The ability to climb stairs is not just about quadriceps strength (read our earlier blog Step #3: Whimpy Quads), but also quadriceps endurance.

Yes, stairs make it easier to get from here to there, but climbing stairs can still be difficult. Think about it. You are repeatedly asking one leg to lift your bodyweight up a 6-8 inch rise. Now try adding a deconditioned body to the mix and we have a great recipe for a knee joint disaster.

There’s no wonder why stair climbing has become a wonderful endurance exercise, as well as a global sport. You need to be fit to safely and effectively climb multiple flights of stairs.

🧐 Try this: Train like you play!

Simply put, we train our clients, athletes, and weekend warriors – folks who move for a living and live to move — based on their functional and activity needs. We often train our swimmers in the horizontal position. Basketball players get their court agility and plyometric movements in. Dance-specific therapy usually involves balance exercises, breathwork, and stability. 

As for training someone to conquer stairs, once we deal with our client’s knee pain, mobility, and quadriceps strength, we build up their stair climbing endurance. Our goal is for the quads not to be screaming, the lungs not to be on fire, and for the core not to fatigue and lose spinal alignment.  All of these factors help keep excessive loads off of the knee joint. 

Get your wind back and build your leg endurance HERE.

Heal. Move. WIND. Evolve.

Sign up for our free workshop: 10 Steps to Fixing Knee Pain on Stairs! Want more info click HERE.

Your next step! Read Step #6: Foot Pain Can = Knee Pain HERE!