Since many office workers spend the entire workday at their desks, it is hard to incorporate physical activity into work environments. Using the stairs is one good way to keep active, but most offices have been designed to be elevator-centric, with stairs shunted off to the side as an afterthought. In recent years, however, some employers have begun to understand the cost of physical inactivity and are making stairs a central element of the workplace.
Sometimes encouraging stair use can be as simple as making stairwells more attractive. One such change took place at the NC Mutual Insurance Company, a large, African-American owned business in Durham, North Carolina. The initiative was led by Wake County Human Services, which received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control to promote workplace health. After seeing a presentation on the benefits of physical activity, the board of NC Mutual voted to renovate the stairwell at the company.s headquarters. A committee bringing together employees and public health officials from Wake County Human Services and the Durham County Health Department oversaw the project.
The stairwell was carpeted and given fresh coats of paint, and paintings by a local artist were hung to make the environment attractive. Promotional signs were placed throughout the building to raise awareness of the stairs. The committee also installed electronic counters in the stairwell, and found that stair use has doubled since the renovation.
Goal
Making Stair Use Attractive For Company Employees