I work on the ground floor at Augustine House and I have a tendency to favour the lift. I have even been known to take the lift to a meeting on the first floor, which I am not proud of! There are three lifts in Augustine House so it’s very easy to get into bad habits.

I have a desk based job and don’t get much exercise apart from walking the dog, so I recently decided to start making an effort to use the stairs instead of the lift as a form of daily exercise.

Taking the stairs, rather than the lift, has become part of my daily routine. I also use it as an excuse to get a break from my computer for five minutes. So I climb the 72 steps (6 flights) right to the top of the third floor. I do it in one go and then go back down again without stopping!

I admit by the time I get to the third floor I am usually a bit out of breath, it gets your heart beating fast and you can feel the ache in your thighs but this makes you feel like you’re actually doing some good. I have a quick look at how Petros Court is coming along and then back down the stairs again.

I still use the lift occasionally to carry my cup of tea to a meeting or when I am having a lazy day. On average I walk the stairs twice a day but if I am feeling particularly energetic I manage to do it more and I feel that it helps improve my fitness, even if it is just a little bit.

I will be moving jobs to Rochester House in a few weeks so I am going miss my daily exercise with the Augustine House stairs, which I have become quite attached to. I am hoping to get into the habit of walking the stairs there as well.

Mary Howland
Student Residences Officer
Accommodation