Hey Stair Climbers – I have some good news for you. Going down the stairs also counts as physical activity…not just climbing up them!
I know, it sort of sounds of like common sense now that I see it. But as I tallied my flights this month as part of a challenge to take the stairs, I wondered if going down a few flights contributes to the overall count.
I took my question to Mark Anunciacion, a physiotherapist at the Holland Centre, who advised me that climbing down the stairs counts too!
“Going down the stairs is a good activity for lower extremity strengthening,” Mark said. “But some people who can tolerate going up the stairs have knee or other joint pain when going down.”
So, remember: climb up or down only as much as you can handle before feeling joint pain. Or, skip the stairs all together and try other forms of activity that are easier on the joints, like swimming.
How many flights do you take (up or down) a month? My average seems to be about 12 flights a day. I seem to get a lot more done now that I’m not waiting for the elevator. (Confession: I have taken the elevator a few times. But any small change to add activity is a good step!)
There’s still time to take the challenge to climb the stairs! See you on there – up or down!
