A small Swiss study has found that using the stairs rather than the elevator for three months significantly improves fitness levels, reducing waist size, body fat, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. Participants in the study experienced an overall improvement in aerobic capacity that translated to a 15 percent reduction in the risk of dying prematurely from any cause. During the course of the study, participants ascended and descended an average of 23 flights of stairs a day. Prior to the study, the 69 relatively sedentary hospital workers climbed just five flights of stairs daily.
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I am not pleased. A certain retailer whose name starts with west and ends with marine used to carry some pretty beefy anchor rollers. Apparently... - [Read more]

Researchers believe they have found a link between seasonal affective disorder, a depressive mood disorder related to decreased light exposure, and a protein that binds to the mood-regulating neurotransmitter serotonin. Brain scans of study participants found that the protein, a serotonin transporter that clears the chemical from the spaces between brain cells, is more active in fall and winter months. This leads to decreased serotonin levels and increases the likelihood of suffering a depressed mood.
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