People taking the stairs instead of elevator at work can expect to live longer, according to a Swiss study released on Monday.

Regularly walking from floor to floor in an office building decreased mortality risk by 15 percent, said Dr. Philippe Meyer, the main author of the study, which was done at the University Hospital of Geneva.

Banning the use of lifts and escalators led to better fitness, less body fat, trimmer waistlines and a drop in blood pressure, the study found.

Using the stairs improves fitness, body composition, blood pressure and lipid profiles, Meyer was quoted as saying by the Swissinfo news website.

"The challenge remains to develop successful population-based interventions, which promote physical activities that can be easily integrated into everyday life," he said.

For the study, 77 employees from Geneva University with a sedentary lifestyle were recruited to take only the stairs over a three-month period, Swissinfo reported.

Results showed an increase in aerobic capacity, a decline in waist circumference, weight, fat mass, blood pressure and cholesterol.

"This suggests that stair climbing can have major public health implications." Meyer said.

Professor Adam Timmis, consultant cardiologist at The London NHS Trust, said: "It's a small study but valuable because it provides a practical way for busy working people to increase their exercise capacity.

"Although the amount of exercise appears small, the benefits were clear in improving physical fitness and reducing body fat and blood pressure."

瑞士周一發布一份研究報告指出,工作時間不乘電梯而是走樓梯的人活得更長久.

該報告的主要作者菲立普'梅厄博士在這份由日內瓦大學附屬醫院所做的報告中指出,經常在寫字樓的各樓層間徒步上下可使死亡風險下降15個百分點.

該研究發現, 避免使用升降機和自動扶梯可以強身健體,減少體脂肪,塑造腰部曲線,還能降低血壓.

瑞士資訊網援引梅厄博士的話說,爬樓梯可以增進健康,改善體成分,血壓和血脂譜.

梅厄博士指出,"我們面臨的挑戰是如何成功地建立起一種基于大范圍人群的介入方法,從而對那些可以融入日常生活的鍛煉方式起到促進作用."

據"瑞士資訊"報道, 日內瓦大學77名長期坐辦公室的雇員參與到了這項研究中來,在為期三個月的實驗期里樓梯是他們上下樓的唯一途徑.

研究結果顯示,研究對象的有氧能力增強,腰圍縮短,體重,脂肪團,血壓和膽固醇均有下降.

梅厄博士說,"這說明爬樓梯對公眾健康有著重要意義."

倫敦國民保健基金會的顧問心臟學家亞當.提米思教授認為,"這項研究雖不起眼卻很有價值,因為它為忙碌的上班族提高運動量提供了一條切實可行的途徑.

"雖然運動量很小,但在改善肌體健康,降低體脂肪和血壓等方面效果很明顯."