Successive La Niña events have left many opportunities for outdoor exercise without rain.
But for tower climber Dwayne Fernandes that doesn’t matter.
Fernandes runs up some of the tallest buildings in the world.
“It’s a full-body workout and it’s a closed space. There are no weather conditions,” says Mr. Fernandes.
All the sport of stair climbing demands is an available ladder and the determination to make it to the top.
Mr. Fernandes is a double amputee and holds multiple tower ascent records around the world, including the Sydney Tower.
Sydney’s skyscraper was the building that inspired him to run upstairs, but it also helped him be more open with himself.
In his job as a city insolvency accountant, Mr. Fernandes says he used to cover his prosthetic legs.
“Back then I was hiding. I was wearing long pants and no one knew I was an amputee,” says Fernandes.
Colleagues asked Mr. Fernandes to join them in climbing the Sydney Tower.
He says he was told by tower staff that it had never been done by anyone with a prosthetic before, inspiring him to achieve a world first.
“I had never climbed stairs before,” says Fernandes.
“All I did was find a bunch of stairs and I started running and did the math. And basically I needed to survive 1504 stairs.”
Years later, Fernandes raced in skyscrapers around the world, including in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Empire State Building in New York.
“When I drive through Sydney and see the Sydney Tower, it still makes me smile to have run up that building,” says Fernandes.
Convenient and rain resistant
Being able to turn your training into achievements like Mr. Fernandes’s is part of the sport’s appeal, says Sydney-based climber Arthavan Selvanathan.
“For example, I was planning a race this weekend and it looks like it’s going to rain. So I’m not going to be able to go out and do that,” says Mr. Selvanathan.
“An equivalent is doing 30 minutes on the stairs in my apartment block.”
Selvanathan says he used to run long distances, but kept getting injured.
“I wanted something that would still keep me fit, but where I was less likely to get injured.
“You don’t really need anything, just your regular exercise equipment and I can train in my apartment block. A lot of people can train really close to home.”
health benefits
The combination of intense cardiovascular exercise and the use of the larger muscles of the legs provides many health benefits when climbing stairs, according to sports and exercise doctor Alice McNamara, who also climbs stairs.
“It’s really good for your heart and lungs because you’re working at a high intensity going up stairs,” says Dr. McNamara.
Dr. McNamara says that the vigor of stair climbing means you can achieve a healthy amount of exercise in half the time normally recommended.
Adults are recommended to get 2.5 to 5 hours of moderately intense physical activity each week, according to guidelines on the Australian Department of Health website.
“One to two and a half hours a week is all you need to maintain your cardiovascular health,” says Dr. McNamara.
“If you can walk up stairs on your lunch break, you’re much more efficient.”
increased interest
While it’s hard to know exactly how many people regularly climb stairs, Stair Climbing Australia President Maria Piemontese has noted a growing interest in the sport.
People got involved during lockdowns when they couldn’t get to gyms.
“Not everyone could get equipment to set up a home gym,” says Ms. Piemontese.
While the pandemic canceled international stair climbing challenges, Ms Piemontese says they organized virtual stair climbs and people could use their own smaller stairs.
“We had about 500 people join the virtual challenges, which was great.”
Ms. Piemontese says that people should try this sport because of the potential health benefits and its convenience.
“It’s easy and free, and most people can find ladders.”
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