[One Day Ten Thousand Steps, One Day One Thousand Characters] 63 Building and 123-Story Lotte World Tower... Shall We Challenge Climbing the Stairs?

The Jamsil Lotte World Tower has 2,917 steps from the 1st floor to the 123rd floor observation deck. On the 22nd of next month, the vertical marathon event "2023 SkyRun" will be held here. It is a competition where participants run up the stairs. Of course, it is fine to either run or walk up. Running up the stairs is difficult for the general public. Stair climbing offers a middle ground between walking and running. Typically, climbing one step burns 0.15 kcal, and descending burns 0.07 kcal. For 123 floors and 2,917 steps, the simple calculation is 437 kcal. However, the heavier the body weight and the faster the climbing speed, the higher the calorie consumption. Climbing stairs for one hour burns about 1,000 kcal.

The 2018 SkyRun was held as an international competition, with a Polish athlete taking first place. The record was 15 minutes 53.56 seconds, which means climbing one floor every 8 seconds. The time limit for general participants was 3 hours (an average of 1 minute 30 seconds per floor). Climbing stairs burns fat twice as fast as running on flat ground and three times faster than walking. There is also an event planned for climbing the 63 Building. Hanwha Life Insurance holds the 63 Stair Climb every June. It involves climbing 1,251 steps corresponding to the 249m height of the 63 Building. The all-time best record for men was in the 7-minute range, climbing one floor every 7 seconds.

Citizens Using Stairs Instead of Elevator [Asia Economy DB]

Stair climbing has already been proven effective in various domestic and international studies. A research team at Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital conducted a 12-week stair climbing experiment on healthy adult women aged 20 to 64 who worked at a university hospital and did not engage in regular exercise. There were many conditions: at least 5 times a week, preferably daily, and using stairs of 3 floors or more at least 10 times a day. All other daily activities were to remain the same as usual. Also, participants were instructed not to start any new exercise other than stair climbing during the experiment. The workplace building for stair climbing was an 18-story building with 6 basement floors and 12 above ground. Participants used stairs from the parking lot inside the building to their workplace during commuting, and also used stairs during lunch breaks and work-related movements. On weekends or days off, they used stairs at home and in daily life.

The results showed a reduction in resting heart rate and systolic blood pressure in those who did not exercise. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly decreased. Based on this, the research team published a 2019 paper titled "Effects of Stair Climbing on Blood Pressure, Blood Lipids, and Health Fitness." The team analyzed, "Small changes that increase physical activity such as stair climbing at work and in daily life have effects similar to aerobic exercise and are significant in reducing the risk of major vascular diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, and stroke, thereby helping improve health." Professor Anna Whitaker and six other researchers at the University of Stirling in the UK also reported, based on a survey of 782 adult men with an average age of 58, that "daily stair climbing reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome by increasing physical activity." The study results were published in the 2021 public health journal 'BMC Public Health.'

Citizens are using the 'Donation Health Stairs' installed by the distribution specialist company hy at the Seoul City Hall Citizen's Hall.

Since stair climbing is clearly effective, thorough preparation is necessary. Shoe size should fit to provide cushioning and stability during walking. Initially, warm up the body and cool down at the end of exercise. Stair height should be chosen so that knees do not need to bend more than 90 degrees. Stairs should be dry, well-lit, well-ventilated, and free of obstacles. Relax the neck and keep the back straight. Bending the back can cause lower back pain. It is better to start by climbing short stairs or half the stairs rather than one long flight, and rest as needed. In daily life, it is good to use stairs instead of elevators or escalators. Walking a few floors of stairs when going to work or returning home is beneficial.