A study done at the University Hospital of Geneva has found that people taking the stairs instead of elevator at work can expect to live longer.

The main author of the study, Philippe Meyer, said regularly walking from floor to floor in an office building decreased mortality risk by 15 per cent.

Meyer said using the stairs improves fitness, body composition, blood pressure and lipid profiles.

"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.

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

"However, the results of this pilot study need to be confirmed in a larger randomised controlled trial," Meyer said.

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