Wellfie Wednesday Tip #133: #ClimbDC This FRIDAY (1/25/19)

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Welcome back! Happy Wellfie Wednesday! This week’s post is notice to an event coming up this Friday, 1/25/19, and brought to you by Nick Schmit, a physical therapist student and member of the Academy of Prevention and Health Promotion Therapies.

What happens when you bring a group of people with a passion for turning the “sick care” system into a true “health care system” together in Washington D.C.? You get #climbDC organized by the Academy of Prevention and Health Promotion Therapies (APHPT)! Small changes to your physical activity, like taking the stairs, can make a significant impact on your health and we want the D.C. community to experience this first hand. That’s why, in parallel with CSM on Friday, January 25th, we will attempt to summit Everest, a cumulative 29,029 feet, on staircases throughout the city.

Keep your eyes on #climbDC on social media for the exact locations, but we’ll be stationed throughout the city getting passersby to climb with us and celebrating their achievements. Join us, and bring some friends, at one of these spots to get in your stairs or hang for a while and help talk all things incidental physical activity and health. We also hope you’ll track all your stairs throughout the day, no matter if you’re local or remote and add to our cumulative elevation. Log your steps at www.aphpt.org/tracker.

Although the main goal of our event is to raise awareness about the large impact a small change can make on someone’s health, we are also raising money for a local non-profit that we feel exemplifies the mission of the APHPT - The After School All Stars D.C. You can get more information about #climbDC, track your steps, and make your donation or pledge at www.aphpt.org/CSM.

Thank you for all of your support and we hope to see you on the steps! - Nick Schmit

Thanks for all of the support, be sure to post your pictures this week and tag the WW crew members in your post (@TheFuelPhysio, @Eric_in_AmERICa, @FreestylePhysio, @DianaKlatt) and keep the wave of healthy change going!

- WW Crew

Wellness Wednesday Tip #6: Take the Stairs

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Happy Wednesday Everyone!

     This week’s tip involves adding some additional physical activity to your day. I want to first give credit to the University of Salford for sparking the idea. Check out the photos of their elevators and stairs, an awesome way to remind people to move more. I wouldn’t be opposed to having messages like this posted on every elevator. 

     I know sometimes we feel our day is too busy or cut short, and we find it difficult to find time for exercise. Stairs are an excellent way to give your physical activity level a little boost. In many instances I’ve found the stairs to be faster than the elevator, eliminating that factor of time you may have. The research behind increasing your physical activity and the benefits of exercise is scientifically strong. This post could be pages long if I gave you all the benefits of moving more throughout your day, so instead I’ll I just share with you the CDC’s benefits of physical activity. 

  • Controls your weight
  • Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and some cancers
  • Strengthens your bones and muscles
  • Improves your mental health and mood
  • Improves your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls
  • Increases your chances of living longer

     But let’s say you work on the 32nd floor, there’s no need to climb all those stairs if you’re not in a healthy position to do so, start out small and gradually add. Don’t think of the stairs as just a part of the fire escape route, think of them as a way to easily add some exercise to your day. So take the stairs, even if it’s just one flight of them, you’ll be glad you did!

Thanks for reading! Continue to spread the word for #WellfieWednesday and share your healthy lifestyle accomplishments. 

- Dr. Patrick Berner, PT, DPT
- Dr. Eric Uveges, PT, DPT