Skyrocket Your Productivity by Moving Around

When was the last time you took the stairs when there was an elevator right there? The stairs can actually help you have a more productive day. (Or as in my case help curb impatience.) January 11 is National Take the Stairs Day, so try it out if you’re not already taking the steps!

How can taking the stairs be a productive thing to do when it takes longer?

There’s a lot of confusion about what productivity is, for one thing. It’s not being busy or constantly doing things. It’s about accomplishing your goals and working with your brain so you make effective and smart decisions. 

So many people think that one activity, which takes less time than another activity, is a more productive thing to do. So it seems obvious that taking the elevator should be more productive than taking the stairs if it takes less time, right?

I think Simon Sinek (IIRC) talks about the two lumberjacks out in the woods. One lumberjack is sawing away all day. But the other lumberjack leaves periodically for a few minutes each time and ends up with a much bigger pile of wood than the first one. 

The first lumberjack says, “I was out here all day sawing and sawing, and you kept leaving your sawing yet your lumber pile is much bigger than mine. How did that happen?”

The second lumberjack replies, “When I left the woods every time, I was sharpening my saw.”

When it comes to accomplishing your goals and enjoying a productive day, sharpening the saw means working with your brain instead of against it. 

Moving your body is good for your brain (and therefore helps you have a more productive day). That’s why, as counterintuitive as it may seem, the stairs are better than the elevator. Physical movement brings oxygenated blood to your brain, which helps you think better and make better decisions. That’s in addition to the physical benefits you get, such as making your heart, lungs, and muscles stronger. 

And with the example of stairs v. elevator, very often taking the stairs (if it’s only one or two flights especially) is faster than the elevator anyway. In certain physical spaces, such as hospitals or assisted living homes, the elevators are designed to be extremely slow so that elderly and disabled people have time to get in. If you’re not elderly or disabled the stairs are a faster bet.

Though many Americans associate physical activity with losing weight, it’s actually not as helpful for weight loss as watching your food intake is. But there are so many other benefits to getting your butt out of the chair that it’s important for everyone, especially business owners.

Physical movement can also make you feel better if you’re a little blue, and if you’re having a stressful day getting some stairs in (and other exercises) will help you destress and think more clearly. You know you get more accomplished when you’re not mentally fogged and even just 5-10 minutes of moving around will help you clear it out.

A stint in the gym for a half hour a day is better than nothing, but not as good as movement throughout the day

Gym culture has a strong hold on the American psyche, and many business owners start (or end) their day with some time in the gym. It’s not a bad thing, and will certainly help you have a more productive day compared to one where you get zero exercise… 

… but it’s not enough for optimal health (both physical and mental). You can be perfectly healthy without ever going to the gym as long as you find other ways to get in your physical exercise.

Either way, getting in more movement during the day is a more productive thing to do – yes, even if you’re taking time away from your desk! Especially if you’re taking time away from your desk, because it gives you a chance to get a different perspective on what you’re doing. 

If you work in an office building, you can get more movement in by doing a series of stairs, and you can do that even when the weather outside is miserable. Park further from the entrance to the gym (!!) and the store, or take a walk at lunch, etc.

I once worked in an office that was on the same floor as a pediatrician’s office and the bathrooms were centrally located for the entire floor. So for purely sanitary reasons, I started using the bathroom on an upper floor and taking the stairs to get there. Then it became a habit every time I worked in an office with that kind of bathroom setup.

Taking the stairs can embarrass your younger colleagues – if you need more motivation

Most people take the elevator out of habit, but you can certainly let your younger colleagues (or employees) know that you’ve been taking the stairs. If they haven’t been doing it for a while, the results will probably embarrass them. Now if THAT’s not motivation I don’t know what is!

For a while, I worked in an office building with four floors and a parking garage underneath. I took the stairs every day. As a seasoned professional (I like that better than middle-aged – don’t you?) I have a pace that I can walk comfortably for miles at, and a pace that I take stairs with so I don’t have to pause to catch my breath.

One day one of my younger colleagues decided to take the stairs with me, but he bolted up the first couple of flights. Then he had to stand on the landing panting while I passed him and encouraged him to keep going. He was mortified. 

Now if he’d kept taking the stairs and built it into a habit, eventually he would have ended up passing me and getting to the top before me. It does take some repetition to build up your stair-climbing tolerance. 

If you can only make a couple of flights at first, do that and get stronger. Go slow and you can make it up there. Humans evolved on the savannah to be able to move a lot, even if not as fast as other animals. The persistence predator in me honors the persistence predator in you. 

Recap

Taking the stairs provides a more productive day, and adding in any kind of movement during the day will help you be more healthy and productive. What more can you ask for?