INTRODUCTION

"How does stair climbing at two different heights compare in college-aged women?" This topic is of interest to us because we are both female college students who are constantly climbing stairs due to our daily schedules. Due to a demanding work load and extracurricular activities, we do not always find time to exercise. Recent studies have been done on people leading sedentary lives. These studies suggest that taking stairs instead of the elevator is a way to obtain some exercise with one's busy schedule, especially college women (Templer, 1992). At the University of Michigan, for example, there are many buildings with stairs, each one varying in height and width.

The goal of our study was to do a kinematic analysis to examine how and why stair height can give a better workout at higher heights. The purpose of our investigation is to compare the biomechanics of stair climbing at two different heights. Our groups interest in this topic stems from our concern for our bodies considering the fact that we do not have sufficient time to exercise.