Soon, the New Yorkers and their visitors will be taking the stairs more often. This is if Mayor Bloomberg's proposal will be approved.
Mayor Bloomberg made a proposal on Wednesday to change the building codes in New York which will promote the use of stairs. The proposal suggests that buildings should have a stairway for non-emergency use and should be kept open all the time. The mayor believes that this will encourage people to do more physical activity which could help address obesity among residents.
A minute of climbing the stairs may burn about 10 calories for a 150-pound person while it is only 1.5 calories if he takes the elevator, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The proposal will be part of the ‘active design ‘project of his administration which is favored by the architects and public health experts because the program requires minimal cost yet effective result by encouraging people to exercise. The CDC had confirmed that almost 50 percent of the Americans had complied with the exercise guidelines in 2011.
Health Commissioner Thomas Farley confirmed that only 30 percent of the New Yorkers are able to get sufficient amount of exercise. With the city embracing the active design program, people should see more improvement on the sidewalks, more bike lanes, and others that will encourage them to walk or bike.
Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal would need approval from the City Council and needs to be revised as well for Security.
If you are wondering if he practices what he preaches? Well, Bloomberg said he always use the stairs in his five-storey Upper East Side townhouse.
Other health-improvement proposals he had made during his 12-year term which were not being implemented were the bike-share program, smoking bans in bars and restaurants, calorie count posting in fast food chains, and artificial trans fat bans.
