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How long are you willing to wait for an elevator?

According to a recent study by a team of doctors in Saskatchewan you could save up to 15 minutes a day by taking the stairs instead. The research was published in the “Holiday Readings” section of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, an annual segment reserved for “quirky research, humorous satires and witty musings.”

Four staffers at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon took a total of 56 walking trips and 336 elevator trips. The results? It took twice as long – 37.5 seconds – to get to the chosen floor by elevator versus the stairs.

While the study does have its limitations – only four participants; a 7-storey hospital is quite different than a 50-floor office building – it also makes a good point: sometimes it’s just easier to walk.

Here are 5 more reasons why you should hit the stairwell:

• It’s a free workout. With no special equipment required, it’s the cheapest way to burn off some calories. And it's an easy way to sneak some exercise into your day.

• It can be a full-body workout. Last year the Globe and Mail reported on a study from Italy that showed how to amp up your climb:

“Among the notable insights of the Italian study is that using the handrails to haul yourself up turns the activity into a full-body workout much like rowing, resulting in a “global, maximal effort.” About 80 per cent of the power you exert goes to raising your body against the force of gravity; 5 per cent goes to whipping your limbs back and forth, and the remaining 15 per cent goes toward running tiny semi-circles at each landing."

• It can prolong your life. According to a three-month-long British study published in 2008, volunteers who regularly used the stairs instead of the elevator showed improved lung capacity, blood pressure and cholesterol readings. Their weight, body fat and waist measurements also dropped. What does that all mean? Researchers suggested these improvements decrease a person's chances of dying young by 15 per cent.

• It’s good for your HDL Yep, active stair climbers can improve their amount of “good” cholesterol.

• It’s a calorie killer. Check this stat out: by walking up stairs you burn almost 700 per cent the number of calories you'd burn twiddling your thumbs in an elevator.

Do you make it a habit of choosing the stairs over the elevator? And what is your stairs threshold – how many flights are you willing to walk up or down instead of taking the elevator?

The 2010–2011 NHL season was by most accounts a success for Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team reached the Eastern Conference Finals, falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in seven games.

Last season was the Lightning's most successful since Stamkos, 21, joined the team as the first overall pick in 2008. But in his first three seasons as a pro, the Markham, Ont., native had already been racking up individual accolades, including winning the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2009–2010 for leading the league in goals (51 goals, tied with Sidney Crosby). And last year he was named to the All-Star team for the first time.

Stamkos's achievements on the ice have now led to a unique honour off the ice: newly minted cover boy of EA Sports NHL 12.

We spoke with Stamkos at the video game's launch to learn more about his training tricks and get his advice for aspiring athletes.

Did you play this video game growing up?
“Since I was about six years old it was probably on top of the Christmas list. I still play it. The guys on the team take the Xbox to the cities we travel to on the road. I thought it was pretty cool a couple of years ago when the game came out and I was in it for the first time as a character.”

Do you have any pre-game superstitions?
“We play this cool kind of hybrid soccer-volleyball game. We got to make sure we get that in before every game.”

Soccer-volleyball?
“We use two bicycle gates for a net. We serve [the ball], but everything’s at your feet. It’s soccer rules – headers, chest, feet – but it’s trying to smash [the ball] over. We got pretty good at it and got some good rallies going. We get competitive, and there have been a couple of injuries, a couple of heads colliding at the net or a foot to the face. It loosens us up before the game and gets us ready.”

How do you motivate yourself to work out when you just don’t feel like doing it?
“I’m not going to lie and say I wake up every morning with a smile on my face ready to go to the gym. There are days when your body is sore, you’re tired or you didn’t sleep well. You just have to realize that if you don’t do it you will fall a step behind. You have to try and find that edge. You know you’re going to the gym to get better, and that’s motivation in itself.”

What training advice do you have for young athletes?
“The key word for young kids is fun. I always found it great to play other sports. I didn’t stick to hockey until I was 14, 15 years old. Before that I played soccer, lacrosse and baseball and got to experience those other sports and make a lot of friends. I think each of those sports helps you become better at hockey, whether it’s conditioning or hand-eye coordination. When you’re young, you’re not going to be going to the gym and lifting weights. Playing those other sports is going to keep you fit and motivated, and keep that competitive nature to your game. As long as you’re having fun at what you’re doing, you should be OK.”

You’ve already had a ton of highlights in only three seasons. Have there been any embarrassing moments on the ice?
“[Last season] I had a penalty shot against Pittsburgh and fell and didn’t get the shot away. Thank God we were already losing 5-0 at the time so it didn’t have any effect on the outcome of the game.”

Is there an athlete you'd like to spend five minutes with?

For someone who's only 26 years old, hockey player Tessa Bonhomme has already racked up quite a list of accolades and awards. Let's see:

• She holds the scoring record for points by a defenceman at Ohio State University (128 points)
• She was a women's college player of the year finalist (twice)
• She was the first pick in the Canadian Women's Hockey League 2010–2011 draft (by the Toronto Aeros)

Oh, and she won an Olympic gold medal as a member of Canada's women's hockey team in Vancouver in 2010.

This month the Sudbury, Ont., native trades in her hockey skates for figure skates, as the first female hockey player to compete on “Battle of the Blades” (CBC, Sunday nights).

We recently spent five minutes with Bonhomme at the launch of the Nike House of Training to get the goods on her game-day routines and training secrets.

Photography by Jeff Vinnick - Hockey Canada (courtesy of Hockey Canada)

Do you have a favourite pre-game meal?
“I was taught at a young age to eat what you’re comfortable with, to make sure it’s not anything extreme. So it’s chicken, pasta, salad and vegetables. It’s kind of a boring meal, but it’s what makes me feel good when I’m out there and it’s what helps me perform at my best.”

What about pre-game superstitions?
“I have to get my juggling in. If I don’t, that’s a big deal. I use Cirque de Soleil balls I got when I saw a show. Kind of geeky, I know, but it gets my hand-eye [coordination] going.”

Any post-game rituals?
“I like to throw back half a Gatorade and some protein just to get something in my body. If it’s not that, it’s chocolate milk. If I had bad game, sometimes I just write it down to know I’ve put my thoughts somewhere.”

Tessa carries the puck up ice during a game at the 2011 women's world hockey championships. Photography by Andre Ringuette – HHOF/IIHF Images (courtesy of Hockey Canada)

Favourite workout or pre-game music?
“I’m a rock ‘n’ roll girl, so the Tragically Hip, Guns ’n’ Roses and ACDC.”

Working out can be a drag some days. How do you keep it fun?
“I mix in a bunch of different sports. Some mornings when I wake up and I’m super grumpy I go to a kickboxing class and beat the crap out of the teacher; some days they beat me up.”

You have a reputation as being a bit of a jokester. What’s your favourite prank you’ve pulled?
“One night in Switzerland, [teammate] Cherie Piper and I stayed behind when a bunch of the girls went out for dinner. For some reason, everyone left their doors open, which was a terrible idea. We TP’d their bathrooms and left them a bucket of water on top of their doors. And, just because they weren’t expecting to get pranked again, we leaned a big garbage can on the elevator doors, so that when they opened it, it splashed in on them.

What advice do you have for young female athletes?
“Just have fun. Take a lot of pictures when you’re at tournaments and make as many friends as possible.”

Is there an athlete you'd like to spend five minutes with?