We’re told all the time that simply taking the stairs out of a train station could be very beneficial to our health.

But, how can commuters be convinced to skip the escalator or elevator and take the stairs instead? Volkswagen has come up with a solution. Make it fun.

At a train station in Stockholm, a group working for Volkswagen’s initiative ‘The Fun Theory‘ created a Piano Staircase. Each step triggered a note. In doing this, they inspired 66% more people at this station to take the stairs.

A few people in the video seemed to not notice the piano. They could have been trying to be cool. Maybe thinking that they had gone mad and those notes below were in fact in their heads due to a lack of medication. Or perhaps they simply took the stairs normally and such a motivation was not needed.

It’s the little steps (no pun intended) that can make the difference in our health. Cut out soda. Cut down on red meat. Don’t smoke. Take the stairs. And, while we don’t have musical steps in the NYC subway system yet (hopefully we will soon), the experiment in Sweden has inspired me to keep walking.

See Also:
The Fun Theory