Need energy? Head for the stairs
IF YOU start falling asleep at your desk, don’t make a cup of coffee – take to the stairs instead.
Ten minutes of walking up and down is more likely to energise you than a jolt of caffeine, a study has found.
The exercise is more stimulating than 50mg of caffeine, the equivalent of half a cup of coffee or a can of fizzy drink, the researchers say.
During the study participants either swallowed capsules containing caffeine or a placebo, or spent 10 minutes walking up and down 30 floors at a low-intensity pace.
The research aimed to simulate a typical office in which workers spend hours sitting in front of computers and don’t have time for a long period of exercise in the day.
Professor Patrick O’Connor, from the department of kinesiology at the University of Georgia in the US, said: “We found, in both the caffeine and the placebo conditions, that there was not much change in how they felt.
“But with exercise they did feel more energetic and vigorous. It was a temporary feeling, felt immediately after the exercise, but with the 50mg of caffeine, we didn’t get as big an effect. Office workers can go outside and walk but weather can be less than ideal. A lot of people working in office buildings have access to stairs, so it’s an option to keep some fitness while taking a short break from work.”
The study participants were female college students who described themselves as chronically sleep deprived – getting less than six-and-a-half hours a night.
O’Connor wanted to compare an exercise that could be done by those who do not have enough time to change into workout clothes, take a shower then change back into work outfits. – Daily Mail