One girl skips two-by-two, one boy carries a bike above his head and one tired student lullingly climbs upward. Eventually each of them reaches the top of the 101-step staircase that leads from the Richard's Building to the rest of campus.

Many students walk this route to and from classes on a daily basis, often out of breath by the time they reach the top.

"When I get to the top of the stairs, I'm always glad they're over," said junior Amanda Bruce, "but I know it is good exercise."

Coreen Hurst, a graduate student from Payson, who climbs the staircase multiple times on her way to class each day, said she is grateful when she can go up them.

"It gives me some added exercise that I don't get on a normal day," Hurst said.

Stair climbing is a great way for students to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. It strengthens leg muscles and exercises the cardiovascular system.

Each time a student climbs the rigorous stairs between the Richard's Building and campus, he burns 10 calories. If he or she were to climb those stairs twice a day for an entire semester, a feat accomplished by many students, he or she would burn 1600 calories throughout the course of the semester. That is the equivalent of shedding almost half a pound.

This may not seem like much, but performing several small activities, like stair climbing, each day will eventually add up, allowing students to maintain their fitness, even in the midst of their daily activities. There are many easy ways in which students can increase their physical exercise during the course of their day.

"I always do a brisk walk up to campus," Hurst said. "And every time I go up stairs I try to take them two at a time. I also try to always take the stairs instead of the elevator."

Some other ideas for students to incorporate fitness into their daily life include walking or biking up to campus rather than driving, parking further away from one's destination and walking in place instead of just standing around.

"The single thing that comes close to a magic bullet, in terms of its strong and universal benefits, is exercise,'' said Frank Hu, epidemiologist from Harvard School of Public Health, in Harvard Magazine, and quoted in the New York Times.

Whatever their choice of activity, it is important for students to stay active, even if it is only in simple ways.

To calculate how many calories are being burned during fitness activities, visit www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc.