No surprise here, but most morning routines involve sipping a cup of coffee to jumpstart the day. With high amounts of caffeine, it’s the perfect way to spike energy levels and focus in on the day ahead, but what if we told you there was a better, more effective pick-me-up available?
Well, lucky us—it’s true. According to research published in Physiology & Behavior, a group of chronically sleep-deprived women who slept less than 6.5 hours per night were given either a 50 mg capsule of caffeine (about the same as a small cup of coffee) or a placebo capsule before taking a computer-based test to measure their level of attention, working memory, work motivation and energy level.
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Then in a second round of testing, the women were all required to do 10 minutes of low-intensity stair climbing before taking the same exam. The results found that those 10 minutes of stair walking made the women feel much more energized and enthusiastic than the caffeine did, making it a more effective method for waking yourself up out of a slump.
While researchers aren’t exactly sure why stair walking works better than caffeine at giving you a mini boost, they do know that it’s an important finding nonetheless. Stair walking is a great substitute for those energy drinks you’ve been guzzling during the afternoon slump, so instead of hitting up your local Starbucks for a caffeine fix, walk the office stairs to wake yourself up. Not only will you feel refreshed, but you’ll also burn major calories. Talk about a win-win.
