Stair climbing a convenient, weatherproof form of exercise to keep you moving when it's raining

A spate of La Niñas has taken away many opportunities to exercise outdoors.

But for tower climber Dwayne Fernandez, it doesn’t matter.

Mr. Fernandez runs up some of the tallest buildings in the world.

“It’s a full-body exercise, an enclosed space, no weather conditions,” says Fernandez.

All that is required of the sport of stair climbing is the number of stairs available and the determination to reach the top.

Mr Fernandez is a double amputee and holds multiple records in tower climbing around the world, including the Sydney Tower.

Mr. Fernandez has run up the stairs of skyscrapers and traveled around the world.(ABC Radio Sydney: Declan Bowling)

The Sydney skyscraper was the building that inspired him to run up the stairs, but it also helped him become more open to himself.

Fernandez says he hid his leg in his job as the city’s bankruptcy accountant.

“At the time, I was hiding myself. I wore long pants, so no one knew I was an amputee,” Fernandez said.

Colleagues asked Mr. Fernandez to join them in climbing the Sydney Tower.

He says the tower staff told him that someone with a prosthetic leg had never done it before.

The Empire State Building is one of the towers Fernandez has climbed.(ABC Radio Sydney: Declan Bowling)

“I had never climbed stairs before,” says Fernandes.

“All I did was find a bunch of stairs, started running, and did the math. Basically, I had to navigate 1,504 steps.”

Years later, Fernandez has driven skyscrapers around the world, including Hong Kong, Singapore and the Empire State Building in New York.

“Driving through Sydney and seeing the Sydney Tower still makes me smile that I ran up to that building,” says Fernandez.

convenient and rainproof

The ability to turn training into achievements like Fernandez’s is part of the appeal of the sport, says Sydney-based stair climber Ursavan Selvanathan.

“For example, I was planning to run this weekend, but it’s going to rain, so I can’t go out and run,” says Selvanathan.

Arthavan Selvanathan was worried about an injury he sustained while running long distances.(ABC Radio Sydney: Declan Bowling)

“The equivalent of this is doing 30 minutes in the stairwell of my apartment.”

Selvanathan says he used to run long distances but kept getting injured.

“I wanted something that would keep me healthy, but also less prone to injury.

“You don’t really need anything. You just have your usual exercise gear and you can train in your apartment block. Many people can train right next to their home.”

Those who climb the stairs say the view from the top is worth the climb.(ABC Radio Sydney: Declan Bowling)

health benefits

The combination of intense aerobic exercise and use of the larger leg muscles provides stair climbing with many health benefits, says Alice McNamara, a stair climbing sports and exercise physician.

Dr. McNamara says, “Working up the stairs and at high intensity is really good for your heart and lungs.

Stair climbing is an intense aerobic exercise.(ABC Radio Sydney: Declan Bowling)

Stair-climbing power means you can achieve a healthy amount of exercise in half the time normally recommended, says Dr. McNamara.

Guidelines on the Australian Department of Health website recommend that adults engage in 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.

“One to two and a half hours a week is all you need to maintain cardiovascular health,” says Dr. McNamara.

“It’s much more time efficient if you can climb the stairs during your lunch break.”

Rising interest rates

It’s hard to know exactly how many people climb stairs on a regular basis, but Maria Piemontese, president of Stair Climbing Australia, has noticed a growing interest in the sport.

It was attended by people who could not go to the gym during lockdown.

“Not everyone has been able to get the equipment to set up a home gym,” Piedmontese says.

The international stair climbing challenge has been canceled due to the pandemic, but Piedmontese said he will host a virtual stair climb, allowing people to use their own small staircase.

“About 500 people took part in the virtual challenge, which was really good.”

Interest in climbing stairs is growing, says Maria Piedmontese.(By: Maria Piedmontese)

Piedmontese says people should start playing sports because of the potential health benefits and convenience.

“It’s easy, free, and most people can find the stairs.”

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