Ever since we were young children, we have heard the advice that we should get more exercise every day. Some of us follow the advice and we may even take things to the extreme. There is a large segment of the population, however, that lead a sedentary life, and that can result in a number of health issues. One of the things that people can do to improve their health and add some exercise into their day is taking the stairs. When you decide to make this a part of your life, it can make a difference.
Of course, not everybody is going to choose to use the stairs when they have an escalator or an elevator available. That is where a company came up with a rather unique solution. This solution came from Volkswagen, and they came up with something that they called the “fun theory.” They wanted to offer options that were considered fun but in the background, they were actually encouraging people to get more exercise. In this case, it was using the stairs.
A public transportation system in Stockholm was used for this experiment. People access this station many times throughout the day and they had two options, take the stairs or take the escalator.
Late one night people went in and began taping up the stairs. They put down electronic panels on the concrete steps that looked like the keys of a piano. They included both white and black keys.
When people started walking by the stairwell in the morning, you will be amazed at the response. They have the option of taking the escalator, which they had probably done many times, or they could try out the stairs.
There was nothing that forced them to use the stairs but when you see them using them, you will laugh at their reaction.
Travelers of all ages use the piano staircase and some of them even make a game out of it. You might think that it was the younger crowd that tended to gravitate toward the piano stairs but people of all ages couldn’t help but try it.
The camera was there recording the entire scene and in the end, it was shown that it was a very successful experiment.
You can watch the video to see how they chose the stairs in action:
