{"id":248910,"date":"2025-07-08T20:33:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T20:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/248910\/"},"modified":"2025-07-08T20:33:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T20:33:14","slug":"what-your-stair-technique-reveals-about-your-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/248910\/","title":{"rendered":"What Your Stair Technique Reveals About Your Body"},"content":{"rendered":"

Years back, Sir Ian McKellen reflected on his health<\/a> for the papers, saying, \u201cI am lucky. I don\u2019t have aches and pains. I do Pilates<\/a> regularly which is a series of stretching exercises and I recommend it to anyone of my age because the temptation is not to exercise when you get older.\u201d <\/p>\n

He also mentioned his proclivity to stay active during commutes: \u201cI always walk up the escalator on the Tube and I live in a house with a lot of stairs.\u201d <\/p>\n

Wise words \u2014 and little wonder that McKellen, now 86, is very much alive and kicking (he\u2019s also still frequently spotted<\/a> on the London Underground.)<\/p>\n

Exercise that\u2019s woven into a daily regimen is one of the most powerful ways to retain strength and extend health span. A 2023 study<\/a> of \u201cvigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity\u201d even found that brief bursts of effort \u2014 like taking the stairs \u2014 could serve as a promising intervention for cancer prevention.<\/p>\n

So, stairs matter. And it\u2019s not just whether you take them or not \u2014 it\u2019s how you take them. Do you lean forward when you climb? Crab-shuffle on the way down? Can you take two at a time? These aren\u2019t just quirks of your gait, they\u2019re clues into your mobility, sense of balance and long-term strength. Here\u2019s what to look for.<\/p>\n

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How to Take the Stairs<\/p>\n

I understand that it can feel silly to deconstruct a movement pattern you\u2019ve done since early childhood. But as you age, your bones shrink<\/a> and your muscles lose their oomph \u2014 both of which impact your coordination. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible (even likely) that you walk up the stairs differently now than you did at 25. So here\u2019s a reminder of best practices for taking the stairs, plus some red flags you may not have clocked. <\/p>\n

Good Form<\/p>\n

For starters, proper stair-walking is reminiscent of a march. It\u2019s common<\/a> for adults to hunch forward, relying on the quads (and knees!) to move from one step to the next, but you want to stand tall as you make progress and engage your glutes and hamstrings. Imagine that at the lip of each stair is an invisible trip wire, and you need to place the foot over it to land safely.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s best to stay controlled and strong. Rely on your own power, not the momentum of the movement. This is especially pertinent when descending stairs. Your footfalls should be purposeful, and as quiet as possible. <\/p>\n

Red Flags<\/p>\n

Climbing (or descending) stairs is almost always a forward movement. Here are some signs that you\u2019re deviating from that path: <\/p>\n