The Fire Alarm Fitness Plan

As I mentioned in my previous Behind the Blog, I recently moved from a house to an apartment building. (I know – backwards, right?) This past week I got to participate in one of the joys of apartment living that folks who live in houses don’t experience as frequently: a fire alarm.

Evacuating a building during a fire alarm is an annoying but not insurmountable ordeal. Unless, of course, you have two chocolate labs that need to evacuate with you. Especially if one of those dogs is petrified of any loud noises like, for example, a fire alarm.

During a fire alarm the elevators close and go to the ground floor. You have to take the stairs. Imagine the joy I experienced trying to walk two 70 pound dogs down seven flights of stairs while one is stopping to sniff every new smell and the other one is having a panic attack. It was quite the work out.

So when we finally got outside of the building (which turned out to not be on fire after all), the thought occurred to me: this could be the inspiration for a great exercise plan! Here’s how it works.

The Fire Alarm Fitness Plan

1. Walk, jog, or run up and down the stairs of your apartment building. Dogs optional. Preferably an apartment building with 10 or more floors. If you don’t live in an apartment building, go for a 20 minute jog instead.
2. Walk, jog, or run with your dog(s) for 30 minutes. If you don’t have a dog, borrow someone else’s. Or walk your cat/turtle/hamster. As a last resort, you could just walk or jog with a friend.
3. Practice your evacuation: Sprint for 2 minutes, with your hands waving in the air like a crazy person, pretending like you are fleeing a burning building. In all seriousness, you should remain calm and composed while evacuating during a fire alarm. Please see these fire evacuation tips for what to do in an emergency.

Justin is a Behind the Blog investigator.
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