Everyday Systems

No, I'm not moving to San Francisco. But we are moving to another office building, and I'll be moving up to the 7th floor instead of the second. And these are tall "double" floors, so it's more like 14.

My goal is to not use the elevator unless socially impossible. I've made similar resolutions before, but it was never enough of an issue because at work and home I've been so close to the ground. I'm in pretty good shape at this point, so this is less about exercise than it is about character building -- but I imagine it will be pretty friggin good as exercise.

Any fellow vertical rangers out there?

Reinhard

Oh yes. I will always take the stairs if at all possible. This was one of the first things I started doing for myself before I even found NoS and SG.

It's one of the easiest things to incorporate into your day too, cos waiting for the elevator takes about the same amount of time as just going up under your own steam.

Have fun!
C.

Reinhard,

When I was about 20 I lived in a high-rise apt. building. For the first few months I lived on the seventh floor and then I moved to the twelvth. I never took the elevator unless I had groceries to carry. In short order I was in the best shape of my life--so much so that a previous room-mate didn't recognize me when he dropped by for a visit. I had to buy jeans which were too big in the waist so that my thighs would fit.

My current work location has only three floors but I never take the elevator and I always take extra flights whenever I'm in the stairwell. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I climb the steps one at a time but on M/W/F I climb them either two or three steps at a time. I have left behind almost all of my knee problems by using this practice.

All of this stairs practice plus flat-land urban rangering is why it doesn't concern me that shovelglove "don't work the legs."

I'm interested in how this works out for you. Can you keep us updated?

thanks,
David

I'm with y'all on the stairs thing. I work on the second floor of my building, so many days it's just one flight up and one flight down - but sometimes I'll come in through the rear entrance - which goes to the basement and hence is another flight. And if I have the need to go to another floor, I'll always take the stairs... though 3 flights is the most I've ever really had to do at once.

Glad I'm in such good company here.

Day one done, and so far, so ok.

I took the elevator once because I couldn't find the stairs, but now I have and hopefully that's it for the Infernal Device. The stairway is pretty nice in this building (well lit, lots of glass), and I didn't find the 7 flights too painful. The awed looks I get at the top are great motivation, though I imagine they'll be even more awed and motivating once I'm conditioned enough not to be huffing and puffing so much.

De-elevate.. de-escalate...

Reinhard

Hi Reinhard!
This will make you really really fit!!!!!
Real stairs on regular basis is great!!!!

I used to climb five flights a day at the Swedish Institute five days a week, and only took the elevator if I was late for a test!
Before I went to school for massage I was delivering food to industrial park type offices for a restaurant... Between the walking back and forth from my car to the building, and the, on average 15 flights of stairs a day I climbed, I can say that my legs were in the best physical shape of my whole adulthood...

Seven flights is alot at one go, but I know you!
You can do it!!! It's a major blood pumping adrenaline rush!

Yay Reinhard!!!
Next years photo better be of you in shorts!
LOL..

Peace and Love,
Deb

Thanks, Deb.

I'm finding it surprisingly easy. Horizontal urban ranger has prepared me well for this. It's been twice a day so far, and as I mentioned, they're pretty tall flights of stairs, and I bolt up them fast (at least, the first 4 or so are fast). I guess I can skip the hindu squats from now on. Not to knock squats, but if I can perform an actual real exertion instead of exercise, I'll take it every time.

Reinhard

Yeah real stairs are a much better workout!
I think Carolejo wrote a funny post about people on the "stair climbers" versus the real thing...
I wish I could find it, but it's very true..
When I worked at the gym I noticed that people could be on the elliptical and stair climbing machines for long periods of time, but it was pretty funny that then, those same people used to take the real stairs (the gym was in a lower level of a shopping center with a few large flights of stairs) they all looked like they would keel over!

Have a nice weekend Reinhard!
Peace and Love,
Deb

Vertical urban ranger is still going well. I've only used the elevator twice since I started at the new office in early March (once when I didn't know where I was going, and once when my wife and daughter came to visit). It's 175 steps, and I go up twice a day (morning and after lunch). Mornings I bound up 2 steps at a time, afternoons I take more leisurely single steps. It's been fantastic for my bike muscles -- I never have to change gears anymore going uphill (I'm not a regular enough biker for biking to have given me such bike muscles). I also go down the stairs instead of using the elevator, which isn't much exercise but good for habit, I think, and appeals to my sense of natural balance (what goes up should come down, right? I don't want to build up some sort of weird, subtle deficit).

Hi Reinhard
I beg to differ with you about the muscles not being worked in walking down stairs...

Some muscles do work as you walk down stairs, though not at all in the same way...
And the weight bearing gentle impact is good for your bones

That is great to hear how kickass strong your legs are getting!!!
Two at a time yet!!!
Wow!!!

You Rock!!!!
Peace and Love,
Deb

I'm so glad I read this post, it has inspired me. My office is moving into a building where we will be on the 6th floor. My goal for the first week is to go up 2 floors, then each week build up, one floor per week, until I'm able to do all 6 floors! This goal is entirely because I've read this post. I'm very excited to have some real exercise to look forward to. This is movement with purpose. Going to a gym, yuk, not necessary.

Excellent resolution, Operababe.

Your 6th floor office is a tremendous opportunity.

It'll take some effort up front, but you'll be amazed how it gets easier.

Let us know how it goes,

Reinhard

Thank you for the encouragement Reinhard! Our office is either moving to the new location mid-August or end of August, not quite finalized yet. At the moment we're street level, so all I can do for the time being is just walk back and forth to work. I am really looking forward to starting this, and I will report on my progress.

I look forward to it!

Your plan of starting with just a couple flights of stairs and then ramping up is a good one. By far the most important thing is to make a habit of doing some every day you're in the office. The physical part is comparatively easy once you get that down (though its a great excuse *not* to get that part down if you're overambitious in the beginning).

Best wishes,

Reinhard

Just wanted to post that I'm still doing this -- I haven't used the elevator since my last post, and walk up those 175 steps twice a workday.

Damn!!!!
No wonder you look so great!
I'm starting this next week when I return to work on Monday and Tuesday..
But it will be a measely three flights!!!

Go Reinhard!

Peace and Love,
Deb

gratefuldeb67 wrote:I'm starting this next week when I return to work on Monday and Tuesday..But it will be a measely three flights!!!

Beats my mere three steps.
But...My job requires me to be on my feet all night and go up and down those three steps at least 60-70 times each way per shift.
Must count for something, right? lol

Way to go, Reinhard! And best of luck to everyone else with the "climbing" endeavors!

Hi Reinhard, unless you are in a hurry, try going VERY SLOWLY down the stairs, basically using your muscles to slow down gravity.... I guarantee you'll get some exercise from that, especially if you start skipping steps on the slow way down....

The idea is to slowly and gently lift your body weight downwards, using only one leg, lift your body down all the way, rather than just launch your body forward and let gravity pull you down.

Make sense?

Yeah, if you go slowly down the stairs and never let your knees fully straighten it's pretty intense.

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gratefuldeb67 wrote:
I'm starting this next week when I return to work on Monday and Tuesday..But it will be a measely three flights!!!
Beats my mere three steps.
But...My job requires me to be on my feet all night and go up and down those three steps at least 60-70 times each way per shift.
Must count for something, right? lol

Yes it does!!!
And btw.. I quit that job! LOL

So...NO steps now?

My only problem with the slow stairs thing is it sort of blunts the "purposeful" part of rangering... also I might get some funny looks. Though I guess the way I bolt up stairs now also gets me some funny looks. Thanks for the tip, though!

Reinhard