creating new habits is obviously the challenge when it comes to developing this new lifestyle. There have to be some changes.

Sometimes you have to eliminate the easy route when it comes to diet.

And sometimes, you just have to take the stairs.

Continued luck to all,

JB