i take the stairs if it's less than 4 flights, but i don't take them all the way up to the 24th floor where i work.

I am a freak about taking the stairs - the only time I don't is if I'm at the airport and have huge, heavy bags with me or if I'm down in the subway and it's super hot and I know I'll get all sweaty and I've just showered and am feeling fresh and showered! One thing I never did understand: no matter how much I work out, no matter how much I run or do the frigging STAIRmachine for 40 minutes, walking up a flight or two of actual stairs always winds me. What's up with that?

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS
except one time i visited a friend at college, and her dorm was on the 18th floor. elevators were broken and we STILL waited around so we couldn't take the stairs. then, once i ran downstairs to get a bottle of water, and took the stairs up. needless to say, that was my workout for the weekend! but otherwise, i always take stairs unless a pal i'm with really doesn't want to. in which i argue with them still hehhe

I have a slight fear of elevators, so I always take the stairs if it isn't an outrageous number of floors or bags carried. I must admit that I do take escalators when available tho.

Ever since I started wearing a pedometer, I have been stair-obsessed... it helps, however, that buildings in this part of DC are never really above 6 flights. I'm sure if I lived on the 12th floor or something, I wouldn't haul my groceries up each week.
lrgoldman -- I'm glad it's not just me. I can handle 45 minutes of high intensity on the elliptical on a daily basis, but walking up the 4 flights of stairs to my lab leaves me huffing and puffing. Makes no sense!

Depends on the shoes, but my work has 3 floors of offices and I always take the stairs between floors!

my dorm is on the 6th floor, and I always try to take the stairs up... I have bad knees so down isn't very good for them... I only take the elevator up after a good workout, or after a long day at work because I'm always walking and on my feet at work... but other than that its the stairs

I usually use the stairs at work

people get mad at em becauseno mater what if stairs are an option I do them... why not increase your stamina and i like the feeling of moving around.

im very much a stair person...most of the time i drag my friendss with me up the stairs!! hihi

I take the stairs everyday at work and it never ceases to astound me when my coworkers take the elevator - for one floor! Going up OR going down. I don't exercise enough, so I really don't have an option but to squeeze it in somewhere.

I do not take the stairs up to work in the morning. As julieulie mentioned, here in DC buildings just aren't that tall (something about nothing being allowed to be taller than washington monument?) but I am on 15th floor of my building, and if i take the stairs up my ahir would look so much more attrocious than it does once i get to my office (the extra sweat and humidity would do it in) but, if i am anywhere else, i use the stairs to go as many as 3 floors. baby steps. haha. I am going to start taking stairs in the apartment though-5 flights is a good way to end the day. i do take escalators but i walk up them. what a speedy and efficient way to get to work haha. not as many steps as the stairs, but by butt or legs are burning by the time i reach the top since the steps are bigger.

Cravinsugar - walking up an escalator is an ESPECIALLY good workout with the size of the escalators here in DC! You must work downtownish to have 15 flights -- here in Georgetown, nothing is taller than maybe 8 flights. And I definitely hear you on the humidity and bad hair in the mornings!

haha, julie, yeah, I work in NE, the foggy bottom area, near the water. some of those escalators are almost scary haha. and nothing is worse than when you have bags or something, suticase, etc, and the are out of order...so that one time you would have ridden it, you end up having to lug all that stuff up...

If Im wearing sneakers, yes. Its difficult to do at work when you wear heels.

Yes....without my heels on

I haven't been (I work out alot, not that it's any excuse), but I'm going on vaca to Paris in March and my flat is on the 5th floor, NO ELEVATOR. You can bet Ill be taking the stairs up to court from now on.

PS, I totally agree about getting winded on the stairs.

i take the stairs whenever possible. and i agree with everyone else about still getting winded on the stairs.

I usually take the stairs unless I'm in a hurry because the elevators are closer than the stairs are where I work. But, ever since I got stuck in an elevator, I've developed a bit of a fear and claustrophobia, so I'll take the stairs whenever physically possible.

I take the stairs all the time unless I have to go to the 16th floor and I'm running late.

When I used to work right next to the stairs I would take then up four flights - but now that I am in a new building - you can only take the stairs unless there is a fire otherwise you set off the alarm. Stupid huh?

At school, I live on the 15th floor of my apartment complex and the gym is on the 4th floor. Whenever I'm done with my workout, I walk up the 11 flights of stairs no matter how tired I am. 5 months later I've lost 20 lbs, can eat whatever I want, and the level of my endurance is unbelievable. I highly recommend using the stairs!

stairs are amazing for stamina! no matter how much eliptical you do, stairs is more intense.

I usually take the stairs at my school library (10 floors) when studying. helps keep me awake and also improves my fitness!