A study in a Canadian hospital has revealed that it is not just in terms of exercise where stairs have the edge over an elevator.

The research carried out at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that doctors saved around 15 minutes during their workday by simply taking the stairs rather than the elevator.

This was partly put down to the fact that there is no waiting time for the staircase as opposed to the lift, therefore making it a more efficient way of getting around the hospital.

With health professionals advising that it is good to find ways to add exercise to a person’s daily routine by choosing the stairs over a lift, these findings are sure to make people think again before going for the less energetic route to the next floor.

However, the senior researcher of the study, Dr. Thomas Wilson, noted that people usually head straight for the lift as a matter of habit, expecting it to save them valuable time. But he pointed out that this is not always the case.

He added:

“People should seriously consider taking the stairs.

“I think we’re all in the habit of just punching the elevator button.”