TAKE a deep breath for this one.
A study revealed that the stairs in the Beato Angelico Building are the toughest to climb in the entire University.
Physical Therapy interns of the College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS) pointed out that the difficulty of climbing the Beato Angelico’s main staircase owes to the length of its steps.
The oxygen intake and physical exhaustion of 23 test subjects were more severe when climbing staircases with longer steps than those with steep ones, said John Clemente de Leon, one of the researchers.
“The taller a stair height is, the (less) effortful it is to climb than (longer steps), which require more muscle movements in the lower extremities, thus more energy expenditure,” said De Leon.
The steps of the Beato Angelico’s main staircase are about 16 inches long (or roughly two feet lined together and almost twice the length of the steps of other staircases in the University), according to the research.
The study, presented on March 19 at the CME Auditorium, aims to provide architects, engineers, and constructors a basis for establishing stair dimensions that are easiest to climb for Filipinos.
“(We want to help) recommend a stair design (ideal) for Filipinos, one which requires the least effort to climb,” de Leon told the Varsitarian.
Meanwhile, a study involving 204 college students in Metro Manila indicated a “linear relationship between forward head posture (or tilting the head forward) and the duration of computer use.”
“Longer time spent working in front of a computer can raise the likelihood of developing forward head posture,” said Tony Bolos, one of the researchers. “And (persons) with longer duration of computer use (complained of) neck and back pain.”
Metro Manila computer users tilt their head 6.93 centimeters on average, the study revealed.
Other studies presented included research on the effects of driving, or even the use of backpacks, on back pain.
