TIME: Almanac 1990/1990 Time Magazine Compact Almanac, The (1991)(Time).iso/time/121889/12188900.061

Text File | 1990-09-20 | 3.8 KB | 70 lines

HEALTH, Page 83

America Goes Stair Crazy

Better machines propel the popularity of step climbing


    Every weekday before sunrise, a large crowd gathers in front
of the Gross Court Athletic Club in Woodland, Calif., and waits
eagerly for the doors to open at 5:30. What's the attraction? An
aerobics class conducted by Jane Fonda? No, these health buffs are
standing in line for a chance to climb stairs. Well, not real
stairs. The club features those ubiquitous machines that enable
people to simulate the healthful huffing and puffing of clambering
up steps.

    Stair climbing is the fastest-growing form of aerobic exercise
in the U.S., according to American Sports Data. An estimated 4
million people, from young professionals to energetic grandparents,
have joined the climbing generation, an increase of more than 40%
since the end of 1988. In many health clubs, stair-climbing
machines are more popular than stationary bicycles, and they
threaten to make treadmills a thing of the past.

    The growing vogue for stair climbing has been made possible by
the development of new and better machines. They come in a dozen
different models, including several home versions, that are easier
to use and much more widely available than earlier devices. Over
the past year, many health clubs have doubled the number of
machines for their members. Even so, supply has badly trailed
demand. In some places club managers strictly enforce time limits
to keep people from fighting over the machines. Those tired of the
health-club hassle can buy home machines for much less than the
$2,000 to $3,400 that professional models cost. The $400 Precor
Fitness Climber routinely ranks among the ten top-selling items in
the Sharper Image catalog.

    The benefits of stair climbing first gained attention in 1968,
when fitness guru Dr. Kenneth Cooper promoted aerobic exercise as
a good way to strengthen muscles and build endurance. Interest
swelled in 1977, when a study showed that men who climbed more than
five flights a day had 25% fewer heart attacks than those who stuck
to elevators and escalators. But most people found it inconvenient
or boring to climb stairs regularly. Many lived in ranch-style
houses, and high-rise-apartment dwellers were leery of trudging up
and down deserted stairwells.

    The beginnings of a solution came in 1983, when the Tulsa-based
StairMaster company pioneered the stair-climbing machine. The first
model looked like a three-step escalator, and the steps revolved
like a treadmill. But people found it hard to keep up with the
machine, and only the superfit mastered it. In 1986 StairMaster
introduced the 4000 PT, which was simpler to use. Exercisers push
a pair of bicycle-like pedals that move up and down instead of in
circles, and a computerized screen gives such data as the number
of "flights" climbed and the "distance" traveled. Fans say they can
burn off 10% more calories on stair machines than on stationary
bicycles, and the step climbers are easier on the feet and legs
than treadmills are.

    StairMaster's success has inspired competitors, among them
Bally, the maker of arcade games and slot machines. In June Bally
subsidiary Life Fitness put out its Lifestep model for health
clubs. It has large, easy-to-move pedals and an advanced computer
screen that tells users how many calories they are burning at any
given moment. The price: $3,395, in contrast to $2,195 for the
StairMaster 4000 PT.

    Yet despite all their high-tech wizardry, stepping machines
offer little that a staircase cannot provide. "There is nothing
magical about the machines," says Steve Farrell of the Institute
for Aerobic Research in Dallas. "You can get the exact same benefit
from just climbing stairs in the home or office." And going between
floors on foot can be healthier for the bank account.