From correspondents in Washington, United States, 01:30 PM IST

Climbing stairs is a well known way to stay fit. Now researchers are urging building designers to revise their approach to stairs, even including the use of music, to encourage people to use them more.

While the benefits of using stairs are known, many staircases are unappealingly designed. They are usually tucked away in hard-to-reach places and are poorly lit.

Lead author of the article Dr. Ishak Mansi of Louisiana State University said that even a moderate increase in the use of stairs could help those suffering from weight problems.

Mansi suggests that stairs should be made a central feature of new buildings and be designed in such a way that people are drawn to them. He believes that improvements can even be made in existing buildings.

This article was published in The Southern Medical Journal.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)