Employees, students , shoppers , residents of multi-story apartment buildings and others all across America will be skipping the elevator and escalator on Wednesday January 8th and taking the stairs in recognition of “National Take The Stairs Day.”

“National Take The Stairs Day” is appropriately the second Wednesday of each January when at the beginning of the year people across our nation make a New Year’s resolution to exercise and lose weight. Taking the stairs can be a great routine Americans can add to each day throughout the year to burn calories and increase fitness.

Mr. Mark Trahanovsky , creator of “National Take the Stairs Day “ and president of The USA Stair Climbing Association notes that major companies like Verizon, Kaiser Permanente and sports and fitness website Active.com will be promoting this day to their employees. Kaiser Permanente was happily surprised by a study that showed doctors who work in a 6 floor or under building added 15 minutes to their day by taking the stairs and not waiting for an elevator.

Companies can see other benefits besides healthier and fitter employees such as energy savings and less environmental pollution created by elevator use.

In addition to businesses, gyms and personal trainers will be incorporating stair oriented exercises and workouts into classes for their clients on this day.

Trahanovsky is hoping all companies and fitness experts throughout the USA will encourage their employees and clients to take the stairs on January 8th. Some businesses may even include fun and creative ways to get people on the stairs. Mr. Arch Fuston, Creative Director at Active.com suggests that organizers could charge anyone taking an elevator a fee with the funds raised going to charity.

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